Our History
1999: Gail Simmons and Father Steven Dart begin planning for what will become Foothills Caring Corps.
2000: We receive a start-up grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Gail Simmons becomes Executive Director and we begin with temporary office space, a part-time staff, and passionate volunteers.
2001: Local congregations and community organizations become partners as requests for our services grow.
2002: Demand continues to grow; staff is added, and our transportation services begin.
2003: We pass the 200 Volunteer mark.
2004: Our name officially becomes “Foothills Caring Corp” and we add a 13-passenger van.
2005: Mobile Meals becomes an added service. The Van program eclipses 400 rides. Congregation partnerships exceed a dozen.
2006: Gail Simmons retires. Debbra Determan is hired as Executive Director.
2007: Major increase in growth begins. Over 33,000 volunteer hours meet the needs of 350 “Neighbors”. We adopt our ongoing Strategic Vision: “We are dedicated to promoting independence and enhancing the quality of life of older residents throughout the community”.
2008: Van program and fundraising efforts expand.
2009: We officially are registered in Arizona as a 501(c)(3). We establish a Board of Directors as a governing body with Jill Ford as our first Board President. Paid staff members are added. Grants are received to add both a wheelchair-accessible van and a mini-van to our growing fleet. Volunteer hours increase by more than 20% in the previous 24 months.
2010: Carefree Plaza office location becomes our Headquarters. Fundraising continues to expand. We add our Care-Alert program to our services.
2011: Our Planned Giving legacy donation program is launched to great success. Our now famous Annual Golf Fundraiser is launched. Our fleet expands to 4 vans. We launch our Nutrition Intern partnership with Paradise Valley Community College. Volunteer hours zoom.
2012: Our 5th ADOT-funded vehicle is delivered. We receive The Award for Excellence from Maricopa County and The Community Service Award from the Chamber of Commerce. We are named the Grand Marshall of The Carefree Christmas Parade.
2013: Pet Visits and Mobility Equipment Loans are added to our service offering. New software is perfected which allows our volunteers to remotely adjust their schedules. Our Endowment Program is launched. Office space is added.
2014: The number of “Neighbors” whom we assist passes 740 and Volunteers pass 575 with their hours approaching 43,000. Our Health Advocacy Program is launched. We are selected by the City of Scottsdale as a Leadership Charity and won the “Lead It Forward” competition.
2015: We eclipse $600,000 in annual fundraising. Our Memorial Tree sculpture is unveiled which is continually updated to highlight Memorial Gifts from our patrons. Our Low Vision Program is launched. We win Scottsdale Leadership’s “Lead It Forward” competition.
2016: We add two new vehicles to our Van Transportation Program. Our Golf Fundraiser raises our highest 1-day revenue yet. Our Health Advocacy Program increases in demand and we add to our Staff to support it.
2017: We are energized about our future as we continue to grow.
2018: Long-time supporters Marian and Phil Abramowitz received the Humanitarian Award. We sponsored and participated in the Healthy Aging Expo along with other local community organizations at Desert Foothills Library. We hosted two successful fundraising events: Taste of Foothills event in March and the Golf Tournament in December.
2019: We celebrated 20 years of service! Volunteer Bill Budris received the Humanitarian Award. We hosted two successful fundraising events: Taste of Foothills in March and the Golf Tournament in December.
2020: We shifted to accommodate the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Volunteer Arthur Gimson received the Humanitarian Award. Debbra Determan retired as Executive Director in July 2020, and Robin Cochran joined Foothills Caring Corps as the new Executive Director in August 2020. In lieu of our annual Golf Tournament, we hosted a virtual “no-play” Golf Tournament to raise critical operating funds.
2021: Programs and services continued to adapt to post-pandemic life. Health & Wellness is prioritized throughout all organizational activities, and policies and procedures are put into place to ensure the health, safety, and well-being of all.
2022: Our programs and services have rebounded from pandemic lows. We implemented a new program/portal called “Assisted Rides” to enhance Volunteer engagement and metrics tracking. FCC hosted its first ever Virtual Silent Auction as fundraiser.
2023: Brent Downs is hired as Executive Director. We had a record-breaking Volunteer event in the fall, and all our essential programs continued to expand in scope and depth.
Through the help of the community we were able to add an additional Van to help transport our Neighbors.
2024: We announce our “Year of the Neighbor” as a transformational time to drive next-level impact for our local community.
