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P.A.W.S. is an acronym for Professional Association of
Women's Services. P.A.W.S. brings women from many occupations
together with the common goal of helping children and youth in the
Tucson community. This auxiliary of Assistance League of Tucson
meets the first Wednesday of each month at Assistance League chapter
office at 7:30 a.m. September through June. This early morning meeting
schedule allows professional women to contribute their time, expertise,
and energies to our community without interfering with their
professional commitments.
P.A.W.S.
Philanthropic Programs.
Project Teddy Bear provides children in crisis with a
comforting toy
to hold and hug. A Teddy bear brings comfort to a frightened
or injured child, easing emotional pain and stress. P.A.W.S.
contributes bears to 14 agencies that give them to children in
traumatizing, frightening or other difficult situations. The
University Medical Bone Marrow Clinic can give our bears to their young
patients as the bears are new and in sealed bags.
P.A.W.S. gives away
1500 Teddy
bears annually. More than 20,000 bears have been given out since the
founding of P.A.W.S. in 1989.
A very special donation of $75 will buy "A Box of Bears" which is 12
bears. Our Share a Bear campaign requests donations to purchase a
Box of Bears in memory of loved ones or commemorating a birthday or any
special event.
 Program Groom for Success provides teens who are
homeless or living with families below the
poverty level with basic hygiene and grooming products. P.A.W.S.
assembles kits for Tucson Youth Development/ACE Charter High School to
distribute. These care kits have made it possible for young people
to go to job interviews feeling confident and prepared to make a good
impression. Approximately, 250 kits are packed each year.
Hooked on Books is a program to encourage literacy.
Age appropriate books are donated to the Parent As Teachers program through Sunnyside School
District. This program teaches teen parents to relate to their children
through reading and play, reinforcing the skills of all the
participants. P.A.W.S.
also purchases books for Reach Out and Read Southern Arizona which provides
books to the pediatric clinics of Indian Health Services and The Pima County Health
Department for children to take home. Over $2000 is designated
for these projects each year.
Food for Thought provides healthy snacks
to Tucson Youth Development for teens taking AIMS testing and
for young people who are homeless. P.A.W.S. also provides snacks
to Southern Arizona Child Advocacy Center. This agency
interviews, conducts medical examinations and processes children who are
removed from their homes for abuse or neglect. Often these children
have not eaten, so they are given their choice
of a snack which may include Capri Sun drinks, water, granola bars,
assorted crackers with cheese/peanut butter, fruit roll-ups, oatmeal
cookies, beef jerky and trail mix.. Over
$2500 is designated for snacks each
year.
Funding for these programs comes from donations, grants, and special
fundraising events.
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