Neighborhood Ministries, Inc.

Neighborhood Ministries (NM) aims to break the cycle of poverty in Phoenix's impoverished inner city by holistically loving, serving, and providing life-transforming hope and support to community families. Our commitment to long-term relationships creates opportunities for children and families to achieve self-sufficiency and health and become contributing members of the community.

The urban Phoenix community served by Neighborhood Ministries significantly differs from other parts of the city. Many of the youth we help turn to drugs, gangs, and crime to escape their pain and despair. All the children we serve have grown up in poverty, with most coming from homes marked by domestic violence, drug abuse, physical and sexual abuse, and gang activity. Nearly all lack healthy role models and the resources needed to break free from the cycle of poverty and move toward a brighter future.

Arizona ranks 45th out of 50 states in child well-being (Annie Casey Foundation, 2016), placing in the bottom 20% for all critical indicators, including health, education, economic well-being, and family/community stability. NM focuses on a target group living within approximately a 5-mile radius of its campus at 19th Avenue and Van Buren, serving some of the most impoverished communities in downtown Phoenix. The lack of education and high unemployment rates perpetuate the hopelessness that surrounds the children and youth in the community: 58% of people aged 25 and older have not completed high school, and the unemployment rate in our service area exceeds 20%. According to data from the 2010 census, Arizona ranks 49th in poverty levels, with 427,000 children living in poverty.

Current programming at NM includes:

1. Kids' Life: A weekly outreach program for children in grades K-12, providing a positive and safe after-school environment.
2. Education For Life: An incentive-based education and mentoring program for K-12 students, offering one-on-one mentoring, positive peer support groups, academic assistance, college preparation, and scholarship opportunities.
3. Katy's Kids: Our onsite preschool.
4. Mom's Place is a resource program for young mothers focusing on parenting and problem-solving skills.
5. Neighbors at Work: Case management and various services for adjudicated youth, including financial literacy, job readiness training, and character development.
6. The Hope House: Transitional housing for young adult women.
7. Parent Volunteer Program: This program provides opportunities for parents to volunteer and earn points that can be used to purchase essential goods for their families, such as school supplies, holiday gifts, and home furnishings.

NM is committed to serving this community in the long term despite the challenges. We track community members from birth to death, offering services and support throughout their lifetime. For those trapped in the cycle of poverty, meaningful change requires a lifelong and generational commitment to families. NM is proud to make this lifelong commitment to the community.

Kit Danley founded NM in 1982 and is today's president. Kit's passion for bringing real change and renewal to the urban community led her and her husband, Wayne, to live in the city and raise their two children there. She has become a champion for the people NM serves. The commitment of the Danley’s and others to reside in and serve the urban community has fostered a culture of trust, laying the groundwork for positive, enduring work spanning over three decades. In 2001, NM relocated to The Neighborhood Center. This 8-acre developing site has become the hub for building relationships with children, their families, and city-wide partners to make a significant difference in the community.