Foster Care Closet closing Lincoln location to take its service on the road

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — After nearly two decades, Foster Care Closet is closing its doors on Friday and starting its mobile service.

For almost 20 years, families have come to the brick-and-mortar location near 25th and Randolph streets not only for new clothes, but also for support, guidance and connection.

But now the organization is flipping the script and choosing to meet families where they are.

“We actually ended up serving more youth at one time through our mobile service than we did in an entire year through our brick and mortar,” said the founder, Leigh Esau.

She said nonprofits are seeing budget cuts, and that calls for creative solutions.

“That means we have to be inventive in regards to, ‘How do we continue to serve the maximum number of youth with minimum staff and maintain our inventory that restores dignity through choice and voice?'” Esau said.

The move comes after a trial period of the organization heading out to towns as far as Scottsbluff and doubling the numbers of how many kids it serves.

This change doesn’t come without some downsides.

“We’ve had walk-in hours and availability for our families, and we’re not going to be able to be in a position to offer that,” Esau said. “We will continue to serve those emergency cases at the time we are made aware that there’s a need.”

But by traveling throughout Lincoln and Nebraska, Foster Care Closet hopes to remove barriers entirely.

“People understand and are educated that there are kids in their community that need that extra support.” Esau said. “It’s about educating that these foster kids are still here.”