About Closet of Hope
What We Do
Closet of Hope is 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that provides local foster families with like
new children’s items that are donated by our generous community. Most people are unaware that the
majority of children coming into foster care come with only the clothes on their back.
Can you imagine being a child, taken from everything you’ve ever known, without anything to call your own?
Foster families do not pay for this service, everything in our store is 100% free to them, and we don’t put
limits on how much they can take. We give our foster families 24/7 access to our facility. They never know
when they may get a call. We serve every child in the foster family. We see the sacrifice that “foster siblings”
make to be able to care for extra children, and we want to ensure that they aren’t overlooked.
Our ministry provides so much more than just physical needs for foster families. These families
that are serving on the front lines of foster care are able to know that their community sees their
sacrifice and wants to rally around them and support them. When they utilize our service, they are
able to focus their resources, time and attention on loving these children.
Since our services are 100% free. We rely solely on the financial support from individuals just like YOU!
We have no paid staff members, this is truly a labor of love.
Who We Are
Kelly Green
Executive Director/Founder
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Closet of Hope was founded in 2019 by Kelly Green. Kelly and her husband, Timothy, are the proud parents of 17 children — three biological and fourteen adopted through foster care. Throughout their fostering journey, they also opened their home to more than 100 children, some staying only a short time while others remained much longer. Each child strengthened Kelly’s understanding of how urgent the needs are when families say yes to welcoming a child into care.
Kelly witnessed that most children arrive with little to nothing, often carrying only the clothes they are wearing while leaving behind everything familiar and comforting. In those moments, the need for dignity, reassurance, and basic essentials is immediate — not just for the child, but for the caregivers receiving placements at all hours.
While Kelly no longer fosters, her desire to serve has never faded. Determined to continue supporting families walking a road she knows intimately, she created Closet of Hope to stand in the gap and provide real, practical help during times of crisis.
Kelly attended the Technical College of the Lowcountry and has a background in the medical field. She is also a social media influencer reaching more than 1.8 million people across platforms, where she advocates for foster care, adoption, and strengthening families. Her leadership extends into the community through service on multiple boards of directors, collaborating with others to expand resources and hope for vulnerable children.
Because Kelly has lived the experience herself, her work is rooted in empathy, action, and the belief that every child deserves to feel valued, prepared, and supported.
Alyssa Blitch
COO
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"I'm originally from the Charleston area but got the chance to travel the US through the Army. I am the oldest of seven children and love college football. I have three daughters and have been married to my high school sweetheart for five years. I have a Bachelor's Degree in Accounting from the University of West Georgia and am currently pursuing my Masters in Accounting at Liberty University.
Closet of Hope was a natural fit for me. Being a foster mom myself, I saw the desperate need for this organization and wanted to get involved however I could. As time has gone on, I have had the opportunity to see the dramatic impact that our organization has on families every day and love providing this resource to the children in care."
Heather Weimer
Donation Coordinator
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Heather Weimer is an adoptive mom, former foster mom and social worker who can reliably be found at a non-profit working or volunteering. She finds joy and purpose in helping others; specifically in the foster, adoptive and kinship world. She joined Closet of Hope as a volunteer in 2020 to assist in collecting in-kind donations from local drop off locations. Heather looks forward to contributing to Closet of Hope's continued growth.
Timothy Green
Board Member
Timothy Green, husband of founder Kelly Green, is one of the founding board members of Closet of Hope. The father, husband, and 22-year Army veteran enjoys helping his community as well as his nation. He is still an active member of the South Carolina National Guard and a First Sergeant in the Edgefield unit. He enjoys fishing, hunting, and all outdoor activities and believes that children placed in foster care deserve to live a normal childhood like any other kids. These are some things the Closet of Hope helps fulfill by getting these children clothes, bunk beds, bicycles, and other necessities that every child deserves and needs.
Shelly Pendergrass
Board Member
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Shelly Pendergrass is a foster and foster adoptive mom of 18+ years. She holds a degree in Human Development and Family studies from Kent State University. She has worked in many areas but always in ways that support children and their families. She is a small business owner and mom to nine forever children with six adopted from the foster care system. Her heart is to help every child know they are loved and wanted. Shelly's passion to help encourage foster families to know they are valued and supported has driven her to become part of the Closet of Hope. In Shelly's free time she enjoys volunteering at her church, volleyball, camping and spending time with her family.
Ashley Coakley
Marketing Associate
Ashley is an adoptive mom and Charleston native that first started volunteering with the Closet of Hope in the summer of 2020. She is a Creative Director at local agency Creativ Social + Marketing. Spending time with her family and being outdoors any chance she gets, are her favorite things to do. She is excited about Closet of Hope's mission to help foster and adoptive families and can't wait to help them continue to spread the word.
Accepting Applications for New Board Members
Closet of Hope is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to ensuring that our organization recruits the board members it needs to ensure maximum impact in the foster care community. Closet of Hope strives to support and promote excellence in board service and is the premier source of out the box thinking and resources related to nonprofit board recruitment.
Board of Directors comprises leaders from the nonprofit and for-profit sector who are dedicated to the organization’s mission.
Our board members champion the importance of exceptional board leadership and believe that each and every organization needs a strong and effective board to fully realize its potential for good. In addition to the standard roles and responsibilities of a board member, our board members are active advocates and ambassadors for the organization and are fully engaged in identifying and securing the financial resources and partnerships necessary to advance its mission.