Surprise Squad awards $5,000 to Phoenix nonprofit worker helping homeless
PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Circle the City is a nonprofit organization based in Phoenix. Its mission is to provide healthcare and hope to people facing homelessness in Maricopa County.
One way they do this is by sending mobile units into the community to help those on the streets. It’s a demanding job that can be very taxing, especially during the hot summer months.
But those employees have a supervisor named Wendy who sometimes uses her own money to make sure they have plenty of food and hydration while they work long hours. It’s why Arizona’s Family’s April Warnecke and the Surprise Squad crew went to their headquarters to surprise her. Wendy was in a conference room, thinking she was called there for a meeting.
She was surprised when April walked with a camera crew behind her.
After the initial shock subsided, Wendy explained that she helps with the day-to-day operations of their mobile units, street medicine teams, and health navigator program. She added that over recent years, they’ve seen a growing population of people experiencing homelessness in the Valley. April asked her what some people might not know about the homeless.
“They could use a friend right now,” Wendy answered.
“Somebody to be by their side, somebody to hear them. Somebody to help guide and just honestly somebody to be there to hear what they’re going through.”
Next, April asked Wendy why she spends her own money to help out her team. She responded that she just wants to support them and make their day better because sometimes they’re so busy they don’t think to take a break to eat or drink.
Stephanie, a Circle the City supervisor, added that she’s had conversations with Wendy to let her know she doesn’t have to use her own money, but she insists on doing it anyway.
“We are with the Arizona’s Family Surprise Squad,” April said as she handed Wendy an envelope. “This is on behalf of the Valley Toyota Dealers.”
Wendy opened the envelope and gasped when she saw that she was being awarded five thousand dollars. Her co-workers, who had gathered in the room for the special moment, erupted in applause.
“I think that means they think you deserve this,” April smiled.
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