GCU invests millions to revitalize Phoenix, aid families in need

Grand Canyon University Invests in Community Revitalization and Support

Grand Canyon University (GCU) has committed an impressive $46 million towards initiatives designed to provide crucial resources to families in Arizona and address crime in the local area. For over a decade, the university has been working to rejuvenate the neighborhoods around its Phoenix campus.

In a significant push for safety, GCU has directed $170 million into redevelopment initiatives along 27th Avenue, which runs along the eastern border of the campus. According to GCU President Brian Mueller, 27th Avenue has long been plagued by issues such as prostitution and drug dealing.

“I would like to take it from what it was, and now take it from what it even is today, and just create a three or four mile stretch where people from all different backgrounds can really live life together,” Mueller expressed.

The university has also initiated a service on campus offering free household goods. Since this program’s inception, 196 churches and nonprofits have partnered with GCU to distribute these goods, with 70% of the beneficiaries residing in West Phoenix.

GCU aims to gather over $1 million through its annual gala to further support ongoing revitalization efforts.

CityServe, a global nonprofit dedicated to supplying essential resources to communities, partnered with GCU two years ago. Together, they established an 88,000 square-foot warehouse on the campus to gather and distribute goods to families in need.

Dave Donaldson, co-founder and CEO of CityServe, launched the organization seven years ago. He shared that CityServe has amassed 1.5 billion goods from companies like Amazon and Home Depot for distribution through hubs nationwide, including the one at GCU.

“And what’s happening through Grand Canyon (University), it’s the only one of its kind, that I’m aware of, happening in the world,” Donaldson commented.

During an Arizona CityServe event, Donaldson encountered a single mother of four in Phoenix who shared her struggles, including not being able to afford beds for her children, leading them to sleep on the floor. The event facilitated the provision of 170 beds to families in Phoenix, including for that mother’s children.

The GCU hub offers various goods to its partners for distribution, with the university reporting that over $15 million worth of items have reached more than 74,000 families.