Established in 1947 by Mr. Leon Grant and other community members, in collaboration with the City of Phoenix, the Phoenix Indian Center is the oldest and first social service agency in the United States, dedicated to improving the health and well-being of American Indian people. The Center began as a drop-in location for early urban American Indians coming to Phoenix, looking for work. It was incorporated with 501(c)3 status in 1954 and been a long-term recipient of United Way funding.
Today the Center provides a variety of services to assist individuals and their families to become productive contributors to our community. By providing workforce development, focusing on skill building to help adults get back to work, education programs, youth leadership and prevention, cultural revitalization and social supportive services, the Center directly serves over 6,000 people annually, having impacted over 350,000 people!
Mission Statement
The Phoenix Indian Center develops a strong community through collaborative partnerships and provision of services that are both culturally and based on effective practices.
The following statistics hold true for our clientele:
- 31% report either part-time or full-time employment
- 75% of households earn less than $15,000 per year, 20% of households earn between $15,000 and $35,000 and 5% earn more than $35,000 with an average family size of 4 persons
- 68% of households are headed by women
Fortunately, many of these situations improve when our customer participates in one or more of our Current Services listed below:
Adult Services
Workforce Development | Adult Literacy Life Skills Classes | Parenting Classes
Job Readiness Classes | Prevention Coalition Development and Empowerment
Youth Services
Substance Abuse Prevention | Cultural Enrichment | In-school Talking Circles
Youth Underage Drinking Community Assessment | Youth Leadership Coalition
Family Services
Case Management | Rental and Utility Assistance | Food Boxes | On-site Childcare
Child Welfare Programming Assessment | Parenting Classes
Cultural Enrichment Programs
Navajo Language Classes | Navajo Children’s Singing Group
Cultural and History Classes | Community Seasonal Stories
Community Enrichment Programs
Annual Fall Festival Open House | American Excellence in Leadership Awards
Community Coalition Development | Community Drives and Campaigns
Training and Technical Assistance
