Good News
Supporting the Community
Keeling School Drive
(August 2025)
Each July, our congregation collects school supplies for the Helen B. Keeling Elementary School which is located in an under-resourced neighborhood in the center of Tucson. CAUCC has a long standing relationship with the Keeling School providing school supplies, tutoring, and a Christmas Toy Drive each year.
Each year the school provides us with a list of the supplies that are in the greatest demand. The congregation members can choose to purchase the supplies and donate them or donate money and then supplies are purchased from these monetary donations. The teachers and staff are then given time before the beginning of the school year to "shop" for the supplies that are needed most in their individual classrooms.
Compassion on the Border
(August 2025)
Our Compassion on the Border (COB)Team produces small crafts which are sold in the Tucson community through the Tohono Chul Gift Shop and Art House Centro. The proceeds from the sales support humanitarian aid given to the migrants.
The first crafts were crocheted necklaces made from ladder yarn beginning in 2014 and these sales continue to this day. Other products that COB sells include catnip toys, rice filled chicks, fabric bookmarks, fabric bowls, aprons from recycled jeans, doggie bandanas, and Sunflower notecards. Between 2023 and 2025, over 1000 fleece chicks were donated to migrant shelters and used as comfort toys for the migrant children.
Primavera Men’s Shelter
(July 2025)
For about the past 20 years, a group of dedicated volunteers has served a dinner to the Primavera Men's Shelter once each month. Each month approximately 6-8 volunteers prepare and cook a dinner meal and then transport and serve the meal at the Shelter. Members of the congregation will supply dessert items such as cookies, brownies, and/or fruit. The funds for the meal are provided through the CAUCC budget as well as through personal donations.
Souper Bowl of Caring
(February 2025)
On February 2, we held Souper Bowl Sunday at CAUCC. Souper Bowl of Caring refers to an organization where people donate monetary and food donations around the time of the Super Bowl football game. These donations are then given to local food and homeless organizations. This year our youth chose to make donations to the Sister Jose Women's Center in Tucson. This non-profit organization exists to aid and transform the lives of women who are unhoused. Our youth collected over $900 to donate to Sister Jose's. Thank you to all for your generosity.
TIHAN Poz Cafe
(February 2025)
Over 30 years ago, our church was one of the founding sponsors of TIHAN, Tucson Interfaith HIV/AIDS Network. TIHAN supports local people, AKA CarePartners, who have tested positive for HIV. TIHAN serves both men and women from the Tucson community.
Each month the CarePartners enjoy a lunch provided by different groups from the community. In addition to lunch, CAUCC puts together Care Packages for the CarePartners which includes items such as dental floss, deodorant, and boxes of kleenex.
On February 20, 2025, we provided 407 items for the care packages, several gift cards from Fry's, Walmart, and Target as Bingo door prizes, and 8 of our members served as volunteers at the event, serving food and helping with the door prizes and the Care Packages. Thank you CAUCC!
Keeling Tutors
June 2025
Our church is blessed to help 1st-graders learn to read -- at a school where our help is needed.
Our team of volunteers works throughout the school year (mid- October through April) for 1.5 hours each week at the school we have adopted, Keeling Elementary. It's as rewarding to the tutors as it is to the students.
Habitat for Humanity
(October 2025)
CAUCC has been involved with Habitat for Humanity for many years. Over the years members of CAUCC have been on the Habitat board. CAUCC has helped to finance several houses for Habitat and members and friends have worked on over 400 houses over the years. Members Charlie and Marj Wippermann along with Margaret Maxwell have been honored with special awards by the Tucson Habitat Board.
This past October, members and friends of CAUCC worked on another Habitat House, as we do several times during the year. Work includes painting, caulking, hanging cabinets, etc... Anything that is needed when building a house. Some members and friends provide food and snacks for the helpers during a build day.