When my husband and I started our foster care journey, I remember feeling anxious about many things. I was worried about having the time for another child, I was worried about being able to provide for them. I was worried about saying goodbye.

I asked our Licensing Specialist, “How am I supposed to do these things?” Her answer, “It’s not about you.”

I didn’t get it until she said that. This isn’t about my feelings, my worries, or my wants. This is their story not mine, and I need to do everything I can to be a blessing to these children.

Fast forward a few years and a few foster placements later, I was having a sad day missing our last little one. I prayed and asked God to heal my heart. It was then that I realized I was making this about me. I could take that sadness and put that energy towards helping more children.

I know what a burden it is to supply your children with everything they need. It was then that Mina’s Foster Closet was born. We formed a board, came up with a game plan, and got to work!

My dream is to see Mina’s Foster Closet bless many foster children for years to come. I hope to take some of the burden off of foster families and kinship guardians. I hope that the items that we supply will help these children have a little bit of normalcy. I desire to see the community come together and make this about the children and not ourselves.

-Nicole Tsarnas, Mina’s Foster Closet President