Prescott Area Shelter Services Inc

Wonderful place! The children were incredibly grateful and appreciated everything so much.

Hello: My name is Brenda Livingston & lm an Over night Advocate at The Prescott Area Shelter Services known as Pass. I’ve worked there for at least 8-9 years. & I have to say with all my heart they were there for me when I needed shelter. You know how they rate hotels & restaurants 5 stars?, well they rate my rating is more like top 10 & Excellent place to be when in need. The staff are Angels. They are wonderful people to have there & without them there would not be a place to go. Like I said Angels from heaven whom are there for you!! Thank You Sincerely With All My Heart. Brenda Livingston

Prescott Area Shelter Services has been serving, women, women with children and veterans who are experiencing homelessness in the Prescott area since 2007. In that period of time they have provided a pathway to permanent housing to over 2980 women and families, with an 84% success rate with their clients and have expanded their shelter services and programs by 180 %. Prescott Area Shelter Services program expense ratio is 83.11 %, which is outstanding amount of each donation that directly goes into their programs /services and have been awarded a 99 out of 100 rating by Charity Navigator.
Any and all money, time and effort given to this 501 (c) (3) charity is money or time well spent

This facility not only takes care of immediate needs but through the programs and oversight by their program directors and case managers they are consistently able to transition their guests to permanent housing.

I have been a volunteer with PASS for the past 8-9 years as a weekly advocate from 5-8 pm. It is a joy to see women arrive in in total chaos and leave 90 days later with renewed self esteem, a direction for their lives including a job, housing, new friends and a sense of purpose. This is
made possible because of our warm, friendly environment and the work and guidance of our excellent staff and dedicated volunteers. PASS also has volunteers from different community
organizations that provide a hot meal each evening which is so welcome by our guests. PASS is
a most worthwhile organization to donate your time, donations, tax credits besides participating in the annual fund raising projects. I feel honored to be a volunteer with PASS.

Ann M.

Visited the location, got a feeling of what they do. Met some residents.
Felt I could help with a little cash.
When i had it available.

I have been at an open house for PASS and found the facility to be quite nice and welcoming. I was impressed by their program and feel they provide an essential service to our community. I also have a friend who volunteers their and hear so much about the activities she provides.

In a time that so many need help, Prescott Area Shelter Services are at the top of my list for providers reaching out to the community helping women and children that have had life circumstances that require the need for some help. From an immediate response to a need for housing and a hot meal, they go over and above helping with life skills going forward into these women's futures. Their program has quite a high success rate in helping getting these amazing residents able to enter back into the work force and having a home for themselves and their family.
Chris C

Prescott Area Shelter Services is a unique shelter different than any other in the quad-city area. As a volunteer, I have seen what the shelter provides for women and children and how much it makes a difference in their lives. What I have noticed is how personal and comforting the shelter is for so many woman and children. It is a place that many can easily call a home for the time they are there.
The staff make it all possible for these women and their children to get back on their feet and find a home of their own.

The Prescott Area Shelter Services (PASS) provides a much needed service for our community. Not only do they address the immediate needs of women and children effected by homelessness but they put an emphasis on addressing the underlying problems of the clientele they come into contact with through a vast array of programming. In addition, PASS places a major focus in transitioning that clientele into more permanent housing solutions. PASS has a phenomenal success rate in doing so and truly assists members of our community become/return to being active and productive members of society.

PASS has always been there for me, as a guest and as a volunteer, if not for them I would not be were I am today. I love that they're always helping those in need.

I work for the shelter as an overnight advocate. Originally from Phoenix, I am happy about Prescott Area Shelter Services. I've worked in other shelters. PASS is beautiful, clean, organized, and well stocked with many items for the women and children. Case management helps so many women get back on their feet from circumstances that they found themselves in. The staff, volunteers AND guests are great to work with, and it's exciting to see changes in the guests from beginning to end. Our community is also great by providing meals, toiletries, cleaning supplies, and other items for our guests. I give PASS five stars, because it's the best!

I have volunteered with this organization for two months now. I have worked with dozens of non-profits over the years and PASS exceeds all. This organization provides a beautiful, clean , structured environment for women & families in need.

I have never felt so educated and appreciated as a volunteer. The staff is friendly and they communicate excellently with volunteers and guests. I love to see how they encourage volunteers to treat guests with the utmost respect during this difficult time in their lives. PASS does their best to provide guests with sundries, clothing (if needed), nourishment, case management & a healthy environment to ease the difficult of their situation.

I would love to see PASS receive more support to continue what they do for women & families in Prescott.

Piper Stoeckel, Prescott Resident & Volunteer

I’ve been with the shelter for a little over 2 years and look forward to many more. This place holds respect for all guests and expectations that have led individuals to succeed in ways they may have not thought possible. In the shelter’s warm and inviting atmosphere the guests, staff, and volunteers are inspired to work together towards common goals.

Cynthia Lawrence considers herself of hearty stock, a self-reliant woman able to take whatever comes.

A twice-divorced, 69-year-old mother with two adult sons and 12 grandchildren, she retired from sales management and then worked part-time as a housekeeper. She never expected she would run out of funds.

