Podcast Content


Elevating our Urban Youth with Jazmine Hall & Dalila Gamper

Today’s podcast episode features two fabulous ladies who help run local nonprofit, Elevate Phoenix: Dalila A Gamper and Jazmine Hall. Dalila started as a teacher with Elevate back in 2009 and is now the Executive Director and Jazmine started as a student of Elevate’s while in High School and is now Development Director! Candelaria Design has been involved the past few years as a mentor and has attended and sponsored some events since being introduced to Elevate through our client, PGA Pro, Tom Lehman.

Targeting individual students, Elevate Phoenix was founded in 2009 and provides curriculum and support to aid students at risk of dropping out of school. Across America’s hard-to-serve urban areas, public school students drop out of school in alarming numbers, and for those that do graduate, the road to post-secondary education is filled with obstacles. Too many of America’s high school students are underserved and, as a result, are underperforming. Part of the problem is a large majority of urban youth lack caring adults in their lives, leading directly to increased crime, gang, drug activity and other roadblocks to self-sufficiency.  

Elevate provides meaningful relationships, opportunities and experiences that shape students into the young adults we know they can become. The Elevate Phoenix model has proven effective in changing these trends and transforming the lives of our city’s youth.  It is our goal to change the outcome for our future leaders. They employ a holistic approach to meet each child’s needs, which means full-time salaried teacher-mentors, year-round programming, cross-age mentoring and a long-term relational approach in four areas: accredited classes, mentoring, reading & literacy, and graduation and post-secondary plans.

Elevate serves roughly 4500 students per year who achieve a 98% graduation rate with 100% of the students having post secondary plans. Join us in growing their programs across the entire Phoenix Union High School District, serving 17 urban title one schools and well over 20k+ students. Consider joining as a mentor or guest speaker, or donate and receive an Arizona tax credit up to $400 for single filers and $800 for married/joint filers.

Their mission and their success rate are absolutely amazing and we have been so grateful to see firsthand how together we can make a difference in these children's lives and in our community. 

https://elevatephoenix.org/

elevatephoenix.org/the-arizona-tax-credit/

www.linkedin.com/company/elevate-phoenix

www.facebook.com/elevatephoenixaz/

www.instagram.com/elevatephoenix2021/

www.youtube.com/channel/UCyEHyNJr3O606tgXu6MXMdA

Taking Action with Russell & Erika Dickey

Russ & Erika podcasting with Mark & Isabel

Russ & Erika podcasting with Mark & Isabel

Today's episode Isabel and I chat with our friends Russell and Erika Dickey. We talk a bit about the state of the world, which segues into their incredible grassroots effort in helping the Navajo Nation battle Covid-19, and how with the help of friends, connections and a passion to make a difference, anyone truly can. Lastly, we end up reminiscing over our past Tours to Italy together in 2014 and Spain in 2016. 

Russell earned his undergraduate degree in Accounting, then attended the Sandra Day O’Connor School of Law in Phoenix, graduating in 1987, and became a member of the Arizona bar in 1988. In 2006, he became the Executive Director of the Greater Arizona Christian Community Foundation, supporting Christian philanthropic ventures locally.  He then returned to Verco Manufacturing (now VMI) as Legal Counsel and works there currently.

Russell’s charitable endeavors include PPE for Navajo Nation First Responders (Co-Founder), ASU Game Changer Legacy (Co-Founder), Arizona Urban Youth Ministries (Board), and Elevate Phoenix (former Development Board).  He and his wife support a wide range of charities in the areas of medicine, urban youth, theater, sports, and many others.

RDickey2.jpg