activities · 23
what they do
direct service · 22
- Back-to-School Supply Distribution Back-to-School Supply DistributionDistributes essential school supplies, school uniforms, and backpacks annually to children and youths to prepare for the school year. 1,013 school backpacks were distributed in the past year, and the organization hosted a Back to School Drive in July 2024.
- Back-to-School Supply Distribution Back-to-School Supply DistributionDistributes essential school supplies, school uniforms, and backpacks annually to children and youths to prepare for the school year. This includes hosting Back to School Drives and events, with 1,013 school backpacks distributed in the past year.
- Birthday Celebration Program Foster Youth Gift DistributionOperates a dedicated space where children and teens in foster or kinship care can celebrate their birthdays, engage in play, and select a gift. 1,174 birthday gifts were distributed in the past year.
- Book Nook Program and Book Distribution Early Literacy Book DistributionOperates a book nook program where children can select free books to take home, with monthly themes to promote reading engagement. Books are offered during every visit, and 13,671 books were distributed in the past year.
- Distributing essential non-clothing items annually Back-to-School Supply DistributionDistributes books, hygiene sets, birthday gifts, school backpacks, and other essential items annually to children in foster and kinship care. In the past year, distributed 13,671 books, 3,594 hygiene sets, 1,174 birthday gifts, and 1,013 school backpacks.
- Distribution of Hygiene Products and Infant Supplies Diaper Distribution ServicesDistributes full-sized hygiene products, including shampoo, conditioner, body wash, deodorant, toothpaste, feminine hygiene products, shaving sets, diapers, and critical infant supplies (like wipes) at no cost to families. In the past year, 34,615 diapers were distributed.
- Distribution of Hygiene Products and Infant Supplies Diaper Distribution ServicesDistributes full-sized hygiene products, including shampoo, conditioner, body wash, deodorant, toothpaste, feminine hygiene products, shaving sets, diapers, and critical infant supplies to families at no cost. In the past year, 34,615 diapers and 3,594 hygiene sets were distributed.
- Holiday Gift Distribution Event (Jakelle's Christmas Box) Foster Youth Gift DistributionHosts an annual week-long holiday event, "Jakelle's Christmas Box," providing new gifts, books, stuffed animals, and quilts to thousands of children and teens in foster or kinship care at no cost to their families. Over 2,000 children were assisted at the event.
- Holiday Gift Distribution Event (Jakelle's Christmas Box) Foster Youth Gift DistributionHosts a week-long holiday event, "Jakelle's Christmas Box," annually to provide new gifts, books, stuffed animals, and quilts to thousands of children and teens in foster or kinship care at no cost to their families. Over 2,000 children were assisted at this event.
- Holiday Gift Distribution Event (Jakelle's Christmas Box) Foster Youth Gift DistributionHosts a week-long holiday event, "Jakelle's Christmas Box," annually to provide new gifts, books, stuffed animals, and quilts to thousands of children and teens in foster or kinship care at no cost to their families. In the past year, volunteers assisted over 2,000 children at this event.
- Hosting annual holiday and back-to-school events Foster Youth Gift DistributionHosts a week-long holiday event ("Jakelle's Christmas Box") providing gifts, books, stuffed animals, and quilts to thousands of children in foster and kinship care, and conducts an annual Back to School Drive and event to distribute supplies and uniforms.
- Laundry Services Volunteer-Managed Donation Processing & Support ServicesVolunteers provide laundry services, washing, drying, sorting, and storing over 5,000 loads of laundry in 2024.
- Offering laundry services for families in need Volunteer-Managed Donation Processing & Support ServicesVolunteers washed, dried, sorted, and stored over 5,000 loads of laundry in 2024 to support families and children in foster care.
- Operating a book nook program to promote literacy Book Distribution & Reading Space DevelopmentOperates a book nook program where children can select free books during every visit, with monthly themes to encourage reading engagement and literacy development.
- Operating a facility for ongoing programs and community access Multi-Use Community Center OperationsOperates an 8,000 square-foot facility in Downtown Mesa where all programs and services are conducted, offering a shopping-style experience for children and families.
