For many foster parents in the East Valley, it’s a struggle to provide the children in their care with clothing. State subsidies to foster families are low and usually inadequate to meet the monthly clothing needs of growing kids. So a few years ago, Mesa United Way opened Helen’s Hope Chest, 415 N. Pasadena, a free clothing boutique for children in foster care.

The amount of money the state of Arizona pays for a foster child's basic needs is never enough, so the Mesa United Way operates Helen's Hope Chest to fill in the gaps with free clothing, school supplies, books and toys. The public is invited to an open house at the facility, 415 N. Pasadena, from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday.

United Way officials broke the seal on a new "store" chock full of free stuff for foster children and the families that raise them.

May 10 was a red-letter day for Helen’s Hope Chest, thanks to a donation from Valley charity Season for Sharing and 14 volunteers from Keller Williams Realty who participated in the company’s annual RED (Renew, Energize, Donate) Day at the clothing closet for foster children. The workers took a small mountain of laundry to local laundromats and installed plumbing and electrical for a new commercial washer and dryer purchased with the donation.

For foster children in the East Valley, a new set of school clothes, or even an extra toy, is that much closer to a reality. In light of state funding cuts affecting foster children, Mesa United Way officials started a program called Helen's Hope Chest - set to officially open Saturday - aimed at helping to pair those children with needed supplies at no cost.

Make the holidays brighter for a foster child and see your contribution increased.

Though Helen's Hope Chest provides basic needs for foster children, such as clothing, school supplies, books and toys, sometimes it's a personal touch that makes a big impact.

The Foothills Women's Club of Ahwatukee has made Christmas a little brighter for teens in foster care through Helen's Hope Chest.

Helen’s Hope Chest, Mesa United Way’s clothing bank for foster children, needs your help to restock for back-to-school season. There are two ways to help:

Helen's Hope Chest, a clothing, toy and book bank for foster children throughout the south East Valley, has launched its holiday gift drive, according to a news release. New toys, games, books, stuffed animals and gift cards are being sought for more than 1,000 children served by the agency, which is operated by Mesa United Way.

Last June 5, 17-year-old Mesa High School student JaKelle Michelle Westergard lost a three-month battle with a baffling lung ailment.

Dozens of volunteers showed up at Helen's Hope Chest in Mesa on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Jan. 16, to sort thousands of garments and spruce up the clothing bank for foster children.

Mesa Mayor Scott Smith joined six other Arizona mayors and about 1,700 around the U.S. Tuesday for the Mayor’s Day of National Recognition to honor the deeds of community volunteers locally and across the nation.

Mesa United Way hopes you'll cool off at the mall with Mrs. Claus on Thursday while helping kids in need.