Our Story
A group of stay-at-home moms were having a playdate when they started talking about foster children. One mom, Kimberly, had previously fostered 7 different children and explained the stress of providing all the essential items when a child came into their care. “You get a call at 10pm that a 10 year-old boy is on his way to your house. You run to the store to get pajamas, underwear and socks for the night then you spend the next few days trying to get everything he will need.” Another mom, Megan, asked, “Isn’t there an organization that can give you free clothes and shoes since they are for foster children?”
And so our journey began.
What we discovered was that no such organization existed in our area. Sensing the growing need, Fostering Hope Clothes Closet was born in 2016. A local church donated space and volunteers started collecting gently used clothes from the community. When we received so many items, we decided to branch out and help local domestic violence shelters, schools and families in need. Now companies across the country are beginning to provide new clothing for these families in need.
We have been helping people ever since.
Mission
Fostering Hope Clothes Closet provides new and gently used clothes and shoes for foster children, domestic violence victims, children in the school systems and families in need. We strive to provide these essential items to our community to help ease the burden of expense and build confidence.
Objectives
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To be the first call from a foster parent when they receive a new child so we can provide clothes, shoes and other essentials.
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To work with all local schools to make sure children have weather appropriate clothing and shoes.
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To make a woman and her children feel beautiful and important after they have arrived in a domestic violence shelter.
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To make sure families can have nice clothing and new underwear when they are going through a financially difficult time.
Meet the Team
Tiffany Reiher
Tiffany Reiher grew up in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, the oldest of 6 children. She attended Florida State University before moving to Georgia in 2009, where she met her husband. While Tiffany was the President of the MOMS Club of Jackson County, she worked with other moms to establish Fostering Hope Clothes Closet to fulfill a need to help foster children in her community. Tiffany soon realized it was a passion she never knew she had. It makes her heart happy to see the children’s excitement when they get a new jacket or socks and to know that she is doing something so wonderful for her community. She enjoys taking her 3 children to the Closet so they can help sort clothes. Tiffany loves the ladies she works with and is so proud of what they have accomplished together.
Melissa Accardy
Melissa Accardy has always had a heart for serving people and the community around her and likes to involve her children whenever possible. To Melissa there is no serving opportunity too big or too small. From assisting the elderly, feeding the homeless, working with a Mexican orphanage to leading food drives, she has a passion for serving others. She discovered Fostering Hope Clothes Closet in the fall of 2017 when her family moved to the area and she was looking for a place to volunteer with her children. Melissa says, "Being a part of an organization that sees the communtiy needs and actively looks for ways to meet those needs is very rewarding. I am fortunate to have found like-minded people that possess the same passion to serve as I do." Melissa has been married to her husband Andrew for 25 years and they have 3 children.
Kimberly Hardy
Kimberly Hardy is one of the co-founders of Fostering Hope Clothes Closet. She was inspired to join in this endeavor following many years as a foster parent and seeing the challenges therein. Working with Fostering Hope Clothes Closet is rewarding because she gets to see the immediate impact of helping local families in need. Kimberly is also a wife, mother, and elementary school teacher. She enjoys helping others whenever possible and is proud of the work done by Fostering Hope Clothes Closet.
Our Sponsors & Partners
Faith-based
Non-profits
Businesses