The Azura Employee Foundation (AEF), which is funded by employees, focuses on community support and improving more lives by approving grant requests twice a year. This fall, grant funding totaled $9,000 and was given to the following 5 organizations:
- Living the Dream: Living the Dream is a Topeka founded organization, who hosts one of the largest and longest running celebrations in the United States honoring the life and legacy of MLK. Living the Dream will be utilizing the grant to provide two $1,000 scholarships to high school seniors for their accomplishments and community service.
- Valeo Behavioral Health Care: Valeo Behavioral Health Care will be using the funds to purchase Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) books and workbooks to be used with individuals served. WRAP helps individuals discover simple, safe, and effective tools to create and maintain wellness.
- Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northeast Kansas: Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northeast Kansas keeps families close to their hospitalized children. Funds will be used to provide increased access to healthy food and snack options and to meet varied dietary and nutritional needs, including but not limited to gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan and soft foods.
- Project Topeka: Project Topeka will use their funds to purchase items to be placed in their snack packs. They donate 1,000 snack packs weekly to local schools to help children in need over the weekend. Project Topeka also supplements the needs of local food banks through canned and non-perishable food donations.
- Community in Schools of Mid-America, Inc.: Communities in Schools of Mid-America will be putting their funds directly into supporting programming in five schools in Topeka; Ross Elementary School, State Street Elementary School, Highland Park High School, Topeka High School, and Topeka West High School. Student Support Coordinators (SSCs) work full-time in these schools to plan, coordinate, and implement the CIS Model of Integrated Student Supports.
More about Azura Employee Foundation
Azura Employee Foundation was founded in 2018. The foundation is managed and funded by Azura Employees. Over 80% of Team Azura actively contributes to the foundation to provide additional community supports. The employee led foundation meets quarterly, reviews grants and funds selected grant requests twice a year. The grants are facilitated through an invitational RFP, as suggested by employees.
