About Closet of Hope
What We Do
Closet of Hope is 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that provides local foster families with like
new children’s items that are donated by our generous community. Most people are unaware that the
majority of children coming into foster care come with only the clothes on their back.
Can you imagine being a child, taken from everything you’ve ever known, without anything to call your own?
Foster families do not pay for this service, everything in our store is 100% free to them, and we don’t put
limits on how much they can take. We give our foster families 24/7 access to our facility. They never know
when they may get a call. We serve every child in the foster family. We see the sacrifice that “foster siblings”
make to be able to care for extra children, and we want to ensure that they aren’t overlooked.
Our ministry provides so much more than just physical needs for foster families. These families
that are serving on the front lines of foster care are able to know that their community sees their
sacrifice and wants to rally around them and support them. When they utilize our service, they are
able to focus their resources, time and attention on loving these children.
Since our services are 100% free. We rely solely on the financial support from individuals just like YOU!
We have no paid staff members, this is truly a labor of love.
Who We Are
Kelly Green
Executive Director/Founder
The Closet of Hope began over 1 year ago by our founder, Kelly Green. Kelly and her husband, Timothy, have three bio children Morgan, Braylon and Slayton. They also have hosted approximately 100 foster children in their home. Some of the children stay for a day, some stay much longer. As a foster parent, upon welcoming her first foster child into her home, she quickly learned that there is a big need for children that come in to the foster care system. They usually come into care with nothing but the clothes they are wearing and are leaving behind their favorite blanket, toy, pet, and loved ones. Security and dignity are often left at the door, with nothing to call their own during a traumatic time. This is not only an impact to the child, but an immediate impact to the foster family that may accept a child in the middle of the night, and can’t get out for basic items necessary such as diapers. Kelly started collecting donations and running the Foster Closet operation out of her home. The community response was tremendous and the project quickly outgrew her home so she rented large storage units to provide a space for donations and volunteers to sort and distribute items to children in need. In 2020, Closet of Hope gained it’s 501(c)3 non-profit status. In the summer of 2021, the Foster Closet plans to move into a building. There they will be setting up the space with a retail area to provide a place for foster children to “shop” for clothing, with dignity- all for free, thanks to the donations and support of our community!
Alyssa Blitch
COO
"I'm originally from the Charleston area but got the chance to travel the US through the Army. I am the oldest of seven children and love college football. I have three daughters and have been married to my high school sweetheart for five years. I have a Bachelor's Degree in Accounting from the University of West Georgia and am currently pursuing my Masters in Accounting at Liberty University.
Closet of Hope was a natural fit for me. Being a foster mom myself, I saw the desperate need for this organization and wanted to get involved however I could. As time has gone on, I have had the opportunity to see the dramatic impact that our organization has on families every day and love providing this resource to the children in care."
Heather Weimer
Donation Coordinator
Heather Weimer is an adoptive mom, former foster mom and social worker who can reliably be found at a non-profit working or volunteering. She finds joy and purpose in helping others; specifically in the foster, adoptive and kinship world. She joined Closet of Hope as a volunteer in 2020 to assist in collecting in-kind donations from local drop off locations. Heather looks forward to contributing to Closet of Hope's continued growth.
Timothy Green
Board Member
Timothy Green, husband of founder Kelly Green, is one of the founding board members of Closet of Hope. The father, husband, and 22-year Army veteran enjoys helping his community as well as his nation. He is still an active member of the South Carolina National Guard and a First Sergeant in the Edgefield unit. He enjoys fishing, hunting, and all outdoor activities and believes that children placed in foster care deserve to live a normal childhood like any other kids. These are some things the Closet of Hope helps fulfill by getting these children clothes, bunk beds, bicycles, and other necessities that every child deserves and needs.
Ashley Coakley
Marketing Associate
Ashley is an adoptive mom and Charleston native that first started volunteering with the Closet of Hope in the summer of 2020. She is a Creative Director at local agency Creativ Social + Marketing. Spending time with her family and being outdoors any chance she gets, are her favorite things to do. She is excited about Closet of Hope's mission to help foster and adoptive families and can't wait to help them continue to spread the word.
Accepting Applications for New Board Members
Closet of Hope is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to ensuring that our organization recruits the board members it needs to ensure maximum impact in the foster care community. Closet of Hope strives to support and promote excellence in board service and is the premier source of out the box thinking and resources related to nonprofit board recruitment.
Board of Directors comprises leaders from the nonprofit and for-profit sector who are dedicated to the organization’s mission.
Our board members champion the importance of exceptional board leadership and believe that each and every organization needs a strong and effective board to fully realize its potential for good. In addition to the standard roles and responsibilities of a board member, our board members are active advocates and ambassadors for the organization and are fully engaged in identifying and securing the financial resources and partnerships necessary to advance its mission.