WEST CHESTER, Ohio — West Chester nonprofit Hope's Closet celebrated a significant milestone Tuesday, marking the completion of recent renovations during an open house event.
The organization offers a solution for foster families by providing children with free clothing, ensuring that every child feels valued and dignified.
“We always want our boutique to be a great place for kids to come," Bridgett Risk, community manager of Hope's Closet, told WCPO. "We never want it to feel like just a store where you pick up some free stuff. We want it to be an experience; we want it to feel dignified.”
WATCH: A walk-through of Hope Closet after its latest renovations
Currently, Hope’s Closet operates a boutique-style store that facilitates the movement of approximately 20,000 outfits each year. The organization helped clothe over 1,700 children in 2024 alone.
The upgrades to their space were essential for enhancing the organization’s impact. With support from IKEA, the nonprofit has improved its inventory organization, allowing for more efficient distribution of its donated merchandise.
Hope's Closet is more than just a clothing provider; it's a sanctuary for foster children to find dignity, choice and hope.
Kara Evans has been fostering for five years and said she's been a part of Hope's Closet for about three years.
“A lot of them have probably had me down as clothes to wear," Evans said. "And so they don’t get to say. 'I like this' or 'I don’t like that, because this is my style.' Because their style has to be what’s available. But they come here and like a boutique experience, and they get to say, 'Those shoes are my style, I like those shoes,' and then they get to wear them.”
Evans said the shop has been "much more" than just a stop for clothing for her kids.
"I don't know how many of them have had the opportunity to go to a department store, but to be able to say I want all of this and be able to get it, that is just such an amazing experience for these kids who haven't been as fortunate," Evans said.
With their new and improved space, organizers told WCPO they are ready to continue their mission of supporting foster families throughout Ohio, one outfit at a time, in a more organized and efficient way.
