about arizona
hygiene for hope
Mission
Arizona Hygiene for Hope is committed to honoring our homeless, and our veterans. We encourage and empower individuals and motivate families to prosper by providing hygiene products and basic essentials.
Honor – To instill honesty and integrity in one’s beliefs and actions
Empower – To inspire individuals with confidence through mentoring and support
Motivate – To ignite one’s heart with the passion to take action
Prosper – To enable strength and success in all areas of life
HISTORY
The H.E.M.P. Legacy Foundation was started to HONER every individual as they are right now, regardless of their past. We EMPOWER individuals to grow and MOTIVATE them to strive to be the self-sufficient person that they were born to be. By doing this, we believe that everyone PROSPERS.
Doug and Heidi Hemp started the H.E.M.P. Legacy Foundation in 2010 with a group of volunteers who came together to do a Christmas dinner. The goal of the dinner was to support men, women and families who had been touched by the epidemic of drug and alcohol abuse. The first program had just over 300 individuals and families and served close to 900 meals. It was at this time that homeless started showing up and from that moment on they realized how addiction played a large role in homelessness. In addition to the meals those in need were given sample sized hygiene items, used clothing and new socks. All this was accomplished with the help of 25 friends, family members and neighbors.
Since 2010, the program has grown. This last Christmas program, (now Christmas with a Cause) served just over 10,000 men, women and families and welcomed thousands of homeless individuals. We received referrals from churches, school nurses, fire departments and from local police.
We have also helped rehabilitation centers, sober houses, battered women's shelters, previously sex-trafficked individuals, Veterans, 18-25 year olds who have fostered out of the foster care system, prisoners who have been released and are now starting a new life, as well as many, many families struggling from loss of jobs due to Covid. This staggering number includes just over 2500 children!
Many individuals have experienced the issue of addiction or life challenges that leave them in need of a helping hand. From the addict struggling with finding a road to recover, to a single parent struggling to feed children, to a veteran trying to rebuild his life, to a homeless man, woman, teen or child, to a pregnant woman with no one to lean on, all are in need of some level of support. Our goal is to be that helping hand to lift a struggling soul.
The H.E.M.P. Legacy Foundation is funded and supported by an amazing group of donors, volunteers and local businesses, who share our passion for serving the poor and suffering in our community. We work to form strong partnerships with local organizations that serve this population as well, in order to form a network of support; partnering with them to create custom outreach programs, opening the door for education, empowerment, prosperity.
Today this grassroots organization is growing and flourishing. Many share our passion for serving others. We are now Arizona Hygiene for Hope (AHH). We retain the same level of dedication and yet as an organization it is time to evolve. We look forward to the future of our organization and the multitude of lives we will help to empower.
