From a Guest Room to a Greater Vision: The Story of AZFH
“Reaching the lost, one soul at a time.”
AZFH didn’t begin with a building or budget. It began with two introverted hearts—moved by compassion and a calling to serve. We’re not businesspeople. We’re just people who see the suffering of others, and it breaks our hearts. With limited resources but limitless faith, we set out to help the lost and struggling in our community.
Over the years, we’ve volunteered with organizations like Keys to Change and Midwest Food Bank, where we gained firsthand insight into the growing needs around us. These experiences only deepened our commitment to serve.
As we served the homeless, our hearts grew for the lost and broken. We became eyewitnesses to their suffering and listened to the stories of this ever-growing community. We quickly learned that homelessness could happen to anyone—it only takes one emergency, one job loss, the death of a supportive loved one, or the grip of addiction to spiral someone into crisis. We saw firsthand the lack of resources, shelter options, and affordable housing, and it opened our eyes to just how fragile stability can be. These experiences shaped our mission and deepened our resolve to be a source of hope and restoration.
Today, our guest room stores food for families in need. Our garage holds water and beverages. A rented 10×15 storage unit and our personal RV serve as our makeshift warehouse. Every delivery, every act of service, is powered by our own vehicles and our own hands.
We are grassroots in every sense of the word—but our vision is anything but small.
Our Goals
- An Outreach Van – to expand our reach and serve more people with dignity and consistency.
- A Central Warehouse – to organize, store, and distribute resources more effectively, and to provide a safe, welcoming space for volunteers.
- Affordable Housing with Purpose – a community that offers shelter, jobs through a pallet resell store, an onsite food pantry, and a support system that uplifts everyone it touches.
We are a faith-based movement, and we believe that no one is beyond redemption. What was once lost can be restored. We aim to offer more than food or water—we want to offer hope and healing.
Meet the Founders: James & Tammy Paynter
AZFH was founded in 2021 by James and Tammy Paynter, a couple who retired early from corporate life to dedicate themselves to service.
James Paynter retired after 29 years with the City of Mesa, where he supervised a team of mechanics maintaining police and city vehicles. He held multiple ASE certifications and ensured the safety of countless public servants.
Tammy Paynter is a retired insurance professional and Certified Service Representative. She also served in the accounting department at Midwest Food Bank, managing inventory and GIK values for incoming donations.
Their journey into service began in 2014 at a local church, where they volunteered at the Manna Food Pantry and participated in weekly homeless outreach. James maintained the pantry’s box truck and handled donation pickups, while Tammy was asked to manage the volunteer team responsible for data entry and donation reporting, ensuring compliance with GIK donor requirements.
When the pantry closed and the pandemic hit, the Paynter’s didn’t stop. They saw the growing need and knew they had to act. With no funding—only faith and their retirement savings—they founded AZFH as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit to continue serving the homeless and food insecure during the crisis.
Tammy’s volunteer work at Midwest Food Bank further strengthened their mission. She joined just before the Gilbert, AZ location officially opened, helping manage outgoing inventory and later overseeing incoming donations—assigning GIK values and entering them into the system. During the pandemic, her role expanded to 30–40 hours per week as the need for food skyrocketed across Arizona.
Despite the challenges, the Paynter’s pressed on—self-funding operations, storing supplies, and using their personal vehicles for procurement and community outreach, delivering hope one soul at a time.
AZFH Timeline
- 2014 – Began volunteering at Manna Food Pantry and homeless outreach.
- 2021 – Founded AZFH as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
- Present – Operating grassroots outreach with growing community support.
Moving Forward with Community Support
AZFH has since received several community grants from Walmart after becoming a Spark Good Charity member. These grants have helped us continue our mission and expand our reach. We are hopeful and excited about future funding opportunities as we work toward our short-term goal of obtaining an outreach van.
We’ve also had very successful heat relief drives over the past three years. Our first drive was organized with the help of a local real estate agent, who advertised and collected over 10,000 bottles of water at his office. That success inspired us to transition to virtual water drives in 2024 and 2025, allowing us to expand our impact by not only supplying life-saving water but also other essential heat relief supplies like sunscreen, lip balm, cooling towels, and more.
To further support our community, AZFH became a Social Service Transit Provider, enabling us to distribute transit tickets to our unsheltered neighbors. These tickets help individuals travel to treatment facilities, heat relief stations, shelters, food services, and—most importantly—to their jobs.
A Powerful Partnership: Robert Craig Films & The Big 5 Giveback
AZFH is honored to be a partner of Robert Craig Films through their Big 5 Giveback initiative. This powerful collaboration is part of the No Address Movement, which uses storytelling to raise awareness and inspire action around homelessness.
The Big 5 includes:
- No Address – A feature film about a group of people experiencing homelessness who form a family while navigating life on the streets.
- Americans With No Address – A documentary featuring interviews with nonprofit leaders, politicians, and individuals experiencing homelessness.
- No Address Novel – Written by New York Times bestselling author Ken Abraham.
- Educational Curriculum – A church and community study guide to help people better understand and serve the homeless.
- Music Soundtrack – Created in partnership with Grammy-winning artists to amplify the message through music.
50% of the net profits from these productions will be donated to nonprofit partners like AZFH. We are hopeful that when this funding is released, it will help propel our vision forward—whether through securing a warehouse or launching our affordable housing project to provide long-term solutions for those in need.
Personal Reflections
“We didn’t have much, but we had love, faith, and a desire to serve. That was enough to start.” – Tammy Paynter
“Every person we meet reminds us why this work matters.” – James Paynter
Voices from the Community
“I am grateful for the food and medical supplies. The volunteers are very positive and show concern for others. Their help and love are real.” – Sean G.
“The food and supplies received are so helpful, especially as I struggle with low income and providing basic needs for my family.” – Sarah B.
“The food and other items given free of charge are very helpful to myself and my son. Ms. Tammy & Mr. Curtis are very sweet & amazing people who work very hard to provide for my needs and those of my community.” – Jackie B.
“The AZFH volunteers cared for me. I appreciate the time and conversations that provide hope.” – Kris C.
“I need a place to live that I can afford. As I do not have kids, I don’t qualify for rental assistance, so the food and supplies are helping me stay housed.” – Karen
“I appreciate the socks and other supplies and food and the love the volunteers show me. They remind me that I am seen and that I matter, and it helps with my suffering. The homeless just need housing so they can have a chance. I need housing to make sobriety a reality.” – Brendon