Arizona Builders Alliance:

Members of the Arizona Builders Alliance, a construction industry association, has collected thousands of toys that will be wrapped and delivered to approximately 300 children in CPS custody (residents of Sunshine Group Homes) and approximately 100 children who live at Sunshine Acres Children’s Home in Mesa. A major toy-wrapping effort will take place on Thursday, Dec. 19, when Santa’s helpers from the construction industry are overtaking Corbins Electric facilities and turning it into gift-wrapping workshop, in preparation for the toy deliveries.
Four companies within the construction industry locally – McCarthy Building Companies, Corbins Electric, Sundt and Wilson Electric – are leading the effort on behalf of the Arizona Builders Alliance to collect, wrap and distribute the toys. More than 100 construction companies are participating in the general toy drive benefiting CPS children in need this year.
“This is my third year serving as chair of our holiday toy drive event, which is very important to me,” said Joshua Marriott, an estimator at McCarthy Building Companies. “The amount of joy that the gifts and party bring to the kids is priceless. The toy-wrapping effort takes a lot of work, but it’s definitely worth it.”
Volunteer elves will be wrapping hundreds of toys at Corbins Electric on Thurs., Dec. 19, and delivering them on Fri., Dec. 20, to Sunshine Acres and Sunshine Group Homes. Members of the media are welcome to attend the wrapping festivities where tons of toys are wrapped and loaded into a box truck for delivery to the children on Dec. 20 where volunteers will pass out gifts to children at Sunshine Acres Children’s Home and they will also get a special visit from Santa. The Sunshine Acres Party is from 6-8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 20.

Colliers/Hines:

Throughout the year, Hines and Colliers International in Greater Phoenix are busy developing and brokering projects.
But each December, they are as busy as Santa’s elves ensuring that needy Phoenix families have a holiday to celebrate.
John Orsak, director of Hines property management, started “Santa’s Sak” in 2011. The program provides the abused, neglected and troubled youngsters involved with All My Children, Inc., with electronics, games, books, sporting equipment and passes for movies and activities.
Hines has helped 100 kids in the last two years and expects to deliver presents to another 100 this year on Dec. 21. The experience touches Orsak, especially Hines’ impact on a teenage girl who said she wouldn’t have had anything to celebrate on Christmas without Santa’s Sak.
Colliers International in Greater Phoenix has been adopting families during the holidays for more than 15 years and also makes time for employees to feed the homeless.
Started by Paul Sieczkowski, senior vice president, about 30 to 50 Colliers employees participate in the adopt-a-family program each year. A former Colliers employee even dresses like Santa and the employees surprise the family.
One year, Colliers delivered presents to a family that lived in a house with a dirt floor. The family cried when Colliers presented the gifts and food.
Colliers will deliver more presents and cheer this year on Dec. 23.
Colliers also helps hungry families. About 30 Colliers employees served lunch at St. Vincent de Paul on Dec. 6.

McCarthy Building Companies: McCarthy Building Companies builds and renovates schools throughout the Southwest, with many projects right here in metro Phoenix. As a result, the education services team hears about many needs within local school districts. Over the years, there has been a consistent request from schools for books that students can take with them to read at home in order to develop reading skills. To meet this need, the members of McCarthy’s education team have worked in tandem with the company’s Heart Hats committee for the past seven years to create an annual Santa Book Delivery.
On Dec. 20, McCarthy Heart Hats volunteers will join Santa, Mrs. Claus & the Jolly Elf (played by McCarthy employees) for the delivery of new wrapped books to every student at Heatherbrae Elementary in Maryvale, a Title I school that serves kindergarten through 5th grade students in the Cartwright Elementary School District. Santa & Mrs. Claus will visit with each child individually, giving away 750 books to students at the school.
McCarthy’s goal is to have a gift for everyone at the school, so gift cards are given to each teacher along with a donation of school supplies from Office Essentials, assisting teachers who are reaching into their own pockets these days simply to provide supplies for their classrooms.
Books and gift cards are provided by McCarthy’s Heart Hats. The new books are chosen based on reading and grade level, with the help ofeducators’ recommendations. Two or three titles are chosen per grade based on popular or suggested reading titles for the age group. The books are not gender specific so they are appropriate for either boys or girls.