Whether it’s morning, noon, night, or any time in-between, a foster parent somewhere may be getting a call about a child in need of a new place to stay right away.
And when that happens, the timing can be tight to get everything in place for a quickly-approaching arrival, said licensed foster parent Karissa Gabel.
That can make for some late-night shopping trips and challenging moments overall, especially when stores in the area don’t have everything needed in stock, said Gabel, who has experienced the struggle firsthand.
“It’s the not being prepared, at least in the beginning” of fostering that can present difficulties, she said.
She knew she wanted to help solve this problem.
With that goal in mind, this fall, she created a community Foster Closet.
The purpose behind the Foster Closet is to make sure there is a place where foster parents can get items they need conveniently, from donations.
“Really we’re there to help any foster families that need anything,” said Gabel.
Foster families may welcome kids of any ages and sizes, so it’s difficult to stockpile comprehensive supplies, especially without much advance notice, said Gabel.
When she and her partner started fostering a couple of years ago, they found themselves making rushed trips to the store for items like right-sizeddiapers or clothes or particular formula when they answered last-minute calls to take in kids, said Gabel. Thinking that other foster parents have likely faced similar struggles, they decided to try to drum up a network of support from the community to help.
She came up with the idea of gathering donations of items that foster parents often need – from cribs, to bassinets, to clothes and storage items – and housing it in a ‘closet’ that foster parents could claim items from as needed. Upon doing research, Gabel said she found other similar operations across the country, but none nearby. So she was determined to kickstart one to help this area’s surrounding community.
“Once I had the idea, I jumped on it right away,” said Gabel. She found a converted garage space to rent, set it up, and had it going within a couple of months – by roughly September, she said.
For now, it’s the perfect spot, but the operation may grow out and need to expand to a new home in the future, said Gabel.
“The second that I announced that it was opening, we had a lot of family and friends step forward and say that they wanted to donate clothes or toys or other items,” she added. “We have an awesome support system in our community.”
They have had great participation, said Gabel. Information regarding the closet’s needs of the moment gets printed regularly in a newsletter to area foster families.
“If foster families send me a message that they’re looking for something, I try to put that out there for if anyone can help donate that,” said Gabel.
Anyone seeking items in particular can contact Gabel through the social worker system or directly, said Gabel.
The Foster Closet is available to help foster parents collect needed items for kids who have been with them for any length of time, or ones who they provide respite care to, added Gabel.
Those seeking to donate to the Foster Closet can also reach out to Gabel. The organization accepts clothes of all sizes and styles, from newborn to adult; toys; storage items like totes and dressers; wagons, strollers; bassinets; and essentially any items that are child- or babyrelated.
Message her through the Foster Closet Facebook page, “Southwest Wisconsin Foster Closet,” or by cell phone at 608-726-0379.
