Photo courtesy of Reading Ready Pittsburgh
Phillips Charitable Foundation (PCF) recently awarded 17 grants to nonprofit organizations dedicated to serving vulnerable individuals and families. These organizations provide vital programs and services to people with disabilities, veterans and first responders, economically disadvantaged youths and adults, and individuals navigating serious illness. Each grant reflects the Foundation’s commitment to promoting dignified living for vulnerable populations and to supporting organizations that are making a lasting difference in the lives of those they serve.
Awarded in February 2026
Anne Arundel Community College Foundation
Maryland
Anne Arundel Community College serves the needs of a diverse community by offering high quality, affordable, accessible, and innovative lifelong learning opportunities. AACC was awarded with a grant for the HelpLink Fund for Nursing. This fund provides short-term emergency aid to students who are experiencing unexpected financial hardships that could cause them to have to drop out of school. The HelpLink Fund provides invaluable support to help nursing students focus on completing their studies, passing their certification exam, and joining a workforce that desperately needs highly trained health care professionals.
Amego
Massachusetts
Amego supports individuals living with autism and other developmental disabilities at home, in school, at work, and as valued members of their families and communities. The Foundation awarded a grant to support the expansion of Amego’s school, a project designed to equip students with essential independent living skills that are foundational to adulthood, including daily routines, self-care, cooking, and cleaning. A central feature of the expansion is a commercial kitchen where students will gain hands-on experience with food preparation, hygiene, and kitchen maintenance in a functional learning environment.
Bender Leadership Academy
Pennsylvania
Bender Leadership Academy empowers students with disabilities to address bullying, pursue higher education, and achieve their career goals. The organization is committed to expanding employment opportunities for people with disabilities from youth through adulthood. A grant was awarded to support the Education2Employment program, which helps bridge the gap between classroom learning and the practical application of workplace skills in a supported employment environment.
Community Harvest Network
Maryland
Community Harvest Network (formerly End Hunger) serves as a redistribution partner of the Maryland Food Bank, supporting food pantries, soup kitchens, and backpack programs throughout Southern Maryland. The organization also operates a Culinary Training Program for young adults with learning differences and disabilities. The program provides ten weeks of free instruction to prepare students for work in the food service and catering industries, including workplace readiness and executive functioning skills. A grant was awarded to support the 2026 Culinary Training Program.
Chesapeake Region Accessible Boating
Maryland
Chesapeake Region Accessible Boating (CRAB), located in Annapolis, Maryland, provides the therapeutic benefits of sailing to individuals with disabilities, recovering warriors, and youth from underserved communities. CRAB’s fully accessible sailing programs enhance well-being by offering outdoor recreational and therapeutic experiences at no cost. The Foundation awarded a grant to fully sponsor CRAB’s 2026 Group Sail Program, enabling the organization to offer two free sailing experiences for each participating nonprofit partner and expanding access to the healing and joy of sailing.
Emmaus Community of Pittsburgh
Pennsylvania
Emmaus Community of Pittsburgh provides inclusive, community-based homes along with in-home and community services for individuals with intellectual disabilities. Their homes are integrated into local neighborhoods, offering residents a place where their uniqueness is celebrated and where they are supported in pursuing their personal goals. Because many Emmaus residents have complex medical needs or mobility challenges, emergency preparedness is critical. A grant was awarded to purchase four permanent generators to help ensure residents remain safe and supported during power outages or severe weather.
Family House
Pennsylvania
Family House provides an affordable “home away from home” for patients and their families who must travel to Pittsburgh for medical care. Located within close proximity to area hospitals, Family House offers the comforts of home and convenience to loved ones at affordable rates. Family House recently started a capital improvements initiative, Securing Our Future, to help manage the costs to sustain its six-story, heavily used, and nearly 25-year-old building. The Foundation awarded a grant for the Securing Our Future fund to help ensure the organization’s operational sustainability by fully renovating the building’s 121 rooms.
