Helen's Hope Chest

Description

In 2009, Arizona foster families experienced a 50% reduction in basic needs financial assistance as well as an influx of children in need of their care. Difficult financial conditions on a national scale and the high cost of caring for children forced many families to foster fewer children or to close their doors to new placements entirely. Mesa United Way created Helen’s Hope Chest to reduce the financial burden on foster and kinship families while creating a safe, welcoming, and dignified space for the children in their care.

Helen’s Hope Chest envisions a community where every child in care understands their value and self-worth, and that they have a place in our community, while every foster/kinship parent knows that they are supported. We do this by providing our services in a welcoming shop-by-appointment storefront where foster youth come to pick out clothing, school supplies, and other basic needs free of cost.