Astros All-Star Josh Hader fosters giving spirit
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Perla Paredes Hernández, Contributor
- September 17, 2025
Josh Hader named Astros’ Roberto Clemente Award nominee
HOUSTON – When Astros closer Josh Hader was a child, his family would drive from Maryland to Delaware to visit his grandparents, who for more than 40 years opened their home to foster children.
“I know my grandfather, and his biggest thing was giving people the opportunity to strive in life, and that’s what my grandparents were able to do,” Hader said. “The impact that they had on kids growing up impacted me, just seeing how much they could help.”
Memories of those visits stayed with him. Now the All-Star closer and his wife Maria have carried that example into their own lives in Houston. They launched the Hader’s Heart program, which focusing on children in the foster care system and young adults transitioning out of foster car.
Hader’s Heart held its first event on July 30, 2024, a few months after Hader joined the Astros via free agency. Hader’s charitable work has been recognized by the Astros and Major League Baseball.
Hader is the Astros’ nominee for the 2025 Roberto Clemente Award, one of MLB’s most prestigious individual honors. Hader was recognized for his efforts on and off the field.
‘An honor’
“It’s an honor to even get nominated, to be a part of something and someone that has done special things for baseball and for the community,” Hader said. “For us here in Houston, my wife and I have been able to help out foster care kids and kids that are coming out of foster care as young adults.”
The program partners monthly with BEAR (Be A Resource) Houston to bring children under Child Protective Services and at-risk youth to Astros home games. The Haders also support Covenant House Texas, which helps young adults who have aged out of foster care.
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“When I found out that our hero, Josh Hader, was nominated we just went crazy because there is nobody more deserving than Josh,” said Felicia Broussard, who runs Covenant House Texas. “He has a compassionate heart. He’s a leader not only on the field but off the field. And I think that’s even more important.”
Hader, 31, credits his wife Maria. He says he and Maria are passionate about helping foster kids.
John Hader learned from grandparents
As a child, Hader saw foster children often when visiting his grandparents, who housed foster children for more than 40 years. He grew up with foster kids around his family, so he interacted with them often.
“Just being able to give back to Houston any way we could was very important to us when we came,” he said. ““Foster care only goes to 18. So once they are out of that, they don’t really have an outlet.
“And if they don’t get the tools to go out on their own, they are kind of stuck. So Covenant House was such a huge opportunity for us to shine a light on what they are doing for these young adults and just giving them the opportunity to better their lives in any way they can.”
Covenant House Texas helps young adults who have aged out of the foster care system.
“Covenant House Texas is an organization that provides shelter, hope and unconditional love to youth ages 18 to 24, moving them from a state of trauma and risk of living unsheltered in Houston to self-sustaining, self-sufficiency and economic mobility to young adults,” Broussard said.
MLB honors Clemente annually on Sept. 15 by having players wear a No. “21” patch, representing the number the so-called Great One wore during his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates, to commemorate the Puerto Rican star who died while trying to deliver relief supplies to Nicaragua after a massive earthquake.
At Daikin Park, Astros manager Joe Espada arrived for his pregame media session wearing a gray shirt with a distressed print of Clemente’s batting stance, the Puerto Rican flag forming his bat. Espada began by praising Hader.
’Proud to be his manager’
“What (Josh) does in the community is impressive and impactful. His wife and he are in the city doing numerous activities, trying to help the members of our community, and I am proud to be his manager,” Espada said. “There is no better nominee than Josh Hader.”
Espada said Hader’s work reflects what Clemente represented, something Espada’s own father instilled in him growing up in Puerto Rico.
Broussard makes the case that Hader’s work in the community “strengthens him as a player.”
“We ought to be proud of what he has done for this community, what he’s doing for young people, and what he’s doing to make sure those most in need and most vulnerable in Houston have an opportunity to thrive as young adults,” she said. “We’re so grateful to him. He has changed the trajectory for hundreds of young people, all with his compassionate heart and his generosity. Thank you, Josh Hader.”
Perla Paredes Hernández
Contributor
Perla Paredes Hernández, a recent graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, worked at The Daily Texan for two years, covering women’s golf, men’s tennis, football, soccer, volleyball and beach volleyball. She served as social media coordinator for Texas Student Television’s sports department, where she hosted shows, provided analysis across nearly every Texas sport, and took on off-camera roles such as stage manager and assistant director.
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