The Foster Closet at Innovation

06/20/2026

This past week, a little boy came shopping at The Foster Closet.

While he left with clothes that fit and essentials he needed, he also left with two items he held especially close.

The first was a weighted blanket that had just arrived through our donation bin. It's not something we receive often, but for a child with sensory needs, it can provide comfort, security, and calm during uncertain times.

The second was a toy. A simple toy that he carefully picked out and was excited to call his own.

Sometimes it's easy to think that what we do is about clothing racks, shoe sizes, and filling bags. But moments like these remind us that it's so much more. It's about helping children feel safe. It's about providing comfort during difficult transitions. It's about giving a child something that belongs to them.

Because every child deserves more than just the basics—they deserve moments of joy, comfort, and a sense of belonging.

Thank you to every person who donates, volunteers, and supports The Foster Closet. You make stories like this possible. 🩷

06/19/2026

Years ago we had a little dream that would impact lives in a great way. To be expanding on that dream and opening a second location is a true testament to what can happen when a community comes together to support children and families. 🩷

By Samantha Mitchell — MUNCIE, IN —What began as a simple idea born from personal experience in Lafayette has grown into a thriving resource for foster families across Indiana. The Foster Closet, founded by Billy and Mandy Holden through Innovation Church in Lafayette, celebrated the grand ope

06/19/2026

A HUGE thank you to River City Church and their food pantry for their generous donation to The Foster Closet at Innovation!

Diapers are one of our most requested items and one of the biggest expenses for foster, kinship, and adoptive families welcoming children into their homes. Thanks to this incredible donation, we'll be able to provide families with essential supplies when they need them most.

Every pack of diapers represents one less thing for a family to worry about during a time of transition and uncertainty. We are so grateful for community partners like River City Church who help us ensure children entering care have the necessities they deserve.

Thank you for helping us support local children and families, one diaper at a time! 🩷

06/18/2026

📢 Open Hours today!

Need Summer clothing, shoes, toys, books, or other essentials for a child in your care? The Foster Closet will be open today until 3:00PM!

All foster, kinship, and adoptive families are welcome to shop. Just bring your placement letter and we'll be happy to help!

This also includes DCS case workers, CASA, and GALS! 🩷

‼️We can also accept DONATIONS at River City while we are here! We are desperately in need of Girls 3T + 2T and Boys 2T + 3T! Pjs in all sizes! ‼️

If you plan to stop by, let us know in the comments below. We can't wait to see you!

Address is:
River City Church
108 Beck Lane
Lafayette, IN 47909
Door D!

06/14/2026

Recently, two teens came to shop at Foster Closet.

They browsed the racks, looked through the clothing, and hoped to find something that felt like them. While they found a few fun accessories from a generous Claire's donation and grabbed some much-needed socks, nothing in our clothing inventory really matched their personal style.

So instead of settling for something they didn't love, we were able to provide each teen with a $25 Plato's Closet - Lafayette, IN gift card.

The smiles on their faces said it all.

For many of us, choosing our own clothes is something we take for granted. But for youth in foster care, being able to pick out something that reflects who they are can be incredibly meaningful. It's more than a shirt or a pair of jeans—it's confidence, independence, and a chance to express themselves.

A $25 gift card didn't just buy clothes that day. It gave two teens the opportunity to choose something for themselves—a small act that can mean so much when so many choices in life are made for them.

Moments like these are possible because of our amazing supporters who donate gift cards, funds, and resources that allow us to meet kids where they are.

Thank you for helping us serve not just the basic needs of children, but also their individuality, dignity, and sense of self.

06/09/2026

All of THIS 👕🧥👖

Turns into THIS ❤️

Every bag of donated clothing helps provide free outfits for children in foster, adoptive, and kinship care. What looks like a pile of clothes becomes a first day of school outfit, cozy pajamas, a warm sweatshirt, and a child feeling seen and cared for.

📍 Our donation bin is located at Innovation Church, and we're currently in need of:

👧 Girls 2T
👧 Girls 3T
👦 Boys 3T
🩵 Pajamas in all sizes

Thank you for helping us turn donations into dignity and making sure every child who shops our closet leaves with something they love.

06/09/2026

📢 Open Hours today!

Need Summer clothing, shoes, toys, books, or other essentials for a child in your care? The Foster Closet will be open today until 12:30 PM!

All foster, kinship, and adoptive families are welcome to shop. Just bring your placement letter and we'll be happy to help!

This also includes DCS case workers, CASA, and GALS! 🩷

‼️We can also accept DONATIONS until 12:30PM at River City! We are desperately in need of Girls 3T + 2T and Boys 2T + 3T! Pjs in all sizes! ‼️

If you plan to stop by, let us know in the comments below. We can't wait to see you!

Address is:
River City Church
108 Beck Lane
Lafayette, IN 47909
Door D!

06/08/2026

👟 Stepping Into the New School Year 👟

The Foster Closet is looking for businesses, churches, clubs, organizations, and community groups willing to host a shoe drive for our Back-to-School Event!

Our goal is simple: Every foster, adoptive, and kinship child who attends will receive a brand-new pair of shoes to start the school year with confidence.

A new pair of shoes may seem small, but for many children, it's a fresh start, a confidence boost, and a reminder that their community cares.

Together, we can help children step into the new school year feeling confident, supported, and ready to succeed.

Sign up your organization at the link below if you are interested in hosting a drive! Printable flyers and information will be sent your way!

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C044BAAA922A7F8C70-64462183-thefoster

06/08/2026

There’s just something special about the way this community comes together to support one another.

The service from yesterday said it best, people are the treasure. When we come together, we can continue to support foster, adoptive, and kinship families so they feel seen, equipped, and encouraged as they care for children in our community. Every donation, volunteer hour, and act of kindness makes a difference.

Because when we support families, we support kids—and that changes lives. ❤️

🎉 What a Day! 🎉

As we reflect on the grand opening of the Foster Closet, our hearts are overflowing with gratitude, excitement, and hope for the future.

What started as a dream to better support foster families, kinship caregivers, and children in our community became a reality because of the incredible people who showed up, pitched in, and celebrated alongside us. Seeing so many families, community members, partners, and supporters walk through our doors made this day more meaningful than we can put into words.

Of course, no reflection on the day would be complete without mentioning our Co-Director, Joe, who fully embraced the celebration spirit by proudly sporting the Foster Closet logo painted across his forehead! (And yes, we have the photo evidence to prove it! 😄) His enthusiasm, dedication, and willingness to have a little fun perfectly captured the joy and excitement we all felt throughout the day.

We want to extend our deepest thanks to our amazing staff and volunteers whose countless hours of planning, organizing, and hard work made this event possible. Thank you to our incredible vendors and community partners who helped make the day such a success:

🎶 Carl Bentley Band
🍴 The Food Vault
🍰 Cheesecake -N- Motion LLC
🎨 AddiLine’s
👗 The Borrow Bar
🕯️ Sowing A Seed
☕ Pretty Little Cafe
🍞 Leedoms Loaves & more

We are also especially grateful to our friends at The Foster Closet at Innovation for their guidance, encouragement, and support throughout this journey. Your willingness to share your knowledge and experience has been invaluable.

Most importantly, thank you to our community. Your support, generosity, and belief in our mission reminds us why this work matters. Every donation, volunteer hour, share, conversation, and word of encouragement helps us create a stronger support system for the children and families we serve.

This grand opening was not the finish line—it was the beginning. We are incredibly excited for what lies ahead and look forward to growing, serving more families, building new partnerships, and continuing to make a difference together.

Here’s to the future of the Foster Closet—and to the amazing community helping us make it possible. ❤️