Throughout the year, the Tempe Tourism Office gives back to our community through volunteer service and other community efforts.  In addition to feeling good, we like to see firsthand the impact good deeds have in changing people’s lives.

We know it takes a lot of planning to create a memorable meeting or a successful event.  Planners already have a full slate of important details to take care of for their guests. But what is a planner to do when asked to find a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activity that mirrors your organization’s mission?

The Tempe Tourism Office has assembled a list of organizations and local agencies that welcome the spirit of altruism in all its many forms.  Whether it be serving meals, providing educational materials for children, or fundraising for cultural programs, we have a variety of options to choose from throughout the year to meet your CSR goals and needs.

Local organizations like the Tempe Community Action Agency (TCAA), Kitchen on the Street, Tumbleweed, Feed My Starving Children and Hotels for Hope are just a few agencies here in Tempe whose missions are to give back and help improve the lives of members in our community.

• Tempe Community Action Agency (TCAA) – Provides education, stability, and advocacy to working poor families, children, seniors, homeless and disabled adults by helping to obtain food and shelter. Wide-ranging volunteer opportunities are available from homeless shelter programs, senior programs, community gardens, food pantries and other programs.
• Kitchen on the Street – Founded in 2007 by the Scarpinato family, this non-profit provides food to hungry children in Phoenix who might not otherwise have a meal. A 2-hour session allows groups of 25-30 to work in an assembly line to bag pre-packaged meals and snacks for distribution at partnering schools.
• Tumbleweed – This non-profit program helps at-risk youth and families through various advocacy and support systems. Volunteer opportunities include cooking meals, home maintenance, administrative support and other group activities.
• Feed My Starving Children – Christian non-profit organization committed to feeding children. Volunteers hand-pack meals specially designed to help malnourished children.
• Hotels for Hope – A brokerage organization that works with large groups and hotels to contribute $2 for every room night stay to charitable organizations that help children.

As you can see, CSR activities can be just as diverse as your organization’s needs. If your attendees have a unique CSR activity to share with our Tempe community, we will assist you in finding the right partners for your guests to give back.

In addition to working with our community agencies, many of our hotel and meeting partners participate in CSR activities and sustainability initiatives. Tempe’s own Phoenix Marriott Tempe at The Buttes, a luxury resort hotel, is a recipient of the highly coveted Community Service Leader of the Year for the State of Arizona (2015). In addition to hotel employees volunteering and giving back, executive Chef Greg Weiner of the hotel’s award-winning restaurant, Top of the Rock, ran a program called Think / Eat / Give for several years. One local charity was selected per month and a portion of the proceeds from a special menu were donated. Thousands of dollars were raised and donated for charity as part of this initiative.

If giving back to the community is important to your organization, please make a note on your RFP so that we can align these initiatives with your next event.

We look forward to welcoming you and your group to Tempe. Please contact the group sales team via email or phone, 480-894-8158, and let us know how we can make your next event a success!