Arizona Helping Hands Holds Strong for Children
Arizona Helping Hands Holds Strong for Children
There are more than 14,000 children in Arizona’s foster care system. Many children end up in the system after being removed from a dangerous home-life situation, leaving with only the clothes they wear.
A non-profit organization that began in 1998 as a toy drive, Arizona Helping Hands (AHH) is the largest service provider of its kind in the state. Its mission is to address essential needs for children in foster care through programs promoting safety, permanency, and health. AHH has been assisting these often overlooked, predominantly minority children since 1998.
AHH provides everything from basic needs (beds, cribs, diapers, personal hygiene kits) to back-to-school backpacks and supplies. They even celebrate birthdays and give the kids footlockers to keep their items safe in group homes.
Matson is a proud supporter of organizations like AHH that align with our corporate tradition of improving the communities in which we work and live. Matson made a donation to AHH that will go towards the organization’s Basic Needs Program, providing stability and normalcy in the lives of children. Warm beds and personal items like hair Arizona Helping Hands Holds Strong for Children and toothbrushes give these children a blanket of safety and security that is often missing in their lives. The Basic Needs Program has provided more than 19,000 foster children with beds, cribs, and protection over the last nine years. Foster children are often forced to sleep on floors, couches, or piles of blankets. Poor sleep affects their physical and mental health and cognitive abilities. It can also contribute to more Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) cases. Through Matson’s donation, we are helping AHH to make a difference in the lives of thousands of children.
“We cannot thank Matson enough for your phenomenal support,” said Bethany Eggleston, director of development. “This morning, a tiny 7-week-old baby boy named Jax came into our resource center with his foster parents to get clothes, diapers, and a crib to call his own. This little boy needs us, and we were able to step up to the plate because of you. This is an example of one child, but please know your gift will give more than 30 children in foster care a crib, sheets, and everything that goes with it. Thank you!”