Giving back is at the heart of everything we do here at Desert de Oro Foods (DDO) — so we’re excited to share that this holiday season, we had the opportunity to present a $70,000 donation check to Phoenix, AZ’s own music education nonprofit: Rosie’s House!
What’s Rosie’s House?
Rosie’s House is one of the largest free music education programs in the country. From Early Childhood to Afterschool to Summer programs, the nonprofit provides a welcoming place for students of all ages to learn, grow and share in their love of music — regardless of background or socioeconomic status. Students can learn string, brass or wind instruments, participate in choir or voice lessons and even receive tutoring for non music-related courses. The nonprofit teaches anywhere from 600-800 students at a time, and serves children and their families in twenty cities across Arizona.
Our owners, Mark Peterson and Krystal Burge, have been involved with Rosie’s House for quite some time. As a result of Rosie’s House’s rapid growth over the past few years, the charity was in need of a bigger space and funds for more programming. That’s where we came in!
A Bright Future Ahead
Excitingly, construction for a new addition to Rosie’s House is already underway — and just recently, our team was invited to come tour the progress. Mark, Fred Bendel (VP of Operations at DDO), and a few other DDO Directors were invited to see the new facilities, present the donation check and speak to the Rosie’s House Teen Choir about the Taco Bell Foundation’s Live Más Scholarship Opportunities.
Afterward, we had the opportunity to ask Fred about the team’s visit. He shares that the facility was amazing and that it was really rewarding to see Rosie’s House in action on a regular weeknight. As a true family-friendly space, Fred says many parents and siblings of students were spending time there — taking advantage of the various seating areas, amenities and, of course, free snacks!
We’re so honored to have played a part in Rosie’s House’s growth. We can’t wait to see what they do next!