Ever since signing with the Astros in January 2024, Josh Hader has launched into community work and alongside his wife, Maria, is making his mark in greater Houston.

During the 2024 season, Josh and Maria began the Hader’s Heart program. Through the monthly initiative, which has continued in 2025, the Haders partner with BEAR (Be A Resource) Houston and Covenant House to invite children under the care of Child Protective Services and at-risk youth to attend an Astros home game. Not only do the Hader’s Heart participants enjoy a game in a suite, but they also go down on the field for batting practice to meet and interact with Josh and his teammates. The way that Josh shows up for the Hader’s Heart kids and young adults is incredible, as he routinely spends more than an hour with the Hader’s Heart participants. During pregame, Josh interacts with them through playing catch, having long conversations, getting to know them, talking baseball, letting the kids decorate his cleats and more. He truly makes them feel seen and special.

The two Houston-based nonprofits that the Haders have chosen to support are BEAR and Covenant House. Hader’s Heart rotates between hosting one of the two organizations each month. BEAR works with at-risk and CPS-involved children and their caretakers in the greater Houston area. Covenant House works with young adults who have aged out of the foster care system and are overlooked and at risk for homelessness.

In June 2025, Josh and Maria hosted their first Uncork for a Cause event, a dinner of great wine, food and friends to benefit BEAR and Covenant House Texas. The event was well attended by his teammates, manager, pitching coaches and team owner. The support of his teammates showcases the respect they have for him as a leader both in the clubhouse and the community.

In addition to the monthly Hader’s Heart visits during the season, Josh and Maria planned and hosted a Toy Drive in December 2024. More than 300 toys were collected and donated to BEAR at their Christmas party. The Haders didn’t just donate, however; they were special guests at BEAR’s Christmas party, interacting with the kids, families and caregivers, spreading holiday cheer beyond gifts.

Josh also helped raise money for BEAR and Covenant House in September 2024, when he teamed up with two of his teammates to host a Team Up event. All the proceeds from the evening event went to charities of choice for the three Astros players.

Helping kids is not a new passion for Josh, as it is something he and Maria have supported in previous stops in San Diego and Milwaukee.

In San Diego, Hader hosted fundraisers for and visited the Monarch School Project, a nonprofit public-private school serving unhoused youth and their families in partnership with the San Diego County Office of Education.

In Milwaukee, Hader hosted kids in partnership with Camp Hometown Heroes, a week-long camp for families who have lost service members in active duty. He sold T-shirts to help fund scholarships for kids to go to camp, while also visiting the camp himself with his teammates for a day of activities.

The passion to support children comes from Hader’s mindset that children don’t have control over the battles they go through. Because of that, Hader hopes to provide new experiences for kids and get them to see things beyond their circumstances, inspiring them to reach for more.

With Houston as Josh Hader’s long-term home, he and Maria plan to continue to grow Hader’s Heart and the way they show up in the community, continuing to provide different and unique experiences for kids and young adults in Houston.