Hope4One stands in the gap for foster families

Closets full of clothes, attics packed with old toys, and shelves filled with unread books. Many of us take our material possessions for granted. When children enter foster care, they often have little more than the clothes on their back. That is where Hope4One steps in, and provides foster families with the resources they need.

Founded by a group of foster and adoptive parents, Hope4One is a nonprofit organization that supports foster and adoptive families. They provide for the physical needs of children in foster care while supporting the families who welcome children into their homes.

“We like to say that we stand in the gaps for families, because foster families are standing in the gaps for kids,” said Ms. Katie Belz, program director and board treasurer at Hope4One.

The main way Hope4One serves families is through their Foster Closet. The closet is organized by age and gender, with bins, shelves, and racks filled with clothes, shoes, toiletries, toys, books, and other items families may need. The team at Hope4One puts effort into making sure the closet is stocked with clothes that are in good condition and will be enjoyed by the people wearing them.

As the Foster Closet coordinator, Ms. Corine Hamlin is in charge of organizing the closet and assisting families with orders.

“My role is making sure that the foster closet is organized for the children that come in to shop … We want the foster closet to feel welcoming to them, so keeping it clean and organized is huge,” said Hamlin.

Families can visit the closet or fill out a form, either in-person or online, to receive a bag of essentials a child may need.

“We've had kids leave saying, ‘this is the best day ever. They get to pick out things that are new or exciting to them, or things they've never had the opportunity to have, like, makeup or fun toys,” said Belz.

When families fill out the form to shop the closet, they have the option to include their child’s preferences, so they can receive items that fit their own personal interests.

“If they tell us, ‘Spider Man,’ buddy, we pray, ‘Lord, let us find a Spider Man shirt for this kiddo,’ and, nine times out of 10, we have exactly what that child has requested,” says Ms. Angela Suss, executive director at Hope4One.

A key part of Hope4One’s mission to serve the foster and adoptive community is sharing the gospel. Faith is an everyday part of the work that the organization does, with every bag they pack being prayed over.

“We have encouraging scripture and notes written by church members that volunteer here, and one of those gets attached to each bag … Every family has the option to get a Bible for each of their kids if they want one … Even though we serve families of all kinds, we're very much unashamed of the fact that we're Christ followers, and they know that, and they know they're being prayed over regardless of their faith,” said Belz.

Though Hope4One was established around eight years ago, the team hopes to continue providing for the physical needs of foster and adoptive families.

“At the end of the day, we're called to serve widows and orphans. We're called to be salt and light, and so we try to be the hands and feet of Jesus. When families come into the office to be served, we want them to feel that. We want them to feel that they're loved and accepted and prayed over and cared for while they're there,” said Suss.

Hope4One is located at 2400 Georgetown Road NW, Cleveland, TN 37311. It is open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.