Instagram story viewer> @home2firstfoundation> Posts

Official Home2First Foundation

@home2firstfoundation

3.3K

followers

83

following

501(c)(3) registered nonprofit
We mentor aspiring youth athletes & provide them with baseball equipment.
@ryanjpenney @landon_penney

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

⚾️🎃 We’re back on the diamond! Join us for the 5th Baseball Skills Clinic on Saturday, October 31, at Balsz Promise Field. Come build your baseball skills and have some fun! 🧢🙌

⏰ Session 1: 9:30–11:00 AM
Kindergarten–4th grade

⏰ Session 2: 11:30 AM–1:00 PM
5th–7th grade

📍 BALSZ Promise Field
1300 N 48th St
Phoenix, AZ 85008

Thank you to Home2First Foundation for bringing baseball fun to our community! ⚾️🦅

WILL YOU BE THERE??!⚾️ by @home2firstfoundation

39

0

2 days ago

We are pumped to be hosting our 5th annual Saguaro High School / Home2First Equipment Drive on Sunday, November 1st! Huge high fives to the awesome leadership of H2F Ambassadors Conner Hansen and Taichi Ebino, who are leading the Saguaro efforts this year. The Saguaro baseball community has been nothing short of awesome in its support of H2F over the years, as these events have yielded some of our largest drives across our seven year history!

Let's keep that momentum going with another successful drive! Clean out your garages, closets, and trucks, and bring your new or gently used baseball equipment to this year's drive on Sunday, November 1st, from 9:00 to 11:00 AM💛

As always, all equipment will be put to great use either in the Dominican Republic or locally with our H2F sponsored and run youth baseball league in East Phoenix (the NJRL, Nike Junior RBI League). This coming year, with generous help and support from the Arizona Diamondbacks, we are set to double the size of the league from four to eight teams, so we will have an even bigger need for equipment! by @home2firstfoundation

21

0

3 days ago

Perhaps Dr. Seuss said it best on the merits and importance of education:

"The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go."

We at H2F couldn't agree more, and we're bringing this conviction to life by making education an important component of our new baseball league in East Phoenix.

More specifically, in the NRJL (Nike Junior RBI League), where we are grateful to partner with the Arizona Diamondbacks, we have two primary education elements. Firstly, we host "baseball practices" where we read baseball related books to reinforce both reading and math skills and have guest speakers share their special and unique baseball journeys. Secondly, each student athlete in the NRJL must complete a "Player Academic Check-Up" bi-monthly that tracks their progress in both their behavior and grades.

All players on our current "Select Team" are actively completing these Check-Ups and we will make this a feature for all players in our upcoming 3rd season, which will commence in mid-January 2027⚾️📚

We believe the end result of these educational efforts will not only be better ballplayers on the field, but better students in the classroom! by @home2firstfoundation

30

2

7 days ago

We’re back on the diamond!

We’re excited to announce our 5th Balsz School District Baseball Skills Clinic on October 31st!

Building on the momentum of our first four clinics and two full seasons of baseball in the Balsz School District, we’re bringing another day of baseball, learning, and fun to the community.

This year’s clinic will feature two sessions:
⚾️ Session 1: K–4th Grade
⚾️ Session 2: 5th–7th Grade

Players will work through the fundamentals of hitting, fielding, and baserunning, while competing, learning, and having plenty of fun along the way. We’ll also be joined by coaches from the D-backs Community Fund and several of our Home2First Ambassadors—some of the best young baseball players in Arizona!

And this clinic is just the beginning.

The October 31st clinic sets the stage for Season #3, beginning in January. Thanks to our partnership with the Arizona Diamondbacks and the incredible generosity of our corporate and individual donors, we’re excited to double the size of the league in 2027, from four teams to eight!

Best of all, the league remains completely FREE for every child.

We’re proud of what we’ve built in Balsz and even more excited about where we’re going🧡

Sign up ASAP! Space is limited and spots will go fast. by @home2firstfoundation

21

0

17 days ago

We are thrilled to report another successful equipment and fundraising drive in partnership with Cold Beers & Cheeseburgers! A special THANK YOU to Tracy Frazier and Will Prichard for their continued support and growing commitment to H2F's mission.

This year's drive brought in over 225 pieces of new and gently used baseball gear, including 45 gloves and 50 bats, alongside a generous $5,000 cash contribution. In total, the drive generated $11,500 in overall value, setting a new annual record for our collaboration!

Every dollar and piece of equipment will directly benefit financially challenged young athletes in the Dominican Republic and locally in Arizona. In East Phoenix, these funds will help expand our free youth baseball league alongside our fantastic partners, the Arizona Diamondbacks.

We are deeply grateful to Cold Beers & Cheeseburgers for their extraordinary partnership! We truly could not do this work without them❤️ by @home2firstfoundation

40

0

20 days ago

A big high five to Joe Maldonado! Joe is the starting center fielder for our NJRL Select team and a 5th grader at Griffith Elementary, where he was recently awarded "Student of the Month" by legendary teacher and coach Darren Hill.

Over the last year, all of our NJRL coaches have watched Joe grow into an incredible ballplayer and a steady team leader. He leads through his hard work and hustle on the field, his encouraging attitude with teammates, and a "team-first," highly coachable mindset.

We at H2F couldn't be prouder to see Joe bring those same winning habits into the classroom. It’s "lead by example" student-athletes like Joe who inspire us to continue growing and scaling the NJRL, making a lasting positive impact on these kids as players, students, sons, brothers, friends, and overall great humans!