In the summer of 2017, the then-Montana resident opted to uproot before the seasons changed “because I’d had enough winter and cold to last me the rest of my life.”

One of her sons flew her out to Colorado for a visit. She then went to stay with a sister for about a month in Utah where she helped take care of the family horses. She admits she was aimless, but come late fall she knew she could no longer rely on family; she yearned to reclaim her independence.

Her sister had some connections in Prescott Valley, so Lawrence piloted her truck to northern Arizona.

“I’m not sure what happened. I just lost all focus,” Lawrence said of finding herself after two weeks in a hotel with no place to go and no money to pay for another night. “I felt like I was somebody else … I had never run out of money in my life.”

With no options or prospects, Lawrence called for home assistance. The operator who answered directed her to Prescott Area Shelter Services. Her fortunes turned: the 19-bed shelter for women and children had an opening; the downtown Prescott shelter runs most of the year at full capacity with a waiting list.

“She had a place for me. No obstacles,” Lawrence said of her case manager, Marissa O’Brien.

Unfamiliar with shelters, Lawrence said she arrived that November with no small amount of trepidation — she expected an oversized gymnasiums with mattresses on the floor.

Instead, Lawrence pulled up to a cozy house on North Rush Street just beyond Yavapai College.

Once inside, she was greeted with friendliness. In the back, mural-covered dormitory area she was assigned a single bed covered with a donated quilt and a trunk to keep her personal belongings.

Today, living in her own senior apartment in Prescott Valley, she said she feels divine forces led her to the place where she and others of all ages are treated to comfort and hope.

From the start, Lawrence said she was “treated like family.”

“These were people who really, really care,” she said.

Director of Programs Katee Norris said the shelter opened in 2007 and offers up to three months of housing for homeless single women and mothers with children up to age 12. The aim is to be a safe haven for these women in transition, including those who are in recovery from addictions, she said.

Each client works with O’Brien on a self-sufficiency plan with daily, weekly and monthly goals, Norris explained. On a daily basis, each client is required to be in the community working on their individual goals, be that obtaining mental or physical health care, addiction assistance, or employment that will enable them to secure permanent, affordable housing, she said. The shelter will provide up to a $500 match for clients who are able to save that as part of their transition plan, she said.

In PASS’ history — the agency became an official nonprofit charity in 2009 — the agency has provided assistance to 2,400 clients with 88 percent able to secure housing that enabled them to avoid future bouts of homelessness, Norris said.

PASS operates with a limited staff — Executive Director Carmen Frederic and O’Brien are the sole full-time employees with Norris working part-time; she is also a registered nurse. They then have four volunteer, overnight advocates and about 100 other volunteers who assist with everything from fundraising activities to serving the evening meal each day.

Every woman is expected to do chores at the shelter in the evening hours, and all of the clients and their children share an evening meal together.

“The food is awesome,” Lawrence said.

During her three-month, nine-day stay, Lawrence said she worked part-time as a housekeeper, volunteered at the library and spent time visiting some of the area parks. At the shelter, she strived to be a mentor to some of the younger women, and often picked up extra chores. She said she found the routine to be therapeutic. To Lawrence, the shelter enabled her to shed her prior “bulldog” tendencies.

At the end of it all, Lawrence managed with O’Brien’s assistance to secure long-term housing she could afford; a two-bedroom apartment in a 55+ apartment complex in Prescott Valley.

“This was a journey God put me on and wanted me to take,” Lawrence said of her temporary homelessness. “It redirected me. I don’t know where I would be if I didn’t come here. I think they saved my life.”

I am honored to serve on the Board of PASS. I have volunteered for many years with many people/groups. All of these activities have likely been more beneficial to me than the people/person who I was working with, as I reflect back. PASS is truly an organization that can make a difference in the community and in vulnerable people's lives. Our success rate of nurturing people from homelessness to a more secure environment is an accomplishment that can last a life time for our guests. I chose PASS as an organization to be involved in as a result of the successes of the outcomes with our "guests."

And, I am thankful every day that PASS has allowed me to be a part of this success.




Patricia Watson, Ph.D.

Licensed Psychologist

I have always given back to my community in various ways. An opportunity arose several years ago to become involved in PASS. Many of my clients in the legal field are homeless and need assistance getting back on their feet. I believe I have a great deal to offer the community while serving on PASS board and the clientele of PASS in the volunteer work I do.
Every time I hear from our clients about their struggles turned into success, my heart overflows. More individuals and organizations need to hear the summaries of our clients to understand what PASS contributes to Yavapai County.
Alex Harris

I have always worked with and helped women. In the Air Force I was a Women's Health Nurse Practitioner, so when I retired and moved to Prescott I wanted to continue helping women. I have seen how life circumstances can lead to homelessness in women and children. I desired to help these women and children get back in control of their lives and empower them to self- improvement. The PASS volunteers and staff treat the clients with respect and kindness as they transition to self-reliance. The programs and services offered are of high quality and are delivered with dignity and compassion. This matched my belief system and now I am proud to be a face for PASS as a board member. With every success story PASS has, I am driven to continue our cause to end homelessness.
Carol F Nelson, Lt Col, USAF (retired)