- Providing dedicated space for birthday celebrationsOperates a dedicated space where children and teens in foster or kinship care can celebrate their birthdays, engage in play, and select a gift.
- Providing quarterly clothing and personal items to children in foster and kinship care Comfort and Care Kits DistributionProvides children, youth, and teens in foster or kinship care with new or like-new clothing, shoes, hygiene products, diapers, and accessories every three months at no cost. Each distribution includes 5 outfits, 1 pair of shoes, pajamas, undergarments, socks, and accessories.
- Providing services to children in licensed and unlicensed care arrangements Foster Care Support for Tribal and Special Needs YouthServes children in licensed foster or group homes with an active Department of Child Safety case, as well as those in unlicensed kinship care without a DCS case, and families with court-issued guardianship.
- Provision of Clothing and Accessories Back-to-School Supply DistributionProvides children, youth, and teens in foster or kinship care with new or like-new clothing, shoes, undergarments, socks, and accessories every three months at no cost. In the past year, 52,521 clothing items were distributed.
- School Supply and Uniform Distribution Back-to-School Supply DistributionDistributes essential school supplies, school uniforms, and backpacks annually to children and youths to prepare for the school year. 1,013 school backpacks were distributed in the past year, and the organization hosted a Back to School Drive in July 2024.
- Support for Biological and Adopted Children of Foster Families Comfort and Care Kits DistributionProvides one outfit, books, and gifts for biological and adopted children of families with a current foster placement.
- Volunteer Laundry and Sorting Services Volunteer-Managed Donation Processing & Support ServicesEngages volunteers to wash, dry, sort, and store over 5,000 loads of laundry and sort and organize over 9,000 books annually to support the distribution programs.
capacity building · 1
- Volunteer Management for Sorting and Organizing Donations Volunteer-Managed Donation Processing & Support ServicesManages volunteers who sort and organize donated items. In 2024, volunteers washed, dried, sorted, and stored over 5,000 loads of laundry and sorted and organized over 9,000 books.
strategies · 23
how they think
Theories of action extracted from this org's own source material. Click any to see the full field of orgs running the same approach.
- Alleviating Financial Burden for Foster and Kinship Families financial_reliefThe organization provides all items for free to foster and kinship families, thereby reducing their financial burden and enabling them to allocate resources to other needs.
- Alleviating Financial Burden on Foster and Kinship Families financial_reliefThe organization provides all items for free to foster and kinship families, thereby reducing their financial burden and enabling them to allocate resources to other needs.
- Client-choice model to promote dignity and self-worth client-choice_modelOperates a boutique-style clothing distribution where children in foster or kinship care can select their own new and like-new items, fostering confidence, acceptance, and a sense of dignity through autonomy.
- Community engagement through outreach and facility access community_engagement_via_toursEngages the public through speaking engagements and facility tours to increase awareness, promote the mission, and strengthen community support for the organization’s programs.
- Community-Supported Holiday Gift Distribution holiday_gift_distributionHelen's Hope Chest provides holiday gifts to children in foster care through a community-supported distribution model, leveraging collective generosity to bring joy during festive seasons.
- Community-Supported Holiday Gift Distribution holiday_gift_distributionThe organization facilitates the distribution of holiday gifts to children in foster care through a model that relies on community support.
- Ensuring Quality and Cleanliness of Donated Items cleanliness_standard_for_donated_itemsAll donated used items are thoroughly washed to ensure they are clean and fresh before being distributed to clients, maintaining a standard of quality and hygiene.
- Ensuring Quality and Cleanliness of Donated Items cleanliness_standard_for_donated_itemsAll donated used items are washed to ensure they are clean and fresh before distribution, maintaining a standard of quality for recipients.
- Ensuring hygiene and quality of donated items cleanliness_standard_for_donated_itemsAll donated used items are thoroughly washed to ensure they are clean and fresh before being distributed to clients, maintaining a standard of hygiene and quality.
- Facilitating community-supported holiday gift distribution holiday_gift_distributionThe organization mobilizes community support to provide holiday gifts to children in foster care, ensuring they experience the joy of the season.
