© 2020 Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust Your neighbor sharing a lasting stake in the county’s future. We are in this together. Enriching Health, Well-Being, and Opportunity for the People of Maricopa County. HOPE pipertrust.org Send Your Comments To: publisher@frontdoorsmagazine.com “ I love seeing Arizona come together like this!” — CASSIE HEPLER WHAT YOU’RE SAYING {reader feedback} “ During this time, voices like yours mean a great deal to those of us working in arts and culture. Much appreciated.” — SARA JAYNE WHITE “ How wonderful to read about such incredible philanthropy during this time of crisis. Your issues are very uplifting. KUDOS to your team.” — PAULA CULLISON

H Here we are, staring at the last two months of 2020, a year that brought pain, change and reflection. How do we cap off a year a lot of us would like to forget? In Frontdoors fashion — by celebrating the people and organizations that make the Valley of the Sun a better place to live, and finding ways to make our readers’ lives a little brighter. Falling squarely in the first category are Glen Spencer, the CEO of Aunt Rita’s, and Gail Baer, the vice president of philanthropic services at Jewish Family + Children’s Service, who talk about how their nonprofits have worked to deliver services and raise funds during a pandemic. Meanwhile, in the make-lives-brighter column, Dr. Richard Sagar, the board president of Ballet Etudes, shares how to get a Nutcracker fix in a year when the beloved ballet won’t be performed live. And Flinn Foundation president and CEO Tammy McLeod reminds us that keeping fun on the agenda is always a smart idea. I had the pleasure of interviewing Monica Garnes, the president of Fry’s Food Stores, about the tremendous responsibility of feeding our communities and reducing waste while keeping stores open and shoppers and employees safe in a pandemic. It’s time to extend our respect by honoring these frontline workers who are helping to keep our families fed by allowing us to shop in safety and peace. Speaking of peace, how can we up the calm quotient at this hectic time of year? Check out how Jane Christensen is doing it by leaning in on beloved traditions (page 32 ). Looking for new ways to celebrate? Turn to page 38 for suggestions for food gifts and holiday meals. And when it comes to perfect presents, publisher Andrea Tyler Evans has you covered with prezzies that are sure to please (page 42) . Of course, as Tom Evans reminds us, one of the best gifts you can give this year is one that supports a local business (page 28) . Got more goodwill to spread? Consider a donation to a qualifying Arizona charity. In the special Arizona Tax Credit Giving Guide in this issue, you’ll find a selection of qualified nonprofits, foster care charities, school tuition organizations and public schools that could use your support. In all, we hope these stories offer inspiration and hope as we close out the year. On behalf of myself and the whole Frontdoors team, we wish you good health and peace in the New Year. Karen Werner | EDITOR CELEBRATE AND BRIGHTEN FRONTDOORS MEDIA | 7 | NOV/DEC 2020 EDITOR’S NOTE {on the job}