History

In 2025, when I was 13 and in 8th grade, I joined the Heroes Honor Foundation. My brother Jahan, who founded HHF, was a senior getting ready to graduate, and he didn't want five years of work to stop when he left. That fall, he started teaching me how to run the foundation, from advertising the candy collection to sorting and packaging donations.

While working together, we talked a lot about why HHF started in the first place. Our uncle served in the US Marine Corps, and when he told us about the hardships and late nights that come with it, we realized that those deployed, especially overseas, spend Halloween far from home and don't always get the appreciation they deserve. This is what HHF’s purpose is. We take in surplus candy from Halloween in the surrounding areas, and we sort and package it to be sent over to troops and first responders, with our partner Operation Gratitude. 

Our 2025 candy drive brought in 245 pounds of candy, and since 2020, HHF has donated over 1,700 pounds in total. Each year, we partner with schools around Austin to help kids raise awareness and get involved. We set up donation bins at our partner schools, which now include Cedar Valley Middle School, Patsy Sommer Elementary, and Round Rock High School.

Now that I'm taking over as president, I'm excited to keep this going and make it even bigger. Our team is growing to four officers, and we are working to reach more schools and neighborhoods than ever before. Thank you to Jahan for building this foundation and trusting me with it, and to everyone who has donated candy, written letters, or helped spread the word. Follow us on Instagram at @heroes.honor.foundation to stay updated on this year's candy drive!

- Deven Hafiz, President and Co-Founder