Causes: Children & Youth, Food, Food Banks & Pantries, Foster Care, Group Homes, Human Services

Mission: GAP's mission is simple: Standing in the GAP for those in need. Bringing help to children, healing to families, and hope to the community.

Results: Over 2700 children and teens in the custody of the state due to neglect or abuse cared for in the past 21 years at our family style group homes (SPLASH Houses) and through the care of individual foster families15 million pounds of food given to individuals and other agencies serving those in need since 2014.Approximately $21 million dollars worth of household supplies, basic needs items and clothing shared through partnerships with other local nonprofits serving those in need and directly to foster and adoptive families, refugees, the elderly, and those struggling to make ends meet. 1500-2000 meals prepared and served from our commercial kitchen each week, serving low-income schools, daycares, homeless and women's shelters, elderly shut-ins, and others who have food insecurity. Over 100 students coming from difficult places, such as incarceration or addiction, graduated through the Culinary Job Training program, and now successfully working in top notch restaurants in Tucson. Smiles put on the faces of thousands of foster children and other disadvantaged children in the community through the past 20 years of Holiday of Hope - presents picked out from the children's wish lists, purchased and wrapped by volunteers.

Target demographics: caring for foster children and teens, and partnering with nonprofits in the community to impact families in need

Direct beneficiaries per year: 250 foster children/teens cared for by foster families and at our SPLASH group homes; over 1.5 million pounds of food and $900,000 worth of household necessities given to nonprofits serving families in need; 78,000 meals served through partnerships, outreaches and to foster children, 32 individuals graduated from our Culinary Job Training programs

Geographic areas served: Southern Arizona

Programs: GAP Ministries, a social service nonprofit serving Southern Arizona since 1999, Stands in the GAP for those in need in three core areas: Children, Family, and Community. GAP cares for over 250 foster children annually and works toward the healthy restoration of families. We provide food and necessary items to those in need through outreach and partnerships. And we bring hope to those coming out of difficult places through job training programs that provide for a better future. GAP believes we can impact the lives of children, families and communities, one life at a time. GAP's mission is simple: Standing in the GAP for those in need. Bringing help to children, healing to families, and hope to the community. CHILDREN: GAP cares for over 250 foster children and teens annually through individual foster families, and in 10 family style group homes in Tucson. Siblings are able to stay together while in care due to the larger size of our homes. GAP helps foster teens and young adults learn the life skills necessary to successfully “age out” of foster care and into adulthood with mentoring and teaching independent living skills. FAMILIES: To better deal with the root causes of the foster care crisis, GAP is a local provider of court-mandated visitation programs for foster children and their birth parent, and helps biological parents working toward reunification through parent aid. It is our desire and goal to see healthy restoration of families when possible. COMMUNITY: GAP’s Community warehouse shares fresh food and basic needs items with over 30 Southern Arizona nonprofits serving children, the elderly, homeless, women's shelters and others in need. Approximately 1 million pounds of healthy vegetables, fruit, and other perishable items are distributed annually throughout the community by GAP’s partnering nonprofits and through outreach. Throughout Southern Arizona, nonprofits that serve the marginalized annually receive close to $1,000,000 worth of hygiene items, paper goods, cleaning supplies and other needed items from GAP’s warehouse. Through partnerships with nonprofits, churches, businesses, schools and hundreds of volunteers, GAP’s outreaches serve food, household items, and toys at Christmas to low-income children and their families. Our 10 week, 40 hour GAP Kitchen Culinary Training program helps those coming from difficult places start a new career in the culinary arts, while maximizing the use of donated perishable food and feeding thousands in the community. Feeding programs include low income school districts, daycares, elderly shut-ins, homeless and women's shelters.