Serve the Future AZ

08/21/2026

I’m so excited to share that our next Generation Connect event is officially booked for November! 🎉

After our first event, my heart was full. Watching our students arrive ready to serve—and then connect so naturally with the older adults at the South Mountain Senior Center—filled me with an overwhelming sense of pride.

They packed 100 lunches, shared stories and laughter, and even played Red Ball tennis together. The experience reminded me that belonging truly has no age limit.

I can’t wait to bring everyone together again this November at Community Center in Phoenix! We will create more opportunities for young people and older adults to learn from one another, build meaningful relationships, and strengthen our community through connection.

This is only the beginning. 💚🎾

👀 Read my reflections on our first event: https://www.servethefuture.org/blog/my-reflections-on-generation-connect

Leslie Banks Gira Schofield City of Phoenix, AZ USA

Generation Connect began with a simple idea. One afternoon, Jeremy Rossbach, my Chief Marketing Officer, shared his vision of bringing a group of Serve the Future students together to make sandwiches and hand them out to people experiencing homelessness. I'll admit—I was hesitant. I had never orga...

08/08/2026

100 seniors served. 16 young people learning what it means to lead. One community brought closer together. 🙏

🚀 That’s the impact of Serve the Future’s Generation Connect. Our students recently stepped into the South Mountain Senior Center not simply to serve lunch, but to serve their community.

And something powerful happened. 😍 Young people and older adults gave one another their time, attention, and presence. Students had the opportunity to listen, connect, and honor the experiences of another generation. Seniors encouraged our young people and reminded them that they can make a meaningful difference today.

One senior shared:

“It is a great impact to see that someone cares for the older generation.”

⭐️ That’s why this experience matters.

At Serve the Future, youth development isn’t confined to a tennis court. We want young people to discover that they are capable of contributing, leading, and making their communities stronger.

Through Generation Connect, they get to put that belief into action.

✅ 100 seniors served is the number.
✅ Connection is the impact.
✅ Leadership is the lesson.
✅ A stronger community is the goal.

We’re grateful to the City of Phoenix, Miracle Mile Delicatessen, Shamrock Foods Company, and the Phoenix South Mountain Senior Center for helping make this experience possible.

Help us create more opportunities for young people to SERVE.

➡️ www.servethefuture.org/donate

Leslie Banks Gira Schofield United States Tennis Association - USTA (Official) USTA Foundation USTA Southwest

08/06/2026

🪨📄✂️ What does Rock, Paper, Scissors have to do with youth development?

More than you might think. 🎯

Today, our students turned a simple game into a fun cardio and strength challenge—moving, laughing, competing, and encouraging one another every step of the way.

But the real lesson wasn't about who won.

It was about building confidence, learning resilience, making quick decisions, cheering on teammates, and discovering that fitness can be fun when you're surrounded by people who believe in you.🥰

At Serve the Future, we know that growth doesn't only happen during a tennis lesson.

It happens in moments like these.

Because every game, every laugh, every challenge, and every high-five helps create something bigger:

💙 A place where young people feel they belong.

💪 A place where confidence grows.

🌟 A place where future leaders are being shaped.

🎾 Tennis is the platform.
🤗 Belonging is the foundation.
🌈 Brighter futures are the goal.

Leslie Banks Gira Schofield USTA Southwest United States Tennis Association - USTA (Official) USTA Foundation WCRS Racquet Sports Professionals Association

08/05/2026

☀️ As we wrapped up our final week of the 2026 STF Summer Camp, we're feeling incredibly grateful for the community partners who help make our mission possible.

A special thank you to Wuji Life for generously providing back-to-school gift bags for our youth, filled with reusable water bottles, healthy snacks, frisbees, and other fun surprises.

Partnerships like this are about so much more than the items inside a bag. They send a powerful message to our youth: your community believes in you.

Together, we SERVE and create opportunities where young people feel seen, encouraged, valued, respected and empowered!

We are excited for the year ahead. Thank you, Wuji Life, for investing in brighter futures and being part of our village. 💚

Leslie Banks Gira Schofield

07/27/2026

🚨 SPECIAL GUEST ALERT! 🚨

Tomorrow July 28 at STF Summer Camp, we’re excited to welcome STF Board Member Dr. Thu Huynh! 🎤🎾

Dr. Huynh will bring her energy, experience, and real-world perspective directly to our students.

📣 STF Students! Come ready to listen, ask questions, and leave inspired—you never know which idea could change the way you see your future.

🎯 This is more than tennis. This is your opportunity to learn, grow, and connect with leaders who believe in you. 🚀

Don’t miss it! 💪🏽✨

Leslie Banks Gira Schofield WCRS

07/20/2026

🎉 Every gift tells a story.

Today we're celebrating one of our incredible community partners Monique Walker who chose to invest in the future of our youth with a $500 donation to Serve the Future.

To some, it's a donation.
To us, it's a message that says:

"We believe in your mission. We believe in these kids. We believe every young person deserves to know they matter."

Because of this generosity, we're able to continue creating safe, supportive spaces where young people build confidence, discover belonging, develop leadership, and create brighter futures.

To our incredible donor: thank you for becoming part of the Serve the Future family. Your kindness will ripple far beyond today.

Together, we're proving that when a community believes in its young people, amazing things happen.

💙 Every gift matters.
🎾 Tennis is the platform.
❤️ Belonging is the foundation.
🌟 Brighter futures are the outcome.

Leslie Banks Gira Schofield

07/19/2026

💪 Strong communities are built by people who keep showing up.

🙏 Serve the Future is powered by a community of people who believe young people deserve relationships, opportunities, and the confidence to imagine brighter futures.

To every family, coach, educator, volunteer, donor, sponsor, and partner who brings time, care, encouragement, or resources to this work: thank you. 😍

No single organization changes lives alone. Community creates change—and we are grateful to build it together. 🎾

Leslie Banks Gira Schofield USTA Southwest Carolyn Lane Realtor Rene Matusiak United States Tennis Association - USTA (Official) USTA Foundation WCRS

07/17/2026

A welcome 🤗. A name remembered 🎯. A high five after a hard try 💪. A teammate making room 🫶.

Belonging does not happen by accident. It grows through small, consistent moments that tell a young person: You are seen. You are valued. You matter here.

Tennis opens the door. Belonging changes the trajectory.

https://youtube.com/shorts/KLrdoQSKbcI?si=-bfeKhmFVGfnn26e

Leslie Banks Gira Schofield Rene Matusiak United States Tennis Association - USTA (Official) USTA Foundation USTA Southwest WCRS

At Serve the Future, every child deserves the opportunity to feel s...

07/14/2026

Take a look behind the scenes at Serve the Future's Generation Connect Outreach program and the impact it had on Phoenix local seniors.

Leslie Banks Gira Schofield USTA Southwest United States Tennis Association - USTA (Official) WCRS United States Tennis Association - USTA (Official) USTA Foundation Rene Matusiak

07/14/2026

Take a look behind the scenes at Serve the Future's Generation Connect Outreach program and the impact it had on Phoenix local seniors.

Leslie Banks Gira Schofield United States Tennis Association - USTA (Official) USTA Southwest USTA Foundation Rene Matusiak WCRS