by Staff Reporter | Mar 13, 2025 | News
By Staff Reporter |
When 26-year-old Erzsi Moffatt first sought out a volunteer opportunity at Hope Pregnancy Resource Center in Flagstaff, Arizona, she had no idea it would lead to something much bigger. What started as a role helping parents access essential family care quickly evolved into a larger mission—one that she and her 24-year-old brother, Jedidiah Lyons, would take statewide. Recognizing the overwhelming need for baby essentials, they founded The Dandy Project, a nonprofit dedicated to making parenthood more accessible by providing car seats, strollers, diapers, and other necessities to families in need.
How It All Started
While seeking to volunteer at Hope Pregnancy Resource Center in Flagstaff, Arizona, Erzsi Moffatt found herself in a position to be able to work as their Boutique Manager. Since 1977, the center has provided free and confidential services, including pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, STI testing, and options counseling. It also offers parenting classes, maternity and baby supplies, and resources to help parents navigate unplanned pregnancies with confidence and support.
In this role, she assisted clients by providing essential supplies such as formula, diapers, baby equipment, and more. As she became more involved, she invited her brother, Jedidiah Lyons, to volunteer at the center, where he began teaching workshops on life skills, like budgeting and resume building.
During their time there, Erzsi and Jedidiah witnessed firsthand the meaningful impact of these services, seeing how the center’s support helps struggling parents and their children thrive.
Erzsi’s husband, Stephan, a golf professional in the community, received a career opportunity that required their family to relocate to Phoenix. While excited for her husband’s growth, Erzsi couldn’t help but feel sad to close her chapter at Hope Pregnancy Resource Center.
After sharing the news with her brother, Jed, they discussed wanting to leave a lasting contribution before departing and were reminded of the center’s long waitlist for car seats. Recognizing an opportunity to help, Jed—an entrepreneur with a background in assisting others in starting businesses—suggested they tackle the issue using surplus overstock sales, a process retailers use to cut costs on online returns and excess inventory.
Putting their heads together, they identified a vendor that allowed them to source car seats and other baby essentials at a fraction of their retail value, helping to significantly reduce the waitlist and support families in need.
Knowing that many other Pregnancy Resource Centers like Hope existed across the state, Erzsi and Jed decided to take their concept and start their own non-profit. In September 2023, they founded The Dandy Charitable Foundation, also known as The Dandy Project—a 501(c)(3) public charity with a mission to “protect, empower, and support those who do the same for the next generation.”
We had the opportunity to sit down with the brother-sister duo to learn more about their journey and the impact they hope to make.
Q: What made you decide to take on this endeavor?
Erzsi: We realized that we already had the resources to start helping families right away and trusted that we’d figure out the rest as we went. Jed and I have always embraced challenges and followed our own path, so we saw this as an opportunity to put that mindset to good use. At the very least, we knew we could make somewhat of a difference for families in need so that was reason enough to start.
Q: What inspired the mission statement for The Dandy Project, and how did you shape it?
Erzsi: Well, Jed and I spent a lot of time discussing what we wanted The Dandy Project to achieve, and we kept coming back to the growth we witnessed in clients at Hope as they navigated their journeys to parenthood. Seeing them rise to the challenge and transform through the experience is what ultimately inspired us to take on this endeavor.
As we reflected on the most impactful aspects of that growth, we realized it all came down to the ability to protect, empower, and support their own family—especially in unexpected circumstances. That understanding became the foundation of our mission.
Q: Your mission statement encompasses a broad range of support. Can you share specific ways The Dandy Project fulfills this mission in practice?
Jed: Hope Pregnancy Resource Center operates in the non-urban community of Flagstaff, Arizona. While it’s not exactly rural, it still faces unique challenges that a metropolitan center wouldn’t. We had a solid understanding of the operational needs at Hope, but knowing that many other centers existed across the state, we wanted to leave room to develop additional programs as we built relationships and identified broader needs.
I personally believe we fulfill our mission best by alleviating the financial burden that comes with having a baby. Through our program, we’re able to provide a car seat, stroller, crib, and six months’ worth of diapers and wipes to a client—all at no cost to them. What would typically cost around $1,800, we’re able to source for just $100 per client, making a significant impact on struggling families.
Q: Who does The Dandy Project primarily serve, and what does a typical client look like?
Jed: We’re fortunate that our programs are very cost-effective, which allows us to operate on a no-questions-asked basis for client intake. If someone applies for support, we provide whatever resources we have available—so ultimately, we serve anyone who is expecting or already has children.
