Shepherd of the Hills (SOTH) Charitable Foundation recently presented Cortney’s Place in Scottsdale with a $1000 donation.

Cortney’s Place is a facility that provides physically and mentally challenged persons an array of opportunities through education.

Daily programs include hydro-therapy, pet therapy, music therapy, healthy cooking, community outings and much more.

It was founded in 2007 by Cindy Carpenter, whose special needs daughter, Cortney, had recently graduated from Chaparral High School.

Cindy’s philosophy is summed up by the phrase, “Being handicapped is not a life-sentence, but rather a life style.” The school has continued to grow, from serving 18 individuals in 2009, with a current capacity of 50.

Shepherd of the Hills Charitable Foundation is a non-profit 510(c)3 corporation formed in 2000. The foundation has provided more than $60,000 in charitable donations and scholarships over the years, to organizations such as Extended Hands Food Bank, Paz de Cristo, Habitat for Humanity, St. Vincent de Paul and many others.

Each spring, the foundation awards a $1,500 scholarship to a deserving Fountain Hills High School graduating senior. This year, the foundation awarded two such scholarships.