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'If we don't have it, we find a way to get it' | Gaston County Foster Closet sets up new parents

The closet, which is housed in a few storage units, has everything a foster parent could need: Clothes, shoes, baby gear, furniture and more.

GASTON COUNTY, N.C. — Families who take in foster children don't always have all the essentials they need.

That's where the Gaston County Foster Closet comes into play.

"We want them to feel normal in a really hard time of their life."

The closet was created out of love.

Ami Woodyard and her husband have three biological children, one recently adopted child, and one child they are currently fostering in hopes of adopting him.

Once they started fostering, they realized that not every foster parent is going to have what they need. That's where they step in.

"We received several children who came with nothing. It was very hard to get everything they needed. You can't prepare to have everything."

"We thought wouldn't it be great to have a unit to have everything in one spot. That way people can request things."

The closet, which is housed in a few storage units in Gaston County, has everything a foster parent could need: Clothes, shoes, baby gear, furniture and more.

"Normally, what happens is we get a request asking for size. We'll go and we'll just pull."

"We try to do about 10 outfits because that is their immediate need."

"We pull together everything. Clothes, diapers, shoes, baby gear."

"If we don't have it, we find a way to get it."

The Woodyards service anyone who has a need — no matter what county they live in or what time of day they come calling.

"I think it's important to think about them. They can kind of be the forgottens. It's easy to think someone is taking care of them. There is such a huge need. They want to feel like a normal child, have a normal childhood."

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