Hero Dogs
Maryland
Hero Dogs raises, trains, and places service dogs with U.S. military veterans and first responders with disabilities at no cost to the recipient. The organization also places skilled home companion dogs with veteran and first-responder families and facility dogs with qualified clinicians. Hero Dog’s mission is to improve the quality of life of our nation’s heroes and enhance the services of community organizations. The Foundation awarded a grant to support the care and training of Hero Dog Watson. This is the second service dog sponsored by the Foundation. The first dog, Hero Dog Cassie, graduated from the program recently and is now serving as a service dog.
Hour Children
New York
Hour Children helps incarcerated and formerly incarcerated women and their children successfully reenter the community, reunify with their families, and build healthy, independent, and secure lives. Among its services is an after-school youth program supporting children affected by incarceration, housing instability, and economic hardship. A grant was awarded to purchase 22 laptop computers for the program, replacing outdated equipment and ensuring students have reliable technology for homework, tutoring, enrichment activities, and the development of essential digital skills.
Life's Work of Western PA
Pennsylvania
Life’sWork of Western PA partners with people with disabilities to pursue their hopes and dreams by strengthening workplace abilities, building life skills, and fostering meaningful relationships. The organization also helps connect participants with appropriate employment and supports them in sustaining those jobs. A grant was awarded to purchase a minivan to address transportation barriers that often prevent individuals from accessing employment opportunities.
Mid Atlantic Mother's Milk Bank
Pennsylvania
The Mid-Atlantic Mothers’ Milk Bank works to improve the health and survival of medically vulnerable infants through the safe collection, pasteurization, and distribution of donor human milk. Nearly 70 percent of significantly premature or critically ill babies do not receive sufficient maternal milk, creating an increasing demand for donor milk across the region. A grant was awarded to help cover shipping costs associated with transporting frozen donor milk to the milk bank’s laboratory and delivering pasteurized milk to hospitals and outpatient families.
Progressive Workshop of Armstrong County
Pennsylvania
Progressive Workshop of Armstrong County provides vocational rehabilitation services to adults with disabilities, helping them develop skills and behaviors needed to become independent, employable, and active members of their communities. A grant was awarded to support two immediate operational needs: repairs to a forklift used in daily operations and the purchase of a secure locking filing cabinet.
Reading Ready Pittsburgh
Pennsylvania
Reading Ready Pittsburgh supports the healthy development of young children by increasing access to books and encouraging family engagement through reading. Its free community bookstore, B is for Books, serves as the operational hub for early literacy programs and removes cost and access barriers that often prevent families from building home reading routines. An operational grant was awarded to support the organization’s continued efforts to expand bookstore visits, story times, and literacy events that promote shared reading at home.
Seeds 4 Success
Maryland
Seeds 4 Success equips children from low-income communities with the skills and support needed to succeed in school and in life. Through mentorship, academic support, enrichment experiences, and college and career preparation, the organization serves individuals from Pre-K through adulthood. A grant was awarded to support the LEARN literacy program for students in Pre-K through fifth grade, which recently expanded and now requires additional instructional time, learning materials, and assessments.
That Suits You
New York
That Suits You (TSY) assists boys, young men, and underserved men by providing motivation, mentorship, job readiness training, and professional attire. Participants complete a job readiness program before receiving a suit to wear for interviews and professional opportunities. A grant was awarded to provide professional attire for 50 individuals, helping participants make a strong first impression while building confidence as they pursue employment.
The Bernie House
Maryland
The Bernie House provides survivors of domestic violence and their children with a two-year transitional housing program, offering time and support to heal while rebuilding their lives. Through individualized services, residents can secure employment, pursue education, and work toward long-term economic stability and safety. A grant was awarded to support essential home maintenance, including the replacement of aging air-conditioning units and repairs to kitchen appliances.
Ulman Foundation
Maryland
The Ulman Foundation provides cost-free lodging for young adults with cancer and their caregivers, offering proximity to world-class hospitals in Baltimore and a welcoming, supportive community. The Ulman House helps ease the emotional and financial burden of traveling for treatment while connecting guests with others facing similar challenges. A grant was awarded to support the General House Maintenance Fund, which helps keep the Ulman House safe, comfortable, and fully operational for its residents.