New development director for “More Than a Bed” shared with the club how the non-profit delivers much-needed support for foster children, kinship, and adoptive families located in the greater Tucson area.
The meeting was called to order, and we opened with the “Pledge of Allegiance”.
Announcements:
President Cindy Dooling announced that we are co-hosting a hospitality room at District Conference our Region 6 clubs. Charlene Meyers, president of the Dove Mountain club and a former caterer, suggested meatball subs. Our club could provide cookies, as a nod to our Tour de Cookie event.
The Tucson Bicycle Classic is hosting a Marana Time Trial Prologue, likely on Feb. 21, 2026, which is two weeks before our 2026 Tour de Cookie tentative ride date of March 7, 2026. The organizers are asking for our help – perhaps as volunteers for the event or to host a booth of some kind. It could be another opportunity to promote our club and Tour de Cookie.
We skipped Happy Bucks and went directly in our guest speaker presentation.
Guest Speaker:
Our guest speaker was “More Than a Bed” development director Cathleen Cahill, a former hospital CEO and longtime development director. Cahill moved to Arizona from New Mexico, where she was Rotarian.
“More Than a Bed” is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is provide essential items, kinship, and support for children in foster care and adoptive families.
In Arizona, children age out of foster care at 18. Cahill noted that statistically, 55.3% foster youth experience higher mental health risks. Within two years of exiting foster care, 25% become involved in the criminal justice system. Nationally, 50% of people experiencing homeless have spent time in foster care.
As of January 2025, more than 14,000 Arizona children (newborns to teenagers) enrolled in the Arizona Foster Care System, Cahill said.
Foster parents provide the children with a roof over their heads but they need support as well.
More Than a Bed started in 2014. In 2015 approved as a Qualifying Foster Care Charitable Organization (QFCO code 10032). It opened first warehouse in 2017 with a “store” organized as a retail-style format where families could “shop” at no cost to them. The store is open only to Arizonans with legal documentation of foster, adoptive or kinship caregiving relationships. A second warehouse opened 2023. The second warehouse receives donations and holds the organization’s administrative offices.
In 2026, future campus plans include an Enrichment Center for children, ages 5 to 18, to build their minds and confidence which would include: theater arts, visual arts, Lego engineering, robotics, aerospace engineering, chess, Dungeons and Dragons, trauma informed story time, caregiver training and certification. The Enrichment Center’s focus will be preparing older children for “emancipation” and transition to adulthood.
Some of More Than a Bed stats from 2024:
- 2,902 children housed in 1,040 families
- 640 new beds, mattresses, and linens provided
- Provided new, unboxed toys or clothes, shoes
- Provided 460 packs of diapers
Donors can sponsor new “sock” or “underwear” drives for clients.
Cahill said, however, providing new beds are the foundation of the non-profit’s mission. Foster children benefit from new beds and mattresses because it gives them their own space to help with coping.
More Than a Bed has an annual budget around $1.6 million, with more than 85% of all income funding programming, Cahill said. The non-profit has five full-time employees and 14 part-time employees, plus numerous volunteers.
How can we help? The non-profit accepts financial donations to purchase beds, dressers and linens, plus in-kind donations and volunteering or becoming a foster parent.
We concluded meeting with Four-Way Test.
– Submitted by Laura Clymer, club public relations