Fourteen community advocates from across the state earned awards from Wildfire for their individual and collective efforts in the battle against poverty.

The Annual Wildfire Statewide Conference in Maricopa featured keynote speakers Iya Affo, founder of Heal Historical Trauma, and Dr. Nika Gueci, executive director of the Arizona State University Center for Mindfulness, Compassion and Resilience.

Wildfire is a movement to end poverty in Arizona by advocating for fair practices and collaborating on policy issues. Wildfire is located at 340 E. Palm Lane, Suite 315, in Phoenix.

The two-day conference also recognized recipients of Heart in Hand Awards, Beating the Odds Award, President’s Award and the Margie Frost Champion Against Poverty Award.

HONOREES:

• Cynthia Zwick, Margie Frost Champion Against Poverty Award. Currently Deputy Executive Director of the Residential Utility Consumer Office, Zwick was executive director at Wildfire, formerly the Arizona Community Action Association, for 19 years.
• Malissa Buzan, President’s Award. Embodying the ideals of Community Action, Buzan spent her career as a fierce and compassionate advocate for her community. A lifelong Gila County resident, she served as executive director of Gila County Community Services from 2009 until her recent retirement.

BEATING THE ODDS AWARDS:

• Teresa Gault, Flagstaff. Nominated by Coconino County Community Health and Human Services, Gault is a caseworker at the city of Flagstaff who brings her personal experience overcoming trauma, poverty and abuse at home to support individuals and families on their own path out of poverty and toward self-sufficiency.
• Chad Palmer, Yuma. Nominated by the Western Arizona Council of Governments Palmer, now retired, overcame homelessness and raised his two daughters as a single parent.

HEART IN HAND AWARDS:

• Margaret Bentzen, Flagstaff. Nominated by Northern Arizona Council of Governments, Bentzen, who retired from the Flagstaff Police Department after 32 years, has been the senior services lead case worker for the Coconino County Community Action Division for five years.
• Denise Carter, Mesa. Nominated by MesaCAN, Carter founded Over-Flo, a nonprofit providing meals, water, personal hygiene packages and other resources helping individuals and families experiencing homelessness and other challenges.
• Tom Cock, Yuma. Nominated by Western Arizona Council of Governments, Cock is a landlord and property owner who collaborates with WACOG to rent homes to individuals and families working to rebuild their lives by overcoming personal challenges including homelessness and turn their lives around.
• Lori and Roger Deutsch, Flagstaff. Nominated by Northern Arizona Council of Governments, for the newly formed Love Diaper Bank, Lori and Roger were willing to sign a lease to secure space for the Diaper Bank even before securing funding.
• Councilwoman Lisa Fitzgibbons, Casa Grande. Nominated by Community Action Human Resources Agency, in addition to her responsibilities on the Casa Grande City Council and as director of marketing and business development for Fitzgibbons Law Offices, she is a committed volunteer helping those who are less fortunate.
• Constables Denise Garcia (Avondale) and Lennie McCloskey (Surprise). Nominated by the city of Glendale Community Action Program, Garcia and McCloskey are two of the strongest advocates when it comes to treating people with dignity and compassion during eviction proceedings.
• Anna Marie Maldanado, Phoenix. Nominated by the city of Phoenix human services department, Maldanado is a consultant working with Helping Families in Need, facilitated a contract between HFIN and the city’s Industrial Development Authority to provide critical application assistance, housing navigation and case management services to Phoenix mobile home residents at Weldon Court and Las Casitas.
• Gloria Padilla, Tucson. Nominated by the Pima County Community Action Agency, Padilla has been with Pima County CAA since 2009, demonstrating her passion to serve the most vulnerable.

Visit https://wildfireaz.org for information about the annual conference and about Wildfire.