The Hope Closet

09/03/2026

Friends - The Hope Closet was featured in Main & Broad this month, and while seeing our nonprofit in a magazine is pretty surreal, there is one simple truth between the lines of this article:

This story is not about us. It is about a community of real people who choose to let someone else's needs matter to them.

Over the past two years we’ve seen things in our community forever imprinted in our minds and on our hearts. Children sleeping on bare floors or in cars. Mothers fleeing domestic violence and walking into empty homes with only the clothes on their backs. Residences without clean drinking water. Families who have experienced catastrophic loss due to fire and do not have the means to rebuild alone.

And then we would share those needs to our community. And you would respond.

There are real people on the other side of these posts who stop scrolling and say, “I can help – where do I drop off?” You have pulled towels from linen closets and furniture from spare rooms. You've bought mattresses and dishes and cleaning supplies. You've loaded trucks, carried couches up flights of stairs to give a family a place to sit. You have sent packages to our door and driven across town to deliver something to a person you've never met.

And sometimes, still unbelievable to witness, we get to watch an empty house become a home in just a matter of days.

Not because The Hope Closet has some enormous warehouse. We have a modest 600 sq ft in a building scheduled to be demolished. Not because we have a huge budget or staff with paid employees. We are simply community servants trying to connect what one neighbor can give with what another desperately needs.

We see it all come together because a whole lot of ordinary people continue to decide that someone else's hard day matters to them.

That is how this started. And somehow, in less than two years, those individual moments of compassion have carried us from one garage and one Section 8 complex to the doorsteps of nearly 700 households across ten Section 8 complexes and six zip codes.

Seven hundred homes. Let that sink in.

There are real people behind those numbers. Single mothers, fathers, grandparents, infants, siblings raising siblings. There are children who slept in beds that came from your homes. People who dried off with towels you washed, folded, and bundled nicely with ribbon. Families gathering to share meals at tables that once sat in your own kitchens.

Things that were no longer needed in one home became exactly what was needed in another.

So when you read this article, I hope you don't just read about us. I hope you see yourself in it. Because you helped build this, and you continue to carry it forward.

Digital Publication:
https://issuu.com/mainandbroadmag/docs/main_broad_sept_oct_2026/30

Online Article: https://www.mainandbroadmag.com/features/nonprofit-spotlight-the-hope-closet/

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08/26/2026

Friends - We need your help! The Hope Closet is on mission to collect and distribute over 450 sets of towels this Fall to individuals and families living in local affordable housing communities. Here is why each set of towels is a big deal:

1) They meet a physical need because we have experienced too many economically disadvantaged families (especially larger households) sharing a single bath towel or have no washcloths. These items are not luxuries; they are essential to health and hygiene and help preserve the basic dignity everyone deserves. Yet, they can be difficult to obtain or replace when budgets are tight.

2) These towels allow us to meet our neighbors where they are and provide care bags that include additional resources regarding food, medical and other local assistance. This is about so much more than towels - its about showing up to show love and support to those in our community who are struggling, so we can let them know they are seen, not alone, and where to find help when help is needed!

Please join us in collecting for this drive. New towels can be ordered on our Amazon Wishlist at https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3262PWP6O7QX7?ref_=wl_share (or the QR code on the flyer). Gently-used towels will also be accepted as long as the towel set is two or more matching bath towels with no stains, tears, or visible damage.

We currently have 5 volunteers who have offered to be collection points for drop off in Fuquay, Apex and Holly Springs. Please let us know if you are a local business or neighbor who would like to serve as a collection point in our community, as well!

Thank you for continuing to walk with us on our mission to serve our community with love and purpose!

08/14/2026

Due to some intense needs we were called to meet these past few weeks, we are a little behind in sending our August Newsletter! The good news is that means there is still time to SIGN UP if you do not currently receive it!

We've got some exciting events and partnership to announce, so please take a moment to visit our homepage at www.hopecloset.org and click the sign up box at the bottom. Please make sure to share this request to your personal pages and community groups so others know to sign up as well!

Join Us as We Make a Difference — One Neighbor at a Time The Hope Closet is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and emergency resource based in Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina. We collect essential household items donated by the community and connect them with love and purpose to individuals and families in need ...

08/12/2026

The Hope Closet was invited a few weeks ago to speak to Wake County child welfare social workers about our services and how we can support the families they serve. While The Hope Closet has already established itself as a referral partner for Wake County Child Protective Services and Wake County Public School System social workers, we were especially grateful for the opportunity to connect with child welfare social workers across Wake County and share how our resources can help families experiencing crisis.

This opportunity grew from a simple initiative focused on building relationships and expressing gratitude. Each month, The Hope Closet distributes goodie bags to social workers at the Wake County Southern Regional Center as a small way to thank them for the important work they do for children and families. Through this effort, we have connected with members of the child welfare community and have helped respond to multiple cases over the last several months. This meeting was an opportunity to share our services to a broader group of social workers.

The idea behind the monthly goodie bag initiative was spurred through our partnership with NC for FAMs, a collective of organizations committed to supporting children in foster care, families reunifying after foster care involvement, and individuals transitioning out of foster care. The Hope Closet works alongside these organizations to help provide essential household items to individuals and families as they navigate significant transitions. We are always looking for individuals interested in making goodie bags and helping deliver them- an opportunity great for a small group.

What began as a simple way to say “thank you” has opened the door to deeper collaboration and greater awareness of the resources available to families. We are grateful for the opportunity to share how The Hope Closet can help social workers quickly meet practical needs—from beds and furniture to linens, clothing, kitchenware, hygiene supplies, and other household essentials—and look forward to continuing to strengthen these partnerships throughout Wake County.

