Outfitters 4 Hope

Outfitters for Hope is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a primary mission to serve children with life threatening illness and the children of fallen heroes. O4H provides hunting and fishing trips for youth under the age of 18 to bring encouragement in the midst of various physical and emotional traumas. We recognize both the healing value, and power of Hope that can’t be packaged, it has to be experienced.

Outfitters for Hope was founded after a 13-year journey of firsthand experience outfitting hunts for children with life threatening illnesses. Through the years we have been witness to the simple fact that the need far exceeds the resources. Following much deliberation and prayer, O4H was born. Each child, each parent and their unbelievable testimonies have left a lifelong impact on all of us. As a result, the DNA of our organization has been woven with conviction, passion, and a testimony of Hope beyond one’s current struggles. Our focus is on the opportunity to minister and aid in the healing process of each individual child. Through mountain highs and valley lows, we have watched the impact that these trips have on kids. We are not setting out to re-create the wheel…. just to make sure it keeps rolling in the right direction, ensuring every child has the opportunity to fulfill their dreams and keep Hope alive.

We define life-threatening illness as “Any progressive, degenerative or malignant disease or condition, resulting in a significant threat, likelihood or certainty that the child’s life expectancy will not extend past his/her 19th birthday unless the course of the disease is interrupted or otherwise abated.” Following application, the child’s attending physician makes the determination of whether a child has a qualifying life-threatening illness.

Through our personal experience, and that of other like-minded organizations, we have seen powerful testimonies from “fallen heroes”. We define fallen heroes as “Military veterans, firefighters, law enforcement officers, and EMS providers who have become disabled (acquiring permanent physical impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities requiring the assistance of another person or mechanical device for physical mobility) or whom have paid the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty.” Sportsmanship is a powerful heritage that weaves together countless values, which are often passed down from generation to generation. When tragedy strikes a parent, sometimes the ability to pass the torch to their children can fall by the wayside. Outfitters for Hope is here to pickup that torch and pay honor and respect to those fallen heroes. It is our aim to provide opportunities so that a family passion can be passed on and to show our gratitude for the sacrifices made by our nations heroes.

Outfitters for Hope was founded in Idaho, and as a result of our regional resources, Western style big game hunts are our specialty. We are strong supporters of public lands and spend much of our time utilizing these amazing resources. We are very fortunate to also partner with many extremely gracious private landowners. These partnerships allow access that is often only available to the children that we serve. While hunting and fishing don’t carry a guarantee of success, through hard work, determination, and the faith to move mountains, our harvest rates speak for themselves. We want to place emphasis here that our measuring stick of success runs much deeper than that of simply a catch or kill. The focus is on providing a child with the individualized attention that they deserve and taking their mind off the struggles they have endured. We want them to be overwhelmed by the servant heart of our volunteers and feel valued and honored, especially in the midst of their circumstances of life. As a volunteer operated nonprofit outfitter, our courageous children will never be in competition with paying clients or take a back seat to any alternate agenda. The guarantee we do provide is that the experience is life changing for everyone involved.

If you or someone you know would be blessed by the opportunity to be served by Outfitters for Hope, please contact us. Applications can be found online and we welcome questions directed through our website, Facebook, or Instagram. If you are a non-profit organization that would like to partner with Outfitters for Hope, we would love to speak with you. As a standalone nonprofit outfitter, we have the unique opportunity to partner with other amazing organizations with similar ideals and missions thus creating a vast network of resources to exponentially extend the cause. We all seek to serve with similar hearts, and as such, it is with humility and professionalism that we’re honored to join forces and cooperatively change the lives of others. Ego’s, personal agendas, and prideful demands for recognition are not what we’re about. We’re in this for the children and the parents that have endured all too much. When we all come together and assist in sharing that burden, Faith and Hope can thrive!