The end of the pandemic means no masks and a return to normalcy for some ... but for DeAndre Hopkins -- he tells TMZ Sports it's an opportunity to help thousands in his new hometown.
The NFL superstar couldn't do as much charity work in Arizona after being traded to the Cardinals in 2020 due to the coronavirus ... but he says he's hopeful that'll all change as we enter a post-COVID world.
"My mom and I, we're about to get into the community," Hopkins said out at LAX. "You know, it was COVID, so we really couldn't do much."
It's spectacular news for Arizonians ... 'cause, if you're unfamiliar, Hopkins and his mom, Sabrina Greenlee, have an amazing charity called S.M.O.O.O.T.H.
It was established to help women who have been affected by domestic violence.
Hopkins has been very active when it comes to raising funds for it all ... he even helped create a line of breakfast cereal this year to try to get more cash flow into the company.
Hopkins clearly wants to see it thrive in the desert, telling us, "We're in Houston right now, but trying to touch the Arizona market."
"But, just trying to weigh out and see what we can do right now."