Serving foster children and their families in the Pennyrile and beyond, Joy Closet in Hopkinsville has grown tremendously in a year’s time.
From the basement of Southside Church of Christ, to a 2,400-square-foot facility on Skyline Drive, Director Heather Gray and the non-profit pillar now reside on Belmont Hill in the old elementary school — 7,500 square feet of free materials necessary for those often forgotten.
During Monday’s convening of the Pennyrile Area Development District, Gray spoke on this exponential outreach — which has blossomed into bigger visions of the future.
The best-laid plans, she said, are three-fold.
First and foremost, Joy Closet and its board wish to create an “Eagle Fly” Program — one that directs teens jettisoned from the foster system into the lives of mentors and such who can offer life and career skills, from concepts as simple as budgeting, and as difficult as job training.
Too many former foster children, Gray noted, don’t find a happy ending in their lives.
Secondly, Gray said there is serious potential of creating “The Hope House” — a residence that creates a safe space, in the intermediate, for children removed from homes, but have yet to be placed.
Gray said, at the moment, more than 400 children are regionally in the foster system. With roughly 200 families available to take in fosters, Gray added that “Hope House” would be a place keeping kids from ever having to step foot into a DCBS office.
Particularly on the worst day of their life.
Thirdly, the creation of “Peaceful Meadows Ranch,” Gray said, would move homeless children into a much better situation. During this last school year, Christian County had 133 kids reportedly without a permanent residence. Hopkins County had 107. Trigg County: 48. In seven of nine reporting counties in the Pennyrile, 323 children didn’t have a roof to call home.
PMR, Gray added, would keep children out of DCBS custody — with power of attorney shifting to Joy Closet officials for education and healthcare options. Gray said family could eventually return for their children, but it would be likely that if care was provided, they’d be more likely to stay in the name of warmth and safety.
Also serving families as far as Montgomery County, Logan County and Warren County, Gray said the first year saw more than 600 different children and 90 different families come through their doors for help.
Month to month, the organization plans family gatherings — that often consist of trips to the movies, the Sportsplex and, in the future, the Hopkinsville YMCA.
More impressively, Gray said everything on Belmont Hill and beyond has been generously donated by the communities in which they serve.
Kinship placements, Gray said, can be common — and something with which they can assist.
This month, Joy Closet has a donation drive going for men’s and boy’s underwear, boy’s socks, men’s socks, twin/full comforter sets, men’s and boy’s pants, and fall/winter shoes.
For more information about Joy Closet, visit 814 Belmont Street in Hopkinsville, call by phone at (270) 632-1232, email Gray at heather@joycloset.org, check in online at www.joycloset.org.
