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Compassion Closet opens location in St. Paul UMC
By Rachel Totten
Published February 12, 2023


compassion closet

melissa cox  compassion closet


Compassion Closet is furthering its mission of helping fostering and adoptive families with the opening of a new location at 4014 Garden Drive in Fountain City.

As the fifth Compassion Closet in the greater Knoxville area, Melissa Cox, the location’s managing director, said the new store will ultimately provide a means of better serving families who live in more remote cities like Maynardville.

“We’re now able to reach other counties that are close to Fountain City like Union County, where a lot of times these families were driving 30 to 40 minutes to get to the closest closet,” she explained. “And a lot of those outlying counties don’t have the resources and/or the manpower to support the families.”



Filling a need

Compassion Closet began in the basement of Rob and Julie Gillen’s home in 2013. That same year, Cox said she caught wind of the organization after becoming a foster parent herself.

“The tangible needs were very apparent and we learned very quickly how much stuff we needed for the baby we were fostering, so i thought to myself ‘Wouldn’t it be amazing if there was somewhere families could go and get what they needed and not have to incur a ton of money or costs?’ A friend of mine told me the Gillen’s were doing that exact thing in their basement,” she said. “I met Julie there, and we kind of put our ideas together, and that’s really how it started.”

Just a few months later, Compassion Closet relocated from the Gillen’s basement to its first storefront in West Knoxville. In addition to the locations in West Knoxville and North Knoxville, the organization also has stores in South Knoxville, Oak Ridge and Campbell County.

“It just shows the need,” said Cox, noting that Compassion Closet assisted more than 2,500 children last year alone. “Now that we have five locations, we’re typically open at least four to five times a week, so there’s really no reason that families can’t be served within 24 hours of them receiving placement, which is really the heart and the mission of Compassion Closet.”

Because most of the time, she added, there’s no notice in foster care.

“There’s no way you could ever prepare and ever be ready for all the varying ages because kids are coming in as newborns, all the way up to teenagers,” Cox said.


‘One-stop shop’

Each Compassion Closet location offers foster and adoptive families the clothing, gear and supplies required for children of all ages.

compassion closet


“It’s a one-stop shop,” said Cox, naming items like toys, books and convertible car seats. “Families just come and shop and get everything they need for the children in their home.”

Once they’re finished with those items, they can be returned to Compassion Closet to be sent on to another family in need.

While the organization does accept gently used items, Cox emphasized the importance of ensuring that these items are all in pristine condition.

“We want to give these children 100-percent dignity because most of the time they are normally getting the second or third of something, so we want to give first because they’re worth it,” she said. “We want to show them God’s love and show them that they have purpose.”

For those interested in donating, Cox said that Compassion Closet outlines the most needed items for each location on its website. The organization also focuses on a different donation item each month.

Last month, for example, the organization asked for nightlights, while they are now focusing on hygienic items like toothpaste, body wash and shampoo.

“Everyone can do something, and sometimes that something is buying a pack of diapers,” Cox said. “I feel like, as a community, that’s how we can help more families because we all can do something – it could be a little something or it could be a big something.”

For more information about Compassion Closet, visit compassioncloset.com or facebook.com/compassionclosettn.

 















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