The Foster Care Closet (fostercarecloset.org) is focused on meeting the basic needs of youth in foster care. We headquarter out of Lincoln but serve the state of Nebraska. Our innovative approach in using our mobile closet to travel across the state stretching from Scottsbluff to Lincoln, Grand Island, Kearney and North Platte to Norfolk allows us to go to where the children are living and serve right in their own community. When a youth shops with us they get a full wardrobe of clothing. We’re setting them up for success right from the start. However, we don’t stop there, we continue to support our youth in care for the duration of their foster care journey. We are in the communities serving twice a year with seasonal clothing.
Foster Care Closet was founded by a former foster child. Experience is the best teacher. Understanding how a child emotionally feels during their foster care journey is something Leigh gets because she’s lived it. Being able to see how a foster youth’s basic needs are often one of the last things checked off the list and comprehending how vulnerable that child is drives the work of the Foster Care Closet. To have the honor of standing in the gap between the unknown and setting a child up for success is not one taken lightly. Believing that the child should have their voice heard in the process is another example of how the Foster Care Closet focuses on meeting the needs of the children. To give them the opportunity to pick out their own clothing, offering many different brands and styles and restoring dignity through quality fashion-forward options helps youth feel in control of their next steps as well as reassures them they will show up fitting in with their peers.
We are passionate about restoring dignity to youth in crisis. We focus on providing an environment that is organized, clean and spacious for our families to feel welcomed and comfortable shopping in. We serve only youth in care and we do so through private shopping events. We pull together as a team, each valuing the many gifts and talents of others. We take responsibility in the quality of our service from interacting with our youth and families as well as making sure we have fashion-forward clothing with several options available to choose from. We believe that dignity is a core value that everyone should be treated with and reminded they have.
The Foster Care Closet is in year 19 of serving Nebraska’s foster youth. Each year we have spent time learning from past mistakes and honing in on what we are best at: Understanding the foster care community and how best to serve them with excellence. Like any business, there have been growth periods and opportunities to take a breath instead of a leap. I also believe that when you surround yourself with like-minded people who get to see you at your worst they cheer you on and push you to become your best. So in the end, growing a business is about so much more than numbers, it is about the immeasurable.
For more information visit fostercarecloset.org