When we partner with organizations, we focus primarily on rural communities, which means much of our outreach serves Arizona’s Native American populations. However, the clients who come to us directly come from all walks of life, and most are based in the Phoenix metro area.
Q: What is the process for clients to receive supplies from The Dandy Project?
Erzsi: Clients can apply for support directly through our website, DandyProject.org. Since we store the items in our garage and local unit, we personally drop them off to local clients ourselves.
However, distributing supplies to our community partners across the state is a bit more complex. In our first year, we were truly bootstrapping our distribution system—relying on friends, family, and our personal vehicles to transport supplies to the rural communities we serve.
Last year, we celebrated our first anniversary with a banquet, and thanks to fundraising from that event—along with additional support from a fundraiser hosted by Calvary Oro Valley Church in Tucson—we were able to purchase a used Ford E350 cargo van. This has made our distribution process significantly more cost-effective and efficient.
Q: After 18 months in operation, how would you measure the impact The Dandy Project has made so far?
Erzsi: We’re proud to share that in 2024 alone, we directly supported over 312 families and reached more than 1,000 additional families through our community partners. Seeing the tangible difference we’ve been able to make in such a short time has been incredibly exciting.
Q: What’s next for The Dandy Project?
Erzsi: Right now, we primarily operate in the northern part of the state, but we’re eager to expand further into southern Arizona, particularly the greater Tucson area. Looking ahead, I hope to become The Dandy Project’s first official employee and take our model even further, maybe reaching families even beyond Arizona.
Q: How can people get involved and support The Dandy Project?
Erzsi: Financial donations are always needed, and we are an Arizona Qualified Charitable Organization (QCO). This means that anyone filing for the 2024 tax year can take advantage of the QCO tax credit, reducing their tax liability dollar for dollar—up to $420 for individual filers or $840 for those filing jointly.
Our most immediate need is always volunteers. If you or someone you know frequently travels to communities like Flagstaff, Show Low, or Prescott, we would be incredibly grateful for your help in delivering supplies to our community partners. Your support—whether financial or hands-on—makes a real difference for families in need.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Staff Reporter | Mar 13, 2025 | Education, News
By Staff Reporter |
A new dashboard tracks the school closures taking place throughout Arizona.
The dashboard comes from the Common Sense Institute (CSI), a nonpartisan organization which primarily produces research on Arizona’s economy.
Since January, those schools which have closed or consolidated operated in the Maricopa, Navajo, and Yavapai counties within the following school districts: Cave Creek, Phoenix Elementary, Mesa Unified, Isaac, Edkey Inc. – Sequoia Village, and American Heritage Academy. Schools closed or consolidated included Lone Mountain Elementary School, Desert Sun Academy, Dunbar School, Heard School, George Washington Academy, and American Heritage Academy Camp Verde.
Data for the dashboard came from the Auditor General and Arizona Department of Education.
CSI also published a line graph chart detailing spending, inflation, enrollment and student proficiencies in math and reading from 2010 to 2024. This data came from the Arizona State Library, Arizona Department of Education, and Joint Legislative Budget Committee.
CSI director of policy and research, Glenn Farley, said the dashboard data indicates a pattern of declining public school enrollment rather than indefinite growth. Per this dashboard, school enrollment peaked over a decade ago.
“Arizona’s public school system was built on the assumption that enrollment would continue to grow indefinitely, but the reality has changed,” said Farley. “With district enrollment peaking over a decade ago and alternative schooling options gaining traction, closures are a natural consequence of a system adjusting to new realities.”
CSI’s dashboard reflects a severe disparity between public school spending, enrollment, and student proficiencies in math and reading. While spending increased by 80 percent since 2010, math and reading proficiencies dropped by 13 and nine percent, respectively, and enrollment dropped by one percent.
Spending far outpaced inflation, growing at over twice the rate: while spending increased by 80 percent, though inflation increased by only 36 percent.
CSI also found that the school-aged population departed from the total population trend around 2020 due to demographic changes. Combined enrollment in public kindergarten programs declined 13 percent since the 2010-11 school year, while total public school enrollment grew three percent.
The state’s school choice program, the Empowerment Scholarship Account program, grew to over 87,200 students as of Monday.
CSI clarified that demographic decline wasn’t the sole reason for changes in the school-aged population. CSI reported that charter school enrollment nearly doubled from 2020 to 2022, 55 percent of surveyed private schools experienced enrollment growth in the 2021 to 2022 school year, and homeschooling grew from two to 11 percent of the population during the pandemic (though that number dropped to around six percent in recent years).
