What would it be like to be a homeless teenager in Sierra Vista, Ariz., knowing how important education was to your future, but not knowing where you were going to sleep each night, or who to turn to for help? At least one former student from Buena High School was well aware of these challenges. But thanks to the Bob Holcombe Fund for Vocational/Educational Success at the Cochise Community Foundation, an affiliate of the Arizona Community Foundation, this young man recently graduated from high school with a community college basketball scholarship.

The Community Foundation’s grant provided support to Buena High to initiate a program that trained mentors to work with at-risk youth. This young man’s mentor, also the basketball coach, helped the student secure living arrangements and develop self-discipline. He monitored academic progress and developed regular communication with teachers and the student, keeping him on track and in school. Cochise Community Foundation staff partially credits the U.S.-Mexico Border Philanthropy Partnership for the success, because assistance provided by the BPP allowed the Foundation to develop a more strategic approach to grantmaking from this fund. Philanthropy on the border has the power to help young people sleep better at night, and take the world by storm during the day, knowing that someone cares enough about their future to invest in them.

To learn more about the Cochise Community Foundation click here

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