Main aim of the charity

Each and every one of our guests will walk out of the event with not only supplies necessary for life - but a feeling of being loved, supported, and cared for. Our guests will leave the Hope Festival with the renewed mindset that there really is good in the world. Simply said: each and every one of our guests will discover a newfound sense of hope. More info about Hope Fest: The Hope Festival is an event that serves individuals experiencing poverty/homelessness across the Eastside. Hopefest not only provides over 1,000 guests with free groceries, clothes, hygiene items, and books; but also offers clients free services such as haircuts, massages, entertainment, and much more. Our guests' connections made with local agencies and community organizations at the event last far beyond the single-day event. Hopefest is planned and executed by local high school students, and with the powerful partnership of local businesses and nonprofits, we change lives every year. Hopefest 2018 was our biggest event yet. On March 3rd 2018, more than 300 volunteers came together to serve 1,066 individuals experiencing poverty/homelessness in King County. 484 kids received free toys, 61 haircuts were given, 12 people received free dental care, and 2,400+ pounds of leftover food was donated to local food banks. From 2014-2018, we've served more than 6,500 in-need individuals, partnered with 200 organizations, raised more than $35,000 in grants and sponsorships, donated 18,000 pounds of clothing & books plus 3,000 pounds of food to local organizations, and involved more than 1,400 volunteers.

How the employee got involved and why

On my recent trip to Ecuador with DHL and Me to We Organization, I had the pleasure to meet Tyler, one of the winners of the DHL Youth Volunteer Fellowship Awards, also Founder of the HopeFest in Seattle. We both share a passion of giving a hand up to people in homeless situation.

What work does the employee do for charity?

I will be working with Tyler in the next HopeFest, however what he’s been doing already is extraordinary! And most important, he is already part of the DHL Family. Tyler has been organizing HopeFest for 4 years now and he's only 19 years old! This HopeFest brings together many sponsors that provide food, clothing, and even medical care, HopeFest is a day for homeless families /individuals to feel special again, to be seen and to be heard, something that most of us take as granted, but that sadly they don't get to experience very often.