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Foster care group in court over whistleblower suit

TUCSON — A former caseworker for a local nonprofit claims she was wrongfully terminated after sounding the alarm that child abuse may have occurred at one of the agency’s foster care homes.

Traci Costanzo is suing the Devereux Foundation in Pima County Superior Court for allegedly letting her go following discussions she had with state authorities that may have embarrassed the agency.

The Devereux Foundation is a 96-year-old nonprofit based in Pennsylvania that took in almost $350,000 in revenues last year, according to federal tax records.

In her seven-page complaint, Costanzo says she worked for the agency for almost nine years. During that time, she did not have any negative feedback from her supervisors.

In July 2007, Costanzo took a three-week vacation. When she returned, she visited one of the foster homes that the agency used.

“During that visit,” the complaint claims, “[Costanzo] learned that there were allegations of abuse perpetrated on two of the children in the Devereaux contract home. [Costanzo{ further learned that the [state] Child Protective Services was not informed as to the allegations of abuse that occured in the Devereux home.”

Costanzo claims she did her due diligence next by reporting the incident to her supervisor, who had been monitoring the home in her absence. She claims she repeatedly took her claims that Devereux mishandled the case to the top, asking the agency’s brass to file the report with CPS.

On Oct. 1, 2007, she was terminated effective immediately due to “reorganzation of the department,” the complaint states.

Now she is seeking punitive and compensatory damages from the Devereux Foundation. Tucson lawyer Charles R. Hamm is representing Costanzo.

Free PR consulting for Arizona nonprofits

Wow, so here’s a smoking deal for all you nonprofits out there: Canyon Communications is offering a year’s worth of free advertising and public relations service to one select nonprofit.

The Mesa-based outfit has done this kind of pro-bono work before. Past clients include Fresh Start Women’s Foundation, Animal’s Benefit Club, AngelCare and St. Joseph the Worker.

Canyon president Nancy Landl says this is the fourth year that the company has made this opportunity available. Services include branding, web design, advertising, public relations, direct marketing, market research and more.

The deadline to apply is Monday, Sept. 1. Each applicant must be a registered 501 (c)3. For more information and an application, contact Megan Reisig at (480) 775-8880 or mreisig@canyoncomm.com.

Good luck!

Scottsdale charity lends ‘helping hands’

It took Kathy Donaldson 17 years of working in law enforcement to have what she described as her most memorable day. It was May 15, 1991.

That’s when Donaldson was serving a traffic warrant on a man who “went berserk,” and she broke her back in three places.

The crushing blows forced her to retire and re-evaluate her life’s purpose and religious beliefs.

“I was depressed and considered suicide after the incident,” Donaldson says. “I just didn’t see that God had everything planned. I was meant to give back to the community, I didn’t just want to sit around and play golf.”

Donaldson, 52, had relocated to Arizona and started Arizona Helping Hands, a statewide nonprofit that helps needy families. It offers crisis intervention, help for pregnant teens and more, including support for the largest holiday toy drive in Maricopa County.

“She doesn’t separate her personal life from the work she does with Arizona Helping Hands,” says Chris Espinoza, an AHH boardmember. “She really opens her heart to people.”

In 2006, the organization’s revenues topped $1.4 million, according to tax documents filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Those records show AHH brought 250,000 toys to about 40,000 families in the county, delivered lunch to 900 needy school kids for seven weeks and helped another 350 learn to read. It also provided eye exams and scholarships.

Donaldson says her goal is to expand the organization to Flagstaff and Tucson in the near future while keeping the overhead low so that the money can go where it’s needed most.

SMALL STEPS TO SUCCESS

Donaldson got her start in community work with the Phoenix Chamber of Commerce, Boys and Girls Club and the Paradise Valley School District.

“She has an unbelievable willingness to help anyone,” says Renie Scibona, a local newspaper reporter who has covered community organizations Donaldson helped. “She was instrumental in opening the North East Phoenix Boys and Girls Club branch.”

To help fund a National Honor Society seminar for school kids in Paradise Valley, Donaldson founded the Paradise Valley Volunteer Parents and raised $100,000 for a week-long event.

“If you have no ulterior motives, money comes rolling in,” Donaldson says. “But I realized the need was greater than just one school district, and that’s when we founded Arizona Helping Hands.”

A PROMISE MADE

After working with Paradise Valley Volunteer Parents, Donaldson created Arizona Helping Hands based on a promise she had made to her sister, who was diagnosed with cancer at age 28 and given six months to live.

She died five years later, but not before she gave Donaldson some advice from her deathbed.

“The day before she died she told me to do a good deed everyday and to not take credit for it,” says Donaldson.

Donaldson is still an integral part of AHH. Today, the organization sends children to camp with all of the supplies they need and offers dental care for low-income families.

When she is not in the office, Donaldson lives in Scottsdale and likes to spend time with her husband and co-founder of AHH, who is in hospice care.

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>>Email the editor at aklaw@zoniereport.com.