An accompanying CSI report declared the disparities in funding, enrollment, and outcomes were signs of disconnect with the current state of enrollment and capacity.
“Charter, private, and home schools have continued growing, but Arizona’s district public school enrollment peaked over a decade ago,” read the CSI report. “A massive injection of new funding and resources over the past few years has led to significant new spending and expansion by these schools, though, which are now having to deal with the consequences of this disconnect between enrollment and capacity.”
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by Staff Reporter | Mar 12, 2025 | News
By Staff Reporter |
Governor Katie Hobbs, or the staffers running her social media accounts, appear to lack mastery of the vocabulary known to native Arizonans.
The misspelling attributed to Hobbs occurred within a post announcing her support for Read Across America week.
“Reading opens doors, minds, and possibilities,” said Hobbs. “Thanks to the students at Chapparral [sic] Elementary for inviting me to be a part of your Read Across America Week.”
Hobbs visited Chaparral Elementary School and read aloud “A Walk in the Words” by Hudson Talbott to students.
Dan Coulson, former press secretary to Hobbs’ predecessor Doug Ducey, brought attention to the governor’s error.
“Please tell me Katie Hobbs isn’t teaching those kids spelling too!” posted Coulson. “Only one ‘P,’ Katie! It’s literally in the sign right behind you!”
Read Across America Week originated with the National Education Association (NEA) in 1998 through Read Across America Day to encourage childhood literacy. The celebration was originally scheduled to take place on and around the birthday of Theodore Seuss Geisel — more commonly known by his pen name, “Dr. Seuss.” However, the NEA moved away from Dr. Seuss associations with the uproar over a handful of his books deemed racist in recent years: “And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street,” “If I Ran the Zoo,” “McElligot’s Pool,” “On Beyond Zebra,” “Scrambled Eggs Super!” and “The Cat’s Quizzer.” These books are no longer published.
“Chaparral” defines lands predominantly consisting of dense shrubbery at high altitudes. Arizona contains approximately 3.5 million acres of chaparral habitat, or about four percent of the entire state’s nearly 73 million acres. Arizona’s chaparral species include those within the manzanita, acacia, juniper, and shrub live oak families, such as the birchleaf mountain-mahogany, skunkbush sumac, silktassels, hollyleaf buckhorn, cliffrose, desert olive, Palmer oak, Arizona white oak, Emory oak, pinyon pine, juniper, and desert ceanothus. Arizona chaparral also commonly contains succulents and wildlife found commonly within woodland or grassland habitats as well (certain night lizards and sparrows).
Monday’s post served as the latest public misstep by Hobbs.
Earlier this month, a clip of the governor venting her frustrations to the media over her inability to lead or control the state legislature went viral. Hobbs was unable to convince GOP lawmakers of her pick for the Arizona Department of Housing (ADOH). Hobbs’ lamentations to the press were directed at one of the key lawmakers behind rejecting her nominations, State Senator Jake Hoffman. A significant reason for the rejection of Hobbs’ latest pick concerned an auditor general sunset review last fall which reported serious and expensive issues with the ADOH under Hobbs’ nominee. Hoffman criticized Hobbs’ behavior as a “full blown temper tantrum.”
Last month, state legislative leaders confronted Hobbs over the $122 million shortfall within the Arizona State Developmental Disabilities Program. GOP leaders and the state treasurer accused the governor of “gross financial mismanagement.”
In an effort to counteract the struggles of her administration and improve her public image ahead of her reelection bid next year, Hobbs has adopted GOP-leaning policies and stances as of late.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Staff Reporter | Mar 9, 2025 | News
By Staff Reporter |
Governor Katie Hobbs vented her frustrations to the media while discussing the latest rejection of another appointment of hers last week.
The day prior, the Arizona Senate voted against Hobbs’ pick, Joan Serviss, to be the director of the Arizona Department of Housing (DOH). In a viral media interview, Hobbs said she had the right to have her appointments confirmed on the basis of her being the governor.
“They’re using her to get this political agenda out that makes no sense. And it holds Arizonans hostage,” said Hobbs. “And if Jake Hoffman, unindicted fake elector Jake Hoffman, wants to decide everyone that gets hired at every state agency, then I welcome him into the governor’s race because that is my job — I get to run state agencies. I won the governor’s race. I get to run state agencies and I get to decide how they’re run and according to the agenda that Arizonans elected me on.”
The subject of Hobbs’ ire, State Senator Jake Hoffman, characterized Hobbs’ remarks as a “full blown temper tantrum.” Hoffman said he wasn’t interested in running for governor, but he did endorse another active candidate, Congressman Andy Biggs.
