Earnhardt team donates to The Foster Alliance

Every quarter, employees at Earnhardt Auto Centers can elect to donate a portion of their paychecks to a chosen charity. The first-quarter charity for 2025 was The Foster Alliance, Arizona’s largest provider of support to foster children and families. Earnhardt staff recently presented the group with a check totaling over $4600.

The Foster Alliance provides foster parents with necessary items, including cribs, shoes, clothing, diapers, pull-ups and wipes. They also assist foster families with funds for gasoline, utility bills and groceries. 

The Foster Alliance has locations in Phoenix, Flagstaff and New Mexico ready to make it easier for families to open their homes to foster children. In addition to providing essentials, the agency hosts annual holiday toy distributions and supplies backpacks and other necessities for the back-to-school season. They provide birthday gifts to foster children, teens and young adults. The Foster Alliance also partners with local organizations to build new beds provided to foster children.

Earnhardt Auto Centers has a long history of supporting local causes. Each quarter, the organization chooses a different local charity as the recipient of employee payroll deductions. Recipients have included Hospice of the Valley, the Armed Forces Relief Trust, the Phoenix Children’s Hospital Foundation, United Food Bank and the Arizona Humane Society. 

In addition to opting for payroll deductions for donations, Earnhardt Auto Centers employees also donate their time to events and causes to help others. These include the 2nd Chance Bike Drive, which collects donated bicycles. Employees also volunteer to refurbish these bicycles, donating them to St. Vincent de Paul to distribute within the community. Earnhardt locations also host an annual collection of used sports gear for kids, benefitting sports programs through the Boys & Girls Club of the Valley.

Earnhardt Auto Centers represents 15 brands at 17 dealerships located around the Phoenix metro area. In addition to encouraging the spirit of giving and volunteerism among its employees, the organization has a long history of supporting local organizations and events. Thank you, Earnhardt Auto Centers, for your generosity that assists many individuals in the community! 

About the Author:

Carolyn Sostrom

Biography:

Carolyn Sostrom is a long-time Arizona resident who loves desert sunsets, warm weather, Zumba, and the Western lifestyle.

She attended Saguaro High School in Scottsdale and then Arizona State University, earning a bachelor’s degree in journalism. Similarly to the protagonist in *The Devil Wears Prada*, Carolyn moved to New York City right after college. She started working for the fashion magazine company Conde Nast but never transitioned to the dark side. After a few years, she left New York in the rearview mirror and returned to her home state, taking a reporter job at the *Apache Junction Independent*.

With over 30 years of freelance writing experience, Carolyn especially enjoys writing about community events and profiling individuals who are making a difference in their communities. She had the pleasure of interviewing a variety of cowboy personalities for an article she wrote for the *Scottsdale Independent* about the history of DC Ranch and its roots as a working ranch. Now, her Western adventures with CLN have her diving into the rugged automotive scene, exploring the trucks and rigs cowboys rely on for work, home, and play, a niche where grit meets horsepower.

She works at Raising Special Kids, a nonprofit resource center for families of children with disabilities and special healthcare needs. Carolyn also volunteers with the Autism Society of Greater Phoenix.

Carolyn believes that everyone has a story, and she loves connecting with others to hear their stories. She’s dedicated to ethical journalism and accurate reporting, which shines through in her storytelling.

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