Bev Tittle Baker, Community Advocate, June 19, 1945 – May 29, 2018
Donate to Bev’s Scholarship Fund
Catholic Charities Community Services honors the legacy of Bev Tittle Baker, 72, national and international social-justice award winner, youth advocate, and founder of CARE Partnership in Mesa, Ariz., who passed away May 29, 2018.
A phenomenal community organizer and strong advocate of human rights, Bev Tittle Baker embraced diversity, strove to encourage personal wellness, and championed self-empowerment. Her contagious philosophy, based on community asset development, contributed strongly to her success in bringing together groups and individuals from all walks of life to share and exchange their time, talent and resources to improve the life conditions of others. An exceptional loving and strong woman, she enriched and blessed the journeys of countless individuals and families.
In 1994, Bev founded the non-profit Community Asset & Resource Enterprise (CARE) Partnership in Mesa, which began as an afterschool program in her backyard. The program quickly grew into a multi-service community center providing myriad wellness, educational and primary health services and activities, and was primarily operated by community volunteers. She brought out the best in everyone she met and made them feel that their personal contributions and efforts were of tremendous value.
CARE’s accomplishments include the renowned Emergency Santa program, which serves 2,700 children annually, youth educational programs and services, a medical clinic providing more than $10 million worth of primary health services to uninsured and underinsured community members, and numerous other enriching services.
Bev truly embodied the type of action necessary to bring people together across race, ethnicity and faith. She was hard working, compassionate, tenacious and a woman of great integrity.
Catholic Charities plans to continue Bev’s work in the Mesa community at the CARE campus Bev founded and developed. The campus will continue to provide critical outreach to youth with after-school programs, the Emergency Santa program and additional medical and dental clinics in the future.
If you would like to share your memories of Bev and her important work in the community, please comment below. Your comments will be shared with Bev’s family to ensure her legacy never dies.
“CARE Partnership reminds me of the story about the little train that said, ‘I think I can, I think I can," and it could … climb the mountain. People who are often diminished by society related to a poverty income came together to climb a mountain of obstacles. Through their persistence, children have a safe place to learn and play, families without insurance have health care, children throughout the valley are not left behind during the holidays, and people with dreams have resources to accomplish their goals.”
* Bev Tittle Baker, April 2014
