New Pathways for Youth (NPFY) is receiving $275,000 in grant funds over three years from the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust and the Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust, in support of the organization’s mission to empower at-risk youth to fulfill their potential through mentoring and life skill development.
The Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust is awarding NPFY $150,000 for its alignment with the Trust’s “Helping People in Need” program, which supports organizations and programs that assist vulnerable children, adults and families move from crises or instability to greater functioning and self-sufficiency and provide education or training, with accompanying social supports, for individuals to obtain gainful employment.
“The Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust is proud to partner with NPFY and help underserved Phoenix youth stay in school,” said Trustee Lisa Shover Kackley. “By expanding the mentoring program, NPFY will be able to touch more youth and transform future generations with its innovative curriculum.”
NPFY will use the Pulliam grant to complete its Transformative Mentoring Program which expands college and career readiness mentoring for all youth, increases the organization’s support of youth through the age of 21 and until they are successfully rooted in their college and career achievements and provides life skill workshops.
The program also provides training and support services to mentors serving high-risk youth and improves case management practices and tools.
The grant from Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust will enable NPFY to integrate and align its services in new ways to improve the mentoring program for all participants. Youth enrichment activities will be enhanced and support for parents, caregivers, and mentors will be strengthened.
“Historically, youth would leave volunteer/service activities, retreats or workshops and return to the same environment that produced, or at least allowed the destructive attitudes and behaviors in the first place,” said Christy McClendon, President & CEO of New Pathways for Youth. “New Pathways is distinct from other Valley youth mentoring organizations because of the work we do in the home with parents and caregivers.”
NPFY supports one-on-one relationships between high-risk youth and trained, volunteer mentors to unearth the core beliefs that are impeding youth from achieving their goals and reaching their full potential, then provides them with resources, guidance and encouragement to help develop positive beliefs and real-world success.
“Piper Trust commends New Pathways for Youth in its quest to meet young people ‘where they are’ with both deep compassion and great dignity. The new programs will support youth beyond mentoring and help strengthen the organization’s already transformative services,” said Marilee Dal Pra, vice president of programs, Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust.
When NPFY was established in 1989, it served 40 youth. Now, the organization serves more than 500 youth every year, with well-trained, positive role model mentors from the business and philanthropic communities serving as the strength of the organizations programs.
Leveraging the work and value of the volunteers who are the backbone of the program, these grants allow NPFY to expand the College and Career Readiness (CCR) training to all youth, enhance the Case Management, develop new Life Skill Workshops, and create an online library of tools and resources available, expanding the depth of services that mentors, youth, and parents receive.
“We’re grateful for the generous contributions by these two distinguished philanthropic organizations. With their support, our dedicated mentors and staff can better address the major social and psychological factors that promote at-risk youth’s problem behaviors, such as substance use, violence, gang activity, delinquency, and truancy, etc.,” said McClendon. “We also can expand our work with parents and other family members in the home environment of the youth we serve, equipping them with skills and practices that will reinforce what our clients learn through the New Pathways programs.”
For more information about New Pathways for Youth, visit www.npfy.org.
