CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The need for care for foster children is on the rise, and one nonprofit organization, Joy Closet, is there to help. Founder and Executive Director Heather Gray began her work with Joy Closet in 2021, providing free items and services for children and foster families.
“Joy Closet was established because I personally have been a foster family, and there was a great need for supporting fosters into families in the area,” Gray said. She added there is a huge need for support and the longevity of a family remaining a foster or kinship family is greater when they have support.
“We are literally a one stop shop where they can get all of their needs met for these children that are coming into their homes. We have around 7,500 square feet of space filled with all of the tangible items needed to foster children 0 to 17 years old,” Gray said.
In the last 18 months, Joy Closet has served over 400 children and 135 foster families and Gray said they recently opened up to children in crisis. Anyone is eligible to get a referral to the organization for one-time shopping.
They also recently launched the Eagle Fly program for teens aging out of the foster care system and teens that are in crisis or have a history of not having a reliable or positive family atmosphere. The program provides mentors to help them deal with adulthood and life in general.
Gray talked about the need to support foster families and foster children. “81 percent of the males that age out of the foster system will end up in the justice system, about 71 percent of females will end up pregnant before their 21st birthday, and about 40 percent of teens that age out of the foster care system will end up homeless on the street,” Gray said.
Joy Closet also hosts a number of events and activities at no cost and exclusively for their foster families along with fundraising events for the organization that are open to the public.
They are always open to having volunteers, especially during donation hours, Monday and Thursday from 8:30-11 a.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Joy Closet’s shopping hours to pick out free items are Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m.-3 pm. and Saturday 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
To show your support for Joy Closet, some of the immediate needs are of course financial donations and anything that would be appropriate for children up to 17 years old. Items like clothing, shoes, hygiene products, baby essentials, bedding, towels and wash cloths just to name a few.
Joy Closet is at 814 Belmont St. in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, and serves nine counties in the Pennyrile area as well as Clarksville-Montgomery County in Tennessee.
To learn more visit joycloset.org, email heather@joycloset.org, on Facebook or Instagram go to @joyclosetky, or call 270-632-1232.
Giving Grace, sponsored by Grace Dental, is an ongoing Clarksville Now series showcasing local nonprofit organizations.
HOW TO HELP: For more information on local charities, go to #ClarksvilleStrong.