Arizona Helping Hands helps kids in foster care system

May is National Foster Care Month, and recent reports show there are an estimated 14,000 children in Arizona’s foster care system.

Arizona Helping Hands is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping those in the foster care system through donations and volunteer work. Arizona Helping Hands reports that the amount of families coming in to receive help has nearly tripled in the past month. To continue meeting this growing demand, volunteers and staff are asking for the community’s support in donations.

Bethany Eggleston, Director of Development at Arizona Helping Hands, joins Horizon to talk more on the subject.

AZ Helping Hands mission

“Arizona Helping Hands is a place where foster families and foster care advocates can come and get the things that children need so that they can thrive,” said Eggleston.

Some of those things include diapers, bed, clothes, shoes and birthday presents.

Supplies Needed

Due to the number of families seeking help at Arizona Helping Hands, the agency is currently low on supplies.

Before, the average number of families Helping Hands would have recorded coming in for assistance would have been 16 families, with approximately five children per each.

“Now, our highest day has been 55 families in a single day,” said Eggleston. “They need the help and we need to show up.”

Warehouse Supplies: ALL IS NEW

When asked whether supplies gifted to the children were new or gently used, Eggleston emphasized new.

“These kids deserve it. They deserve to have a new shirt, those really cool Nikes,” said Eggleston. “They deserve that just like our kids have.”

Most of the supplies are donated by Arizonans and much is needed at this moment.

If you would like to donate, AZ Helping hands is urgently asking for socks and underwear of all sizes.

For more information, visit https://azhelpinghands.org.