Financially challenged Arizonans aren’t alone — how Community Action Agencies are helping

When economic uncertainties mount, Arizona families face impossible choices around housing, food, utilities and employment. Help is out there, though many don’t know it — a quiet but vital network working in neighborhoods to help cover essentials, weather financial shocks and regain stability. These are Community Action Agencies — CAAs — and Arizona is home to 11 of them.

Together, they provide rent relief, utility assistance, job training, early education and more, supporting more than 122,000 Arizona families each year. Most people don’t know these agencies exist until they need them. But understanding who they are, what they do and the programs they champion could make all the difference for those who are struggling.

Meeting the moment: Where CAAs step in

For families forced to choose between rent and groceries, or keeping the lights on and getting to work, these are the moments when CAAs provide timely support.

Helping families stay afloat after job loss

A sudden layoff can upend everything — yet rent, groceries, childcare and utility bills keep coming. For families suddenly facing that gap, agencies like Mesa Community Action Network (MesaCAN), operated by A New Leaf, step in before a rough patch turns into a crisis, helping working families regain their footing through emergency rental assistance, diaper distribution, utility support, job training and financial counseling. GED programs also provide greater access to education resources.

Keeping people safe in triple-digit heat

Arizona summers can turn deadly for households struggling to afford the cost of staying cool. Through programs like the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program — LIHEAP, community partners such as Glendale Community Action Program and Maricopa County’s network of community action programs help families through a mix of utility bill assistance, air-conditioning repairs and access to cooling centers — providing a crucial safeguard during the most dangerous stretches of heat.

Ensuring access to housing stability

Facing an eviction can turn a family’s world upside down. The city of Phoenix Human Services Department partners with trusted legal aid organizations to offer free eviction prevention services that help residents understand their rights, navigate court proceedings and connect with vital community resources. The program also offers post-eviction support, guiding households through challenges and helping them secure future renting opportunities.

Lowering energy bills for the long term

Cooling costs don’t just rise with the temperature; they rise with every drafty window and aging air conditioner. Through the state’s Weatherization Assistance Program, which helps retrofit older homes to improve efficiency and comfort, agencies like MesaCAN help low-income households make lasting upgrades. Crews seal leaks, replace inefficient systems and improve insulation, turning energy-wasting homes into safer, more affordable places to live.

Bringing nutritious food within reach

In some corners of Arizona, fresh food is harder to find than fast food. Long drives, limited transit and inflated prices make it tough for families to stock a healthy fridge. That’s where CAAs get creative, setting up mobile markets, distributing locally sourced food boxes and cutting red tape around Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — SNAP enrollment. Local agencies make sure distance and cost don’t decide what’s for dinner.

How to become part of the community action

Arizona’s Community Action Agencies rely on local support, from volunteers who serve on advisory boards to donors who help sustain essential programs. Wildfire, the statewide association, offers a complete directory of Arizona’s Community Action Agencies — a starting point for anyone seeking services, looking to get involved or hoping to support this work in their own community.

Most won’t see the support until they need it. But for hundreds of thousands of Arizona families, it’s already there — opening doors and helping households move toward lasting stability and opportunity.

Editor’s note: Kelly McGowan is the executive director for Wildfire, a Phoenix-based nonprofit addressing poverty in Arizona through advocacy and service. Please send your comments to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.