Pilgrim Rest Foundation Bolsters Emergency Housing Support with Grant from Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust

Pilgrim Rest Foundation is doubling its efforts to prevent homelessness across the Phoenix metropolitan area thanks to a grant from the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust. The $500,000 grant is designated for emergency rental assistance for individuals and families in need.

“We are deeply humbled and grateful for the support of the Pulliam Trust,” said Richard Yarbough, president of Pilgrim Rest Foundation. “As the housing crisis in our community worsens, our direct assistance programs that help families stay current with their housing payments are more vital than ever.”

Over the past three decades, the Pilgrim Rest Foundation has assembled a comprehensive collection of programs, services and resources to help individuals and families in their time of need. The Pilgrim Rest Human Services Fund was created to provide emergency financial assistance for critical expenses, including rent/mortgage, utilities, emergency transportation, food and clothing. The foundation receives an average of 300 applications per month and has only been able to assist about 10 percent of those applicants.

In addition to increasing the foundation’s overall resources dedicated to emergency rental assistance and thereby increasing the number of applicants it can support, the grant allows the foundation to increase individual Human Services Fund awards up to $1,000, helping families avert further crisis and avoid the prospect of homelessness.

The grant was part of a larger effort by the Pulliam Trust, with its trustees committing additional funds above the normal 2024 grant budget to help with the Maricopa County homelessness crisis. In the first half of 2024, the trust awarded a combined $4.9 million to nonprofit organizations in Maricopa County working to house those experiencing homelessness, as well as providing emergency and preventative services for those at risk of losing their housing.

“Helping people in need has been a cornerstone of the Pulliam Trust since its creation,” said Gene D’Adamo, president and CEO of the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust. “We are proud to support Pilgrim Rest Foundation in its ongoing work to address families’ fundamental needs and enrich life in the Phoenix community.”

For more behind this Frontdoor, visit ninapulliamtrust.org.