Valley Horizon Elementary opens Callahan Care center for families in need

Valley Horizon Elementary School opened the Callahan Care Community Center on June 3, giving Crane families a new place to get food, clothing and other essentials without having to navigate a larger, less personal system. The district says the goal is to lower the barriers that can push students off track, especially when a missing meal, a lack of clean clothes or another basic need starts to affect attendance, behavior and academic stability.

The center is set up as a welcoming support point rather than a complicated intake process. Families can schedule appointments one day per week during summer hours to access services and support, and the district’s announcement includes both English and Spanish forms, a sign that the effort is meant to reach a multilingual community. That matters in Yuma County, where schools often serve as the first and most trusted place families turn when they need help with basic needs.

The local need is not abstract. A county snapshot lists 16.7% of children in poverty, 18.5% of households with children receiving SNAP, 18.5% of children experiencing food insecurity and 8.8% of children without health insurance. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates Yuma County’s population at 224,449 in 2025, with 24.0% under age 18 and 66.1% Hispanic or Latino. In a county with those numbers, a school-based center that combines food, clothing and access help could make the difference between a family staying ahead of problems and falling behind when school starts back up.

Callahan Care says it is tackling clothing and food insecurity through open closets, open pantries and a network of mini-community centers across Arizona. The organization says it operates 13 mini-community centers statewide, serves more than 2,600 people each month and donated more than 16,000 clothing items in 2025. On the Valley Horizon campus, that model gives the school a role beyond the classroom, turning an elementary school into a support hub where families can address needs that often show up before a child ever reaches the classroom door.

Valley Horizon has long described its mission as supporting and engaging all learners so they develop intellectually, academically, physically and emotionally. The school opened in August 1991 with about 650 students and 60 staff members, and students helped choose the purple and white colors and the Valley Horizon Suns mascot. Principal Leslie Mommer, a Yuma native with more than 30 years in education, has framed family welcome as part of the school’s identity. The new center extends that idea into a practical safety net for Crane families who need help now, not later.