Congrats, Joe! Which NJRL student-athlete is next? by @home2firstfoundation

22

2

2 months ago

The Home2First Foundation is thrilled to welcome Mateo Flores to the H2F Ambassador Team! Mateo is a Class of 2028 middle infielder and right handed pitcher at Apollo High School, and we are excited to have him represent our mission of helping kids learn, play, and love the great game of baseball.

His addition is especially special because he was previously coached by our H2F leader, Paul Penney, on the 8U LA Xtreme baseball club in Los Angeles. Back then, Mateo (aka "Jaws") was a scrappy second baseman with a high baseball IQ, playing alongside a hardworking, talented group of teammates. Most of them, like Mateo, are now excelling at the high school level.

Beyond his growth on the field, Mateo is an outstanding young man with a strong moral compass, a deep passion for baseball, and a drive to help those in need, making him an ideal H2F Ambassador. Welcome aboard, Mateo! We are confident you will play a major role in executing our mission and setting a great example for the next generation of ballplayers. by @home2firstfoundation

65

4

2 months ago

DR 2026 🇩🇴🌴⚾️

“The world is full of beautiful places. Let your heart be one of them.”

This quote perfectly sums up our 6th annual Dominican Republic humanitarian trip!
-
Our hearts are full following our return from the DR, where we continued our mission of supporting hundreds of hardworking, passionate, and humble ballplayers. Their deep-rooted love for the game and inspiring work ethic motivate us to push even further next year.
This trip, we distributed around 600 lbs of gear—including over 150 Diamondbacks shirts and jerseys, 85 pairs of cleats, 45 pairs of pants, 85 gloves, and 80 bats—across four academies and little leagues, benefiting kids from ages 5 to 15. The reaction is always the same: pure, heartfelt gratitude for blessings that will be put to great use.

A huge thank you to Jorge Minyety, Samuel Aquino, the Arizona Diamondbacks, and all the Scottsdale Heat families who joined the trip—collectively helping make it a massive success! by @home2firstfoundation

26

5

2 months ago

Winston Churchill famously said, "We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give."

At Home2First, that’s the spirit driving our 5th Annual Cold Beers & Cheeseburgers Donation & Equipment Drive all August long!

Time to clear out those dusty closets and garages! Drop off your new or gently used baseball gear (gloves, bats, cleats, pants, jerseys, catcher’s gear, etc.) at any of the 18 Valley Cold Beers & Cheeseburgers locations.

How your support goes further:
• 💵 1:1 Match: Cold Beers & Cheeseburgers is matching ALL financial donations. Scan the QR code on the tables, check the blue donation boxes, or head to home2first.org.
• 🎟️ Perk for Gear: Donate 2+ items and get a $10 meal voucher as a thank you!

Your support keeps our free East Phoenix baseball league (the NJRL - Nike Junior RBI League) growing strong. With help from the Arizona Diamondbacks, we're doubling our league from 40 to 80 kids next season!

Thank you for helping us make a difference! by @home2firstfoundation

19

0

3 months ago

The Home2First Foundation is thrilled to introduce our newest Ambassador team member! Please join us in welcoming Ian Palumbo to the H2F team. Ian is a 2028 outfielder at Brophy College Preparatory in Phoenix, and we are fired up to have him on board!

While Ian is an outstanding student and a standout on the baseball diamond, what truly attracted us to him was his character and the "men for others" teachings that come from a strong Jesuit school foundation like Brophy's. We are confident that Ian will leverage both his love for the game and his desire to help the less fortunate to support our efforts at Home2First. Ian joins fellow newly appointed ambassador Enzo Divito as one of our two Jesuit-centric student-athlete members.

We are confident that Ian will emerge as a strong community leader and role model within the Brophy College Prep community, as well as throughout the greater Arizona and Dominican Republic baseball communities!

Welcome aboard the H2F Ambassador team, Ian, we are blessed and honored to have you! by @home2firstfoundation

91

8

3 months ago

We're excited to announce Eveyn Carson as our 2026 H2F Scholarship winner🏆

In recognition of his awesome performance both on the field and in the classroom, this rising 7th grader from Champion School South Mountain has been awarded a highly coveted scholarship to play for the Scottsdale Heat travel ball team!

During our second season of the NJRL (Nike Junior RBI League) in East Phoenix, Eveyn emerged as a clear standout. He routinely showcased his talents at the plate and in the field, all while maintaining a humble, hardworking attitude and being an incredibly supportive teammate.
With tons of raw talent and a determination to never quit, Eveyn has a bright future ahead of him. He definitely earned this scholarship, and we cannot wait to see him reach new heights under Coach Jorge Minyety and the Scottsdale Heat staff!

Huge congratulations, Eveyn! We will continue to recognize outstanding student athletes in the years to come as we empower kids to learn, play, and love the great game of baseball. by @home2firstfoundation

40

4

3 months ago

The Home2First Foundation team was deeply honored to coach alongside the Diamondbacks Youth Baseball Academy team at Chase Field!

This incredible clinic brought out over 100 energetic, baseball-loving kids ready to learn and play. Making the day even more unforgettable, D-backs’ All-Star right fielder Corbin Carroll graciously donated his time and passion for the game. Not only did he meet every single young athlete, but he also stepped up to throw batting practice! Seeing a professional ballplayer like Corbin embrace his platform to leave such a profoundly positive impact on the next generation is incredibly inspiring.

For us at H2F, being on the field at Chase Field completely reinvigorated our mission to make tangible strides through our foundation. We are incredibly blessed to partner with the D-backs organization.
Looking ahead, we can’t wait to achieve major milestones in the coming seasons through our newly formed Nike Junior RBI League (NJRL) in partnership with the Balsz School District in east Phoenix! by @home2firstfoundation

46

3

4 months ago