Respond quickly
Provide timely, short-term relief when an urgent crisis places a family at risk.
About Above The Ashes
Built from service.
Moved by compassion.
We help first responders, educators, and their families regain stability when life changes without warning.
Why we exist
No one who serves a community should face crisis alone.
Above The Ashes is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded by the Bearden Family Foundation.
After decades spent serving alongside firefighters, paramedics, and educators, Cory and Tisha Bearden saw how quickly illness, injury, or housing loss could overwhelm a family. They created Above The Ashes to ensure practical support arrives at the moment it can make the greatest difference.
HopeRenewalRestoration
Meet the founders
Experience shaped the mission.
01Co-Founder · Retired Fire Lieutenant & Paramedic
Cory Bearden
Cory served more than 25 years in the fire service, retiring from one of Arlington’s busiest districts. Throughout his career, he witnessed how quickly a personal crisis could overwhelm even the most prepared families.
Those experiences inspired a mission rooted in compassion: helping the people who protect our communities rise above life’s most unexpected challenges.
02Co-Founder · Public-School Educator
Tisha Bearden
With more than 23 years in public education, Tisha understands the pressures educators and their families experience when life shifts without warning.
Her empathy and determination help ensure assistance is delivered with dignity, care, and an understanding of what families truly need to begin rebuilding.
Our mission
Stabilize today.
Rebuild tomorrow.
Meet real needs
Help cover housing, food, childcare, clothing, and medical expenses.
Restore stability
Give families breathing room to recover and take their next step forward.
Who we stand behind
Service takes many forms.
Firefighters
Stabilization during injury, illness, or unexpected loss.
Police Officers
Practical assistance for officers and their families in hardship.
EMS Personnel
Care and relief for the people who care for everyone else.
Educators
Support for teachers and school professionals facing crisis.
Above The Ashes
Trophy Club, Texas 76262
817-538-2735cory@abovetheashes.org501(c)(3) public charity · EIN 39-4714770Stand with those who serve
Help a family
rise again.
Your generosity becomes stability when it is needed most.
Donate today ↗