Arizona helping hands moves into new facility

PHOENIX, Ariz. (KSAZ) - Arizona helping hands has been helping tens of thousands of children in foster care since 1998. Now, after moving into a new facility, they plan to help even more.

Toiletries, tooth brushes, hygiene products, some of the basic needs foster parents can pick up at Helping Hands for free.

"It is really tough being a foster parent, so knowing that a group like this is here is a huge because you never know when you need a hug until you get it and this group is always that way," said Kim.

That hug, the support offered by the non-profit doesn't come with a price tag, but it's worth goes beyond saying.

"Last year for Christmas we had seven kids, I stay home and my husband works, so it's a lot to provide for Christmas," said Melissa Tracy.

Melissa Tracy has fostered 10 kids, recently adopting three.

"It's not really about the stuff, I spent a lot of time being there for the kids taking them to school taking them to their appointments supporting them, so when I don't have to worry about the other stuff it gives us more time to just be with them," says Tracy.

This past Friday, Arizona helping hands moved into the Diane & Bruce Halle Foster Family Resource Center. This 18,000 square foot facility will become the new home for a 20-year-old homegrown charity.

"The concept is families have so many other things on their plate between all the social work appointments, the medical appointments, the therapy appointments, taking these kids to school, all these other pieces that fall on their plate to help these children out," said Dan Shufelt with Arizona Helping Hands.

Dan Shufelt, President and CEO of Arizona Helping Hands, says in addition to providing beds and cribs--3,000 were given away this year alone--birthday kits and Christmas presents, the new facility will also house a community room and offer parenting and connection classes.

"The cool thing about Arizona Helping Hands it's an opportunity for the community to work as a whole," sid Tracy. "A lot of people say I can never do what you do, I always say that's ok, places like Arizona Helping Hands you can come and you can donate items that come straight into our homes and like I said be able to meet the kids' needs and we can all be part of the process to support the kids."

Community is what this non-profit is all about. That's because Arizona Helping Hands does not receive any government funding and relies solely on donations.

Their new facility is located on Thunderbird Road near State Route 51.