TEMPE BRIEFS
Summer jobs, free Chromebooks, free COVID-19 vaccines, free youth transit-ride passes, chalk art and cultural performances, Chamber Business Excellence Awards finalists and a Girl Scout Gold Award — it’s all right here in this loaded installment of Tempe briefs.
Tempe is hosting a summer job fair 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 8, at Pyle Adult Recreation Center, 655 E. Southern Ave., to recruit for several seasonal positions. Students are encouraged to apply.
Among openings are part-time, entry level opportunities at Kid Zone, recreation camps, community centers and facilities. Prospects will meet hiring managers and be pre-interviewed on the spot.
Because the fair is in-person, face coverings are required and safety protocols will be in place.
More information and preview summer job openings at tempe.gov/SummerJobs.
Tempe offers free Chromebooks, hotspots to eligible students, those 50-plus
Tempe Public Library, in partnership with Tempe’s Human Services Department, is launching Connect Tempe, which will distribute dozens of free Chromebooks and Wi-Fi hotspots to students and residents in need.
The COVID-19 pandemic shut down schools, libraries and other public places with access to computers, creating a “digital divide” for many low-income residents, including students and older adults. Connect Tempe will offer eligible Tempe residents a Chromebook and hotspot on a first-come, first-served basis for a period of five months.
Eligibility requirements:
- Must be Tempe resident (K-12 student or adult age 50 and older).
- Must have no accessibility to Wi-Fi or adequate technology to meet the needs of the household.
- Household income must be at or below 300 percent of federal poverty level.
- Must have a Tempe Public Library card.
- Must obtain Google account to fully utilize Chromebooks.
Those interested must complete an online loan form to begin the request process. Applications will be accepted until all Chromebooks have been checked out.
This program is part of the Economic Recovery and Workforce Development Recovery Initiative and is funded through the AZCARES initiative.
More information: tempe.gov/Home/Components/News/News/15926/.
911OccMed offers Covid-19 vaccine free at clinics in Tempe, Chandler
911OccMed, a Valley-based Cuban-American and woman-owned company, is offering COVID-19 vaccines free at its clinics in Tempe and Chandler.
To schedule in Chandler: covid19-chandler.rsvpify.com.
To schedule in Tempe: covid19-tempe.rsvpify.com.
The vaccine is provided at no cost, however, the clinics are required to collect recipients’ health-insurance information and submit it for payment.
Those who do not have insurance are covered under federal funding programs.
Formerly 911 Drug Testing, the name was changed to 911OccMed effective May 1 to reflect the variety of occupational medical services offered. 911OccMed, which bills itself as the state’s leading workplace wellness center, is on track to vaccinate 200 to 800 people a day throughout Maricopa County.
911OccMed received the contract with the county in an effort to speed up mass COVID-19 immunizations, including employees in the restaurant industry, front-line employees and refugees.
Passes available May 10 for free transit rides for Tempe youth
Tempe and Guadalupe kids, ages 6-18, can sign up for a free Youth Transit Pass and ride light rail and Valley Metro buses for free.
Starting Monday, May 10, Tempe will issue passes valid July 1 through June 30, 2022. Sign up is at the Tempe Transit Store, 200 E. Fifth Street, on weekdays 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Saturday, June 19, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; and Saturday, Aug. 7, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Students who attend Tempe, Marcos de Niza and McClintock high schools, and who live in Tempe or Guadalupe, can get a pass at school.
More information: tempe.gov/YouthPass.
Chalk art, cultural performances at Tempe Marketplace May 8
Tempe Marketplace is hosting a World of Chalk Art Festival 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 8, in which artwork will take visitors on an artistic trip around the world.
The marketplace’s District Street and The District Stage will transform into a celebratory hub filled with live chalk murals and community performances. A create-your-own chalkboard craft will be available for kids.
Six community groups will pay tribute to a variety of cultures in performances during the day:
- 11-11:20 a.m. — 9 Dragons (Chinese lion dance).
- 11 a.m.-12 noon — Mariachi Juvenil de Mi Tierra (mariachi).
- 12:15-12:45 p.m. — Jukebox Studio (American hip-hop dance).
- 1-1:30 p.m. — Ken Koshio (Japanese taiko drumming).
- 1:45-2:15 p.m. — Yellow Bird Indian Dancers (Native American song, dance and stories).
- 2:30-3 p.m. — Ollin Yoliztli Dance Academy (Mexican folklore dance).
More information: Tempemarketplace.com/chalk.
Finalists for Chamber Business Excellence Awards revealed
The Tempe Chamber of Commerce announced six finalists for the Business Excellence Award in small-business and large-business categories.
Finalists in large business are BD – Becton Dickinson, Dirck’s Moving & Logistics and Vitalant.
Finalists in small business are Laura’s Gourmet Granola, Rango Honey and Terrain Hopper.
The awards recognize companies that have demonstrated business success, community involvement, leadership, dedication to employees, commitment to customer service and membership in the Tempe Chamber of Commerce.
Recipients in both categories of the Business Excellence Award will be announced at the State of the Chamber & Annual Awards in a live broadcast at 9 a.m. on June 25.
Businesses can be nominated by anyone in the community or by an employee of the business. Nominees complete an application and then a committee reviews them and selects the finalists.
The Selection Committee, made up of past recipients, conducts online interviews with the finalists before choosing the winner. Videos of each finalist are produced by Resound Creative and will be shown at the State of the Chamber prior to the announcement of the recipients.
Corona student earns Girl Scout Gold Award
Victoria Thurman, a Tempe resident and student at Corona del Sol High School, has earned her Gold Award, regarded as the most prestigious in Girl Scouts. It is awarded to high school students who take action in their community to tackle an issue that they are passionate about and developing sustainable solutions to local, national and global challenges.
Victoria’s great-grandfather was a World War II veteran, a resident of Westchester Senior Living and the inspiration for her Gold Award. He once told her it would be nice to have pictures and memories around his residential facility to foster nostalgia and warm, calm feelings.
Understanding that photography could help seniors with anxiety, depression and mental-health issues, Victoria introduced photos to the center for residents to enjoy. She took more than 1,000 photos and created photo books for three nursing homes, had 15 photo canvases made for the dementia unit and created a website and YouTube channel that hosted videos of photography to be played as an activity for the residents.