Serviss blamed partisanship for her rejection, claiming criticisms of her work were “unconscionable and politicized scrutiny.”
“The current political climate at the Legislature, particularly the relentless attacks of public servants like me, creates an environment where, frankly, it’s hard to imagine how qualified individuals stepping up to lead a state agency can endure what amounts to a political circus,” said Serviss in a LinkedIn post. “At the end of the day, whether I hold the Director title or not, I’m still a leader in the fight to end homelessness and address our state’s affordable housing crisis.”
The auditor general also discovered in a sunset review last October that, during Serviss’ first year with ADOH as its cabinet executive officer and executive deputy director, the agency transferred $2 million to scammers posing as an existing nonprofit organization ADOH coordinated with to purchase property for affordable housing. The transfer took place in June 2023 but ADOH didn’t discover the fraud until that December. ADOH also failed to notify the auditor general in the time frame required by statute, and then took nearly 80 days to respond to requests for information from the Arizona Department of Administration. The state covered the $2 million loss with its self-insurance (other state funds).
The auditor general also determined in its summary ADOH “lacks a comprehensive process to evaluate program performance” for the over $1 billion it oversees in housing funds, therefore “limiting its ability to ensure and demonstrate its programs are effectively addressing the state’s housing problems[.]”
The Senate previously found Serviss unfit to lead ADOH, but for different reasons. In September 2023, the Senate rejected Serviss based on her alleged plagiarism perpetrated while leading the Arizona Housing Coalition.
Serviss had served in the role of ADOH director since last September. She now serves as deputy director.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Staff Reporter | Mar 9, 2025 | News
By Staff Reporter |
The Arizona Court of Appeals ruled against the Elections Procedures Manual (EPM) produced by Secretary of State Adrian Fontes.
Judge Lacey Gard reversed and remanded a lower court decision dismissing the case, Republican National Committee, et al. vs. Adrian Fontes, et al., last summer. Gard ruled the EPM fell under the Arizona Administrative Procedure Act (APA), a “plain reading” of the statute contrary to what the lower court ruled. Gard also dismissed Fontes’ arguments for his right to not comply with the APA because the APA and EPM statutes conflict.
“[The APA] unambiguously states that all agencies are subject to the APA’s rulemaking procedures unless ‘expressly exempted,’” stated Gard. “The APA and EPM statutes impose duties on the Secretary that may require him to begin promulgating the EPM earlier, but they are not inconsistent, do not directly conflict, and do not create impossible barriers to complying with both.”
Gard further ruled Fontes violated the APA by not allowing public comment on the proposed EPM for the full 30 days, instead only opening up review for 15 days.
Gard noted at the end of her ruling that she wouldn’t address other claims by the Republican National Committee challenging eight specific provisions of the EPM, since she arrived at the conclusion that Fontes’ promulgation of the 2023 EPM failed to “substantially comply” with requirements set forth by the APA for the rulemaking process.
The Republican Party of Arizona (AZGOP) sued Fontes over the EPM last February, along with the Arizona legislature leadership at the time (Senate President Warren Petersen and then-House Speaker Ben Toma) and the Arizona Free Enterprise Club. In a statement on Thursday’s ruling, the AZGOP claimed the appeals court found the EPM to be unconstitutional.
AZGOP Chair Gina Swoboda said the ruling confirmed the extent of the unlawfulness of Fontes’ EPM in the Thursday statement. Swoboda characterized Fontes and his EPM as an attempt “from the radical left to illegally assume control” of Arizona elections.
“This opinion from the court shows just how much Secretary Fontes and his allies in the Governor’s and Attorney General’s offices overreached in their partisan efforts to hijack our elections through this blatantly political manual,” said Swoboda. “As we have highlighted to the court, the most-recent elections manual contained many provisions that ran utterly contrary to Arizona law, giving the Democrat machine a clear advantage at the ballot box for years to come.”
Beyond the lack of compliance with APA, GOP leaders’ objections to the Fontes EPM concerned conflicts with state election law: accepting voters who declared themselves noncitizens on juror questionnaires; allowing voters who failed to submit or couldn’t achieve verification of their Documentary Proof of Citizenship (DPOC); allowing first-time, federal-only voters to provide only an ID and not DPOC for mail-in voting; not requiring county recorders to check federal databases for citizenship reviews; restricting public review of voter signatures on mail ballots; allowing Active Early Voting List voters to receive ballots outside the state for certain elections; requiring denial of early ballot challenges received prior to the return of an early ballot; and allowing out-of-precinct voters to cast provisional ballots.
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