PHOENIX –Family-owned Mexican restaurant Mesquite Fresh Street Mex is once again partnering with The Foster Alliance (formerly Arizona Helping Hands) to spread holiday cheer to the nearly 15,000 foster children living in Arizona through its annual Toys for Tacos gift campaign. The local chain launched the Toys for Tacos fundraiser in 2020, distributing one free taco to customers in exchange for a new, unwrapped toy. Mesquite Fresh Street Mex will assist The Foster Alliance with the toy drive efforts through offering drop-off sites at all nine restaurant locations across the Valley. In 2022, Mesquite Fresh Street Mex gave away nearly 1,000 tacos to patrons who donated gifts, and an estimated 1,200 toys were dropped off.

“Mesquite is so excited to support the magic made possible by The Foster Alliance’s incredible outreach and care for foster children in Arizona and beyond,” said Ahmad Alatrash, co-founder of Mesquite Fresh Street Mex. “It is our hope that the Valley joins us in making this year’s holiday season memorable for kids of all ages.”

The Foster Alliance is dedicated to providing essentials to children in foster care to help them thrive on every step of their journey, no matter where they lay their head at night. The non-profit offers foster families free beds, cribs, diapers, clothes, shoes, back-to-school supplies, toys and more. During the 2022 Holiday season, The Foster Alliance served 7,227 children in foster care and gave almost 40,000 gifts. This year, with the help of organizations like Mesquite Fresh Street Mex, The Foster Alliance’s goal is to provide gifts for all 15,000 foster children in Arizona.

“Toy drives are an opportunity for the community to join us as foster allies,” shared Bethany Eggleston, vice president of development and marketing for The Foster Alliance. “Providing presents for every foster child in Arizona is a lofty goal, but it’s possible if we work together as a community. We can show every single foster child that they matter, are special, and we will not let them forget it.”

This year, The Foster Alliance is seeking gifts for children of all ages, including:

• Sports equipment
• Art supplies
• STEM
• Dolls
• Musical toys
• Board games
• Video games
• Books
• Lego sets
• Sensory toys

Arizonans can also find The Foster Alliance’s Amazon wish list here.

Founded by brothers Nas and Ahmad Alatrash, the Mesquite brand specializes in bringing Mexican street food to neighborhoods across the Valley. The signature custom-built mesquite grill featured at all Mesquite locations uses real mesquite wood chips giving the fresh meats a unique and smoky flavor. The brand focuses on incorporating the highest quality ingredients, prepared fresh daily, into every dish. The menu features authentic street tacos, killer burritos, packed protein bowls, big quesadillas, frescas and family meal kits.

Guests can drop off items at any Mesquite Fresh Street Mex location from now through Dec. 18. To find a location near you, visit https://eatmesquite.com/.

About AR Concepts
AR Concepts owners Nas and Ahmad Alatrash, the creatives behind Mesquite Fresh Street Mex, Speedy Street Tacos, Chickadees Chicken and Fries and Rise & Grind Espresso Bar, seek to elevate the industry standard of ‘grab and go’ cuisine with decidedly untypical brands. Serving up savory soul foods to crisp BBQ salads and drip coffee to sweet energy juices, offerings from AR Concepts suit any lifestyle and taste palette. For more information about the brands, visit https://eatmesquite.com/, https://eatchickadees.com/, and https://rgespresso.com/.

About The Foster Alliance
The mission of The Foster Alliance is to support the foster care community, by providing essentials to benefit children in foster care and to help them thrive on every step of their journey. As Arizona’s largest provider of essential resources, we offer foster care families beds, cribs, clothing, diapers, and personal care items as well as backpacks with school supplies to help children succeed in school and fulfill birthday dreams to help raise self-esteem. Additionally, we provide state-required home safety items to help families become licensed providers by ensuring they can offer a safe home environment. Three words describe The Foster Alliance: compassionate, human, and innovative. To learn more or to become a #FosterAlly, visit http://www.thefosteralliance.org.