08/10/2026

We just wanted to say WOW and THANK YOU for the phenomenal support from our community at The Hope Closet’s Stock the Closet event with the Fuquay-Varina Police Department this past Saturday.

The outpouring of generosity from so many of you who came out to drop off items or those whom we met for the first time was overwhelming and a true blessing. We were able to collect:

- 650 rolls of toilet paper
- 350 rolls paper towels
- 70 laundry detergent
- 75 Disinfecting Wipes
- Over 60 sets of NEW towels

As well as hundreds of other hygiene items

We are appreciative of the Fuquay-Varina Police Department, who teamed up with us as well as the Beacon Thrift Store in Fuquay-Varina who let us use their storefront for our event.

We are blessed to have the backing of our community- this is what it means to have neighbors helping neighbors!

08/07/2026

***Reminder***

Tomorrow, Saturday, August 8, The Hope Closet and officers from the Fuquay-Varina Police Department will be in the parking lot of the Beacon Thrift Store (beside Food Lion at 1334 N. Main St.) from 8 AM - 12 PM to help Stock the Closet with essential household items like disinfecting wipes, laundry detergent, and toilet paper. These necessities aren't covered by SNAP or WIC benefits and are often the first items economically disadvantaged families must cut from already-tight budgets.

The Hope Closet will also be collecting new or gently used matching sets of bath towels (two or more matching pieces). Over the past two years, we've found that many families—especially larger households—are sharing a single bath towel or have no washcloths at all.

Can't make it? You can ship items directly using the Amazon Wishlist pinned on our page, website, by scanning the QR code on the flyer, or visiting here: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3262PWP6O7QX7?ref_=wl_share

These simple items open doors—literally—allowing us to meet our neighbors, build relationships, and serve our community with love and purpose. Every item matters. Every act of kindness multiplies. We hope to meet you on August 8!

Please SHARE this event to your community groups to grow awareness!

07/31/2026

Friends - Due to the significant increase in requests for assistance, The Hope Closet is running low on furniture items such as couches, chairs, dressers, and small dining room tables/chairs. We are also in need of towel sets. If you have or know of anyone looking to gift these gently-used items (no stains, tears, or significant damage), then please let us know.

Most immediately, The Hope Closet partners with Angels Among the Elderly, a group founded by our Board member, Christine Williams, to serve local economically disadvantaged senior citizens. We have an elderly gentleman who is moving into section 8 housing this weekend with no furniture and in need of the following items:

Sofa set
Night stands
End tables
TV Stand
Dresser
Table/Chairs
Silverware
Trashcan
Mop/Broom
Bathroom shower curtain set

We rely on the generosity of volunteers to pick up donated furniture, and, therefore, as a courtesy, we limit the zip codes for donation pickups to Fuquay-Varina (27526), Willow Spring (27592), Holly Springs (27540), Apex (27539), Angier (27501), and South Raleigh (27603). We are also greatly appreciative of donors willing to drop items off to one of our Fuquay-Varina collection sites.

Please email [email protected] or submit the online form at www.hopecloset.org if you are able to provide any of the above items! ❤️🙏

07/29/2026

We are honored to partner with the Fuquay-Varina Police Department for a Community Drive to help foster healthy, habitable homes in Fuquay and surrounding areas!

Join us on Saturday, August 8, from 8 AM–12 PM in the Beacon Thrift Store parking lot (beside Food Lion at 1334 N. Main St.) to help us Stock the Closet with essential household items like disinfecting wipes, laundry detergent, and toilet paper. These necessities aren't covered by SNAP or WIC benefits and are often the first items families must cut from already-tight budgets.

We're also in great need of new or gently used matching sets of bath towels (two or more matching pieces). Over the past two years, we've found that many families—especially larger households—are sharing a single bath towel or have no washcloths at all.

Can't make it? You can ship items directly using the Amazon Wishlist pinned on our page, website, by scanning the QR code on the flyer, or visiting here: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3262PWP6O7QX7?ref_=wl_share

These simple items open doors—literally—allowing us to meet our neighbors, build relationships, and serve our community with love and purpose. Every item matters. Every act of kindness multiplies. We hope to meet you on August 8!

Please SHARE to your community groups to grow awareness!

07/25/2026

The last few days have been a whirlwind, and we apologize for the delayed update. When urgent matters affecting children come our way, their crisis becomes our crisis and we drop everything else to respond.

Apparently, so do you. And we are overwhelmed with gratitude. You did not just click the "like" or "care" button. Instead, you immediately asked, "Where can I drop items off?"

Less than 24 hours after sharing the needs of a homeless mother and her five little ones, every item had been pledged and 90% delivered directly to volunteers' doors so they could get straight to work sorting and preparing the items for delivery.

Care packages were created for the mother and each child containing all necessary, age-appropriate hygiene items, 5-8 outfits each, shoes, new underwear, learning activities, children's blankets, diapers, wipes, air mattresses, car seats, a special toy for each child, and more. All clothing and hygiene items were thoughtfully packed into a rolling a suitcase to allow for easy transport from car to shelter and back again.

To every person who searched through closets, purchased brand-new items, ordered or dropped off an air mattresses, donated car seats, offered gift cards, shared our post, prayed, or simply asked, "How can I help?"—thank you.

We often say that our mission isn't just about household items—it's about human connection. This week, you proved exactly why. Because of your generosity, five little children will sleep a little more comfortably, a mother will carry a little less burden, and a family will know they are not on their journey alone.

So, from the bottom of our hearts, thank you for showing up and for trusting The Hope Closet to be the bridge between those who have and those who are hurting. We are incredibly blessed to serve alongside each of you.