We have a lot to celebrate! 

All year long, we will celebrate 60 years of strengthening our community!

Just like our founders, Lupe Esquer and Barbara Norton, TCAA continues to evolve to meet the needs of our community.

This year we also celebrate 20 years of our I-HELP shelter and 20 years of VICINITY!

We have reached these important milestones because of your unwavering support throughout the years - Thank You!

Read more about our 60 year history here. 

As TCAA celebrates 60 years of service to Tempe and the East Valley, our mission is reaching a monumental milestone. Construction is officially in full swing at our new home on Apache Blvd (East of the 101)! Following our March 2025 groundbreaking, the structure is taking shape as we head toward a Fall 2026 opening.

This new facility is a game-changer for our community, featuring:

• 80 total beds (68 emergency and 12 transitional housing).
• An expanded food pantry to meet increasing local demand.
• Increased capacity to serve our neighbors with dignity.

Help us reach the finish line. To honor our 60th anniversary, we are offering unique naming opportunities for donors who want to leave a lasting legacy.

To learn more or contribute, contact Carrie Aranda, Director of Mission Advancement, at carriea@tempeaction.org.

In February of 2026, the first I-HELP (Interfaith Emergency Lodging Program) opened in Arizona thanks to the tenacity of Tempe residents, faith leaders, and TCAA staff.

This mobile shelter model is possible because our faith communities open their doors to shelter 40 adults every night of the year. Volunteers prepare and serve hot meal. TCAA staff bring much needed laundry and shower trailers to the sites. 

TCAA Case Managers work with clients to build stability and permanent housing. Some enter the shelter with a job and a car. Others have nothing. Our caring staff meet each person where they are at and develop a plan, so they are housed within 3 months.

We are tremendously grateful for our faith communities that have made this possible for the last 20 years. 

Tempe Empty Bowls

 February 21st 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. 

Tempe Library Complex

For many of us, a bowl of soup is comfort food. A warm starter before the main meal. But for too many of our neighbors, that single bowl represents everything they may eat in an entire day.

Tempe Empty Bowls invites you to step into that reality—and help change it.

This family-friendly community event brings people together over a simple bowl of soup to raise awareness about hunger right here in our community.

Each bowl serves as a powerful reminder: food insecurity isn’t distant or abstract—it affects our neighbors, seniors, families, and children every day.

Proceeds from each bowl purchased supports TCAA's food pantry and hunger-relief programs, helping ensure that a single bowl of soup is never the limit for a neighbor in need.

Come share a meal. Come share a moment. Most importantly, come be part of the solution.

On March 27th, our 20th Annual VICINITY is a chance to connect in a whole new way.

We invite you to experience small moments from our neighbors’ lives—what it’s like to open a food box or prepare for a night in our shelter. These are simple experiences that tell powerful stories.

Of course, you'll meet some great people and enjoy local food all wrapped up in an evening that gives back. 

It’s eye-opening. It’s meaningful. And it reminds us why community matters.

When you buy a ticket, you’re helping ensure families have food, neighbors have shelter, and hope shows up when it’s needed most.

Come celebrate 20 years of impact with us—and be part of what’s next. 

Early Bird tickets through February 28th

One ticket - $100 

Two tickets - $185 

March 1st - March 26th

One ticket - $125

Two Tickets - $230

Day of tickets $150

Join us for a FREE relaxed social time on the Boondocks patio on March 5th.

This casual gathering is an opportunity to connect with TCAA staff in an easygoing setting.

There’s no formal program—just a laid-back evening designed to spark conversation, build connections, and play some trivia.

Complimentary appetizers will be provided. Drinks will be available for purchase

March 5th 5pm - 7pm

Boondocks Patio & Grill

1024 E Broadway Rd.

Tempe, AZ 85282

Your donation to TCAA, made through April 15th, may qualify for the Arizona Charitable Tax Credit and be applied to your 2025 Arizona taxes—feeding neighbors in need at no net cost to you.

$495 for single filers 

$987 for joint filers 

QCO Code: 20304

GIVE | VOLUNTEER | TAKE A TOUR

At Tempe Community Action Agency, we envision a society where every person has what they need to live a healthy, purposeful life.

It is our mission to eliminate poverty and advance equitable communities.

EIN: 86-0254820 | QCO Code: 20304

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