The Foster Alliance

The first step to healing is a safe home and the essentials

The Foster Alliance, formerly Arizona Helping Hands, is the largest provider of essential needs for children experiencing foster care in the state of Arizona. We have found that often, the 14,000+ children in foster care in our state arrive at their new homes with nothing but the clothes on their backs. That is why we provide essentials like beds, clothes, shoes, diapers, and even birthday gifts. In 2022 we served 3,600 children through the Thunderbird campus’s essential services program, and in 2023 we served more than 8,300 children in foster care.

The key is access.

In early 2023, we began tirelessly working to break down the barriers that foster families face when accessing our services. In February, we modified our service structure, allowing families to “shop” for complementary essentials at their convenience and return once every 30 days. The number of children we serve tripled overnight.

Then in July, with the support of donors through the Arizona State Foster Care Tax Credit Program, Phoenix Suns Charities, The Phillips Law Foundation, The Russ Lyon Foundation, and The Family and Friends of Dr. John Kriekard, we launched a mobile unit, allowing us to serve children across the state. During our inaugural journey, the #FosterAlly Mobile Unit made 12 stops giving backpacks filled with school supplies to more than 800 foster children who previously did not have access to our services.

The shelves were bare.

These are amazing feats, yet they come with challenges. Right away, our inventory decreased rapidly, and for the first time in The Foster Alliance’s history, our team had to find ways to get a steady stream of clothes and shoes on the shelves through purchasing. We cannot bear watching a child walk out of our doors with no underwear, and unfortunately, that has happened. That is why the help of the community is imperative to the children of Arizona.

Become a #FosterAlly.

There are many ways to lend a hand and become a #FosterAlly:

  1. Volunteer. You can volunteer at our centers or from the comfort of your home or office. One of our volunteers’ favorite activities is building birthday gift bags for foster children. They select and wrap presents based on each child’s wishes, decorate a gift bag, and create a special birthday card. Volunteers create 300 birthday gift bags each month!
  2. Organize a drive. You can organize a drive to help us collect the brand new toys, shoes, diapers, and clothes each child needs, or even shop our Amazon Wishlist. To serve each of the 700 children we support monthly, it takes a lot of resources. Learn more at thefosteralliance.org/portfolio-items/how-to-help/#collection.
  3. Donate. You can donate at thefosteralliance.org. We are a Qualified Foster Care Charitable Organization through the Arizona State Tax Credit program, so your donation of up to $1,051 could be given right back to you when you file your state tax return this year. Whether you can support one or hundreds of foster children, every dollar helps. Just $7 can give a child on a foster care journey socks for the week.

Help Them Change Their Stars.

Too often, the trajectory of a foster child’s life is bleak, and we know that it is going to take all of us working together to help them change their stars. Our community is doing everything it can to prove to kids that they aren’t alone, they matter, and we won’t let them forget.

Join the squad at thefosteralliance.org where you can donate, shop our wish lists, or volunteer.