Due to forecasted storms, free sand for sandbags is now available at eight City of Phoenix parks.
Planting Hope: City of Phoenix and APS Partner to Plant Trees, Raise Awareness for Domestic Violence
The City of Phoenix partnered with Arizona Public Service (APS) for the 6th annual Planting Hope event, which aimed to raise awareness for domestic violence alongside a community tree planting event. On Tuesday, volunteers planted more than 50 new trees in the Edison-Eastlake Community, generously provided through the APS Community Tree Program. Residents applied for the grant after several trees were damaged during monsoon storms.
"Planting Hope is a powerful example of what happens when residents, City departments, and community partners come together with a shared purpose," Mayor Kate Gallego said. “This event brings beauty and shade to the neighborhood, while raising critical awareness about domestic violence and the resources available to those affected. It’s a reflection of our City’s commitment to building safer, stronger communities.”
“This is what community-led transformation looks like. Planting Hope is more than a tree planting, it’s about healing, beautifying, and strengthening our neighborhoods,” District 8 Councilwoman Kesha Hodge Washington said. "This is a great example of what happens when residents and partners come together to bring positive change to our community. It’s the power of that partnership and the leadership of residents that has allowed Planting Hope to grow and flourish over the years.”
This event is just one part of the City’s role in revitalizing this community; the Housing Department is leading a major transformation using more than $42 million in Choice Neighborhoods Grant funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The City is replacing 577 outdated public housing units with more than 1,000 brand-new, mixed-income homes, adding nearly nine acres of new and expanded green space and developing the new Thash Mahd Center and Horizon One Vision Center for community resources. Since the beginning of the Choice Neighborhoods initiative, residents have played a central role in shaping the future of their community, participating in leadership academies, reviewing proposals, and initiating projects that reflect their priorities, like bringing more shade.
“The Housing Department’s role in Edison-Eastlake goes far beyond creating new housing, we’re here to support a comprehensive, resident-driven transformation,” said Titus Mathew, Director of the City of Phoenix Housing Department. “Events like Planting Hope reflect the deep partnerships and long-term investments that are reshaping this neighborhood into a more vibrant, resilient, and inclusive place to live.
Through APS’ Community Tree Program, the utility works with Title 1 schools, non-profit organizations, neighborhood associations, cities, and towns in low-income areas to provide trees and assist in the planting. APS has helped plant more than 2,100 trees since the program launched in 2022.
“As a home-based utility company, we want to give back to the communities we live, work, and serve every day,” said Tina Marie Tentori, APS Director of Community Affairs. “Our Community Tree program is just one way we do that.”
Planting Hope began in October 2020, as a way for the City of Phoenix to safely connect with residents during the height of the pandemic and recognize Domestic Violence Awareness Month. In recognition of the City’s Paint Phoenix Purple initiative, residents planted purple flowers- the awareness color for domestic violence- in the community garden, created signs with messages of hope, and shared information about resources for survivors. Over the past five years, the initiative has grown into a powerful tradition of solidarity, healing, and community action.
The trees planted this year, including several with purple blooms, will provide lasting shade, beauty, and environmental benefits while reinforcing the community’s commitment to creating a safer, healthier neighborhood.
Learn more about how to apply for the APS Community Tree Program.
The City thanks BLICK Art Supplies and the Arizona Skin Cancer Foundation for their generous donations toward arts and craft supplies and sunscreen for participants at this event.
