When a child is diagnosed with a life-threatening illness, the weight of that moment doesn’t fall on one person. It falls on an entire family. And for too many families here in the Phoenix community, that weight is carried largely alone. Amanda Hope Rainbow Angels (AHRA) exists to change that.
This July, we are proud to spotlight AHRA as Women in Philanthropy‘s Featured Philanthropy of the Month, an organization whose mission reminds us that hope is not just a feeling. It’s something that can be delivered, held, and shared.
The Story Behind the Rainbow
Amanda Hope Rainbow Angels was founded in memory of Amanda Hope, a brave young girl who fought leukemia with courage before passing away at the age of 12. During Amanda’s journey, her family lived through the emotional, financial, and practical challenges that accompany a life-threatening diagnosis, and they saw clearly that families needed more than medical care. They needed someone to walk alongside them.
That experience became a mission. Today, AHRA serves families facing pediatric cancer and other life-threatening illnesses by meeting both their practical and emotional needs, because no family should ever face their journey alone.
What Hope Looks Like on Any Given Day
No two days at Amanda Hope Rainbow Angels look the same, and that’s by design.
On any given morning, the AHRA team might be delivering meals to families at the hospital, processing financial assistance to help a family stay in their home, or shipping Comfycozy’s for Chemo apparel, a line of soft, functional clothing designed for Warriors in treatment. By afternoon, a parent might be attending a counseling session while volunteers across the Valley assemble care packages for newly diagnosed families.
One story in particular captures the heart of what AHRA does every day. A single mother of two young daughters found her world turned upside down when her child received a pediatric cancer diagnosis. Beyond the emotional toll of watching her child fight for their life, she was falling behind on rent, utilities, and basic expenses after missing work to stay at her child’s side. Through AHRA, she received financial assistance, meals, counseling, and consistent support so she could focus on what mattered most: being present.
Months later, she shared this: knowing someone was walking beside her gave her the strength to keep going.
That is what hope in action looks like.
How You Can Be Part of It
There are so many meaningful ways for WIP members and the broader Phoenix community to show up for Amanda Hope Rainbow Angels, and every act of support makes a difference.
Volunteer: From preparing meals and assembling care packages to supporting events and walking alongside Warrior families, there is a role for everyone who wants to give their time.
Give: Financial support allows AHRA to provide counseling, financial assistance, meals, and year-round programming at no cost to the families they serve. Every dollar goes directly toward delivering hope.
Partner. Businesses can engage through sponsorships, workplace giving, the My Company Cares program, or employee volunteer opportunities, all meaningful ways to deepen community investment.
Spread the word. Sometimes the simplest act carries the most power. Every introduction, conversation, and social media share helps connect more families to the resources and community they need.
What This Recognition Means
When we asked AHRA what it means to be recognized by Women in Philanthropy, their response was deeply moving.
Women have always been at the heart of Amanda Hope Rainbow Angels, as founders, volunteers, donors, advocates, and caregivers. To be celebrated by a community of women who believe that investing in people changes lives reflects a shared commitment to strengthening our community through compassion, generosity, and service.
We couldn’t agree more. At WIP, we believe that when women invest together, impact multiplies. And organizations like Amanda Hope Rainbow Angels show us exactly what that impact looks like on the ground, in the hospitals, in the homes, and in the hearts of PHX families who need hope most.