Spinato's 2025 Community Outreach Recap: A Year of Gratitude, Giving & Great Pizza

As we wrap up another incredible year here at Spinato's Pizzeria, I can't help but look back with so much gratitude. For 51 years, our Arizona community has filled our dining rooms, supported our family, and helped us grow far beyond our original dreams. Serving outside our walls is part of who we are, and 2025 was filled with moments where we had the privilege of connecting, giving back, and sharing a slice of joy with the people who make our neighborhoods feel like home.

From unforgettable Flash!Bang magic nights to pizza parties, school drives, kindness bags, and bed builds, our team and guests once again showed what servant leadership looks like in action. Here are a few highlights from this year's community outreach efforts made possible because of you.

Magicians On Mission (MOM): Magic, Laughter & Honoring Heroes

From April through November, our Central Phoenix location hosted eight Flash!Bang Events with Magicians on Mission, a group that brings hope, healing, and entertainment to our veterans and active service members. These nights were packed with magic, comedy, and stories that reminded us why MOM's work is so meaningful.

Through their partnership with Vet Tix, MOM was able to donate nearly 300 complimentary tickets to military families this year. These shared experiences help strengthen bonds, reduce stress, and keep our heroes connected to the community. We are grateful to every VetTixer and every guest who joined us. You truly made these nights unforgettable.

A New Leaf: Nourishing Futures & Celebrating Kids

Our partnership with A New Leaf remains one of the most heartwarming aspects of our year. This remarkable nonprofit has been serving Arizona families for more than 50 years, offering support through housing programs, DV services, foster care, financial empowerment, and so much more.

This year, we were honored to:

• Welcome A New Leaf kiddos to our Gilbert location for the Ultimate Pizza Party Field Trip, complete with pizza-making and an ice cream celebration.
•  Cooked fresh pasta and shared lunch with residents at La Mesita.
• Hosted a Back-to-School Dessert Drive, raising $5,000 for backpacks and supplies for students across the Valley.
• Served pizza and helped provide Halloween costumes at La Mesita's annual Boo Bash, now in its fourth year.

Seeing kids light up over a slice of pizza never gets old.

Helping Hands for Freedom: Supporting Military Families

Back in May, our team had the joy of being part of the Helping Hands for Freedom Golf Tournament. We sponsored a foursome, served our beef sandwiches on hole nine, and ended the day raising nearly $2,000 for families of wounded, fallen, and deployed service members.

HHFF fills critical gaps for military families facing hardship, keeping them in their homes, supporting their kids, and giving stability during difficult times. We were honored to stand beside them this year.

Sojourner Center: Easter Joy & Creativity

This spring, our team packed 1,000 Easter eggs for the kids at Sojourner Center and spent the afternoon making crafts, creating wreaths, decorating bunnies, and celebrating the holiday with so many bright smiles.

Sojourner Center has been a pillar for survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking since 1977, offering shelter, transitional housing, pet companion services, and wraparound support. Their work is extraordinary, and we are humbled to contribute in even the smallest way.

Kindness Challenge 2025: Small Acts, Big Impact

Our annual Kindness Challenge continues to grow each year thanks to our guests, sponsors, team members, and the Kenneth Anthony Spinato Foundation.

This year, we:

• Packed 300 Kindness Bags filled with essentials and hand-written notes.
• Sold 240 bags thanks to our community.
• Raised $5,000 for St. Vincent de Paul.
• Hosted a Kitchen Takeover with our sponsors, making 150 pizzas and serving dinner to the families dining at SVDP.

Food has a beautiful way of connecting people, and nights like this remind us of why we do what we do.

Kindness Challenge: Holiday Edition

This season, we expanded our mission through a special partnership with Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP). On November 8th, more than 100 volunteers, including 25 from the Spinato's family, came together to build 40 bunk beds for children who did not have a bed of their own.

We are also providing Christmas for the Engle Family, a local family chosen through SHP. We cannot wait to bring a little extra magic to their holiday this year.

Assistory Outreach Services: Sharing Holiday Meals

Right before Thanksgiving, our team partnered with Assistory Outreach Services to host a special food distribution for families from South Pointe Schools. Together, we provided turkeys and non-perishable items, allowing each family to prepare a complete holiday meal at home. We were grateful to stand shoulder to shoulder with AOS staff and volunteers, handing out food and connecting with these families.

Thank You for Helping Us Serve Outside Our Walls

To everyone who attended an event, donated, volunteered, shared a post, or simply visited us for dinner, you make this possible.

Every pizza sold, every partnership formed, and every service day completed is a reminder that community is at the heart of everything we do.

As we head into the New Year, our commitment remains the same: to serve great food, nourish connections, and give back to the people who have supported us for more than five decades. Cheers to a beautiful year ahead.

With love and gratitude,

~Jaime Spinato

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