- Fostering Literacy through Book Distribution literacy_support_through_book_distributionThe organization distributes books to support literacy development, aiming to help children achieve grade-level reading and enhance their language skills, self-esteem, and imagination.
- Free distribution to reduce financial burden on caregivers financial_reliefProvides all clothing and personal items at no cost to foster and kinship families, alleviating financial strain and enabling caregivers to focus resources on other needs.
- Holiday and birthday gift programs to honor memories and create joy memory-based_program_designProvides curated gift selection programs for birthdays and holidays to affirm the identity and experiences of children in foster care, creating joyful moments and honoring personal memories.
- Hygiene and presentation standards for donated goods cleanliness_standard_for_donated_itemsEnsures all donated used items are washed and cleaned before distribution to provide clients with fresh, clean, and dignified clothing and personal items.
- Literacy support through book distribution literacy_support_through_book_distributionDistributes books to children to support literacy development, aiming to improve reading skills, language acquisition, and imagination while also building self-esteem.
- Promoting Dignity and Self-Worth through Choice and Celebratory Experiences dignity-centered_serviceHelen's Hope Chest provides a dignified, boutique-like shopping experience and celebratory gift selection programs for children in foster and kinship care, allowing them to choose their own items. This approach aims to foster confidence, acceptance, and self-worth, particularly through honoring individual memories and promoting joyful experiences.
- Promoting dignity and self-worth through choice and celebratory experiences dignity-centered_serviceHelen's Hope Chest provides a dignified, boutique-like shopping experience and celebratory gift selection programs, allowing children and youth in foster or kinship care to choose their own items. This approach aims to foster confidence, acceptance, and self-worth, particularly by honoring individual preferences and creating joyful memories.
- Providing consistent access to essential items recurring_distribution_modelHelen's Hope Chest ensures ongoing support for children and youth by providing regular, recurring access to clothing and personal items every three months, addressing their continuous needs.
- Recurring distribution model to meet ongoing needs recurring_distribution_modelProvides regular access to clothing and personal items every three months to ensure sustained support for children and youth in foster or kinship care, addressing evolving needs over time.
- Reducing financial burden on foster and kinship families financial_reliefThe organization provides all items for free to foster and kinship families, thereby alleviating their financial strain and enabling them to better meet the needs of the children in their care.
- Supporting Child Development through Recurring Access to Resources recurring_distribution_modelHelen's Hope Chest provides regular, recurring access to essential items like clothing and personal goods, as well as books, to support the ongoing needs of children and youth. This consistent provision aims to foster literacy development, improve language skills, enhance self-esteem, and spark imagination.
- Supporting Ongoing Needs through Recurring Distribution recurring_distribution_modelHelen's Hope Chest ensures continuous support for children and youth by providing regular, recurring access to essential clothing and personal items every three months.
- Supporting literacy development through book distribution literacy_support_through_book_distributionThe organization distributes books to support literacy development, aiming to help children achieve grade-level reading and enhance their language skills, self-esteem, and imagination.
named programs · 6
what they call their work
Back to School
Distributes essential school supplies, uniforms, and backpacks to children and youths to prepare for the school year.
Book Nook
Enables children to select books during each visit, promoting reading and literacy development.
Clothing Boutique
Provides children, youth, and teens with new or like-new outfits, shoes, and accessories every 3 months at no cost.
Essential Needs
Provides families with full-sized hygiene products, diapers, and other critical infant supplies at no cost.
Jakelle's Christmas Box
Offers new gifts, books, stuffed animals, and quilts to children and teens at no cost during the holiday season.
John's Room Birthday Gifts
Allows children and teens in foster care to select gifts for their birthdays, ensuring they can celebrate their special day.
relationships · 4
who they work with
- Azura Solution Partner — Helen's Hope Chest is an Azura Solution.
- Family of John Partner — Proposed and helped establish John's Room as a memorial program for children and teens in foster care.
- Foster 360 Partner — Partnered for a Back to School event in 2018.
- Westergard family Partner — Initiated and supports Jakelle's Christmas Box, a gift donation program in memory of Jakelle Westergard to benefit children served by Helen's Hope Chest.