The Foster Care Clothing Closet Inc. is a 501c3 started in the fall of 2015 to meet a need in the foster community.
As a newly licensed foster mom, Jennifer Gray received a call to bring home a three week old little boy. He came with one bottle that had a medium flow nipple and little else. At that moment she realized this was the norm, not the exception and reached out to friends and family to help her fill a “closet.”
She intended to keep items in her home to help these children have things of their own carried in a piece of luggage that was not a trash bag. Joy McKnight felt God was placing this on her heart! In one week, with the community’s clothing and supply donations and the generosity of realtor, John Jebaily with office space, they were filling 1811 S. Irby Street, Suite 107 to meet the needs of foster children in 9 counties!
The community consistently rallies around these children and provides comfort for them at a time when they are scared and uncertain! A family no longer has to take a vulnerable child and go “shop” for the items needed around town, they can swing by the closet, grab a duffle caringly packed for that specific child of everything needed and head straight home.
If the child is older, we put an emphasis on them picking pieces that they feel comfortable in, feel stylish in, and are pleased to own! It is our heart that they feel loved and valued by their community and break the cycle that many find themselves in!
The closet operates with one incredible part time staff member! Kristin deKoster is there M-F to sort ALL donations that come in from the community, to process distributions for these children, to work with volunteers, to manage donor info, foster family info and community relations by regularly updating our Facebook community online!
We process approximately 480 distributions each year to children going into foster care and that number has increased so far in 2024! We would love your prayer and support! If you feel led to give monthly to ensure that we are able to answer each call, we promise to be wise stewards of your funds and work to stretch every dollar donated!
