Macomb Foster Closet seeks donations as nonprofit for foster children moves into bigger building

MT. CLEMENS, Mich. (FOX 2) - Marsha Kumpuris stocks the shelves at the Macomb Foster Closet, where she's been volunteering here for the past two years, and she gets emotional when she talks about it.

"It's touched my heart. I'm sorry I'm crying but it does, it just makes me feel good to know these kids that are behind the eight-ball can feel some warmth, can feel dignity. They have clothing that fits them, that's clean, it doesn't have holes, there's no rips, no stains," she said.

For almost a decade the Macomb Foster Closet has been in this space at a former school. Now that building is closing, and they're relocating to a 5,000-square-foot building on Main Street, where they will be able to stock even more clothing and supplies for children in foster care.

"Our goal is as soon as they come in to care, the very first day they come in to care, they have every single thing they need to go to school the very next day and be successful," Fred Huebner said.

For volunteer Fred Huebner this is deeply personal. He and his spouse have fostered many children and adopted a son as well.

He remembers vividly their first fosters, the two young brothers who arrived one night with just the tattered clothes on their backs. The clothing closet opened its doors late at night to get them ready for school the next day.

"We were having a cold spell. It was about 10 degrees below zero. They had absolutely nothing. Their shoes were covered in duct tape, all their clothes were dirty and torn," he said. "Our children came in,  picked out all their own stuff, so they were happy with what they got."

It's just one of the success stories of the 2,000 foster children who come through their doors each year.

The dedicated volunteers and community support are what make this all work. For example, a local church just donated.

Now, with the move to their new building, they will have much more space and be able to help even more children.

"We sometimes have to turn down donations because we don't have enough room for them and so we're looking forward to this move, but we really need the community's help to make it happen," Huebner said.

They've already raised nearly $200,000 and need to raise another $700,000 to pay off the building over the next 10 years, but there is a more immediate need.

"Right now, the immediate need right now, this year between now and summertime is we need to raise about $200,000 to complete the move to make the renovations," said

They are collecting donations here, and hope that the community will wrap its arms around this amazing all-volunteer nonprofit.

"When we as a society take a child out of a home because they're unsafe we then, collectively as the community, are responsible for that child, and that's what the Macomb Foster Closet is," Huebener said.