Oakland County foster care charity needs donations to continue work

FARMINGTON, Mich. (FOX 2) - A program that helps hundreds of children in Oakland County going through foster care is in desperate need of some help of its own -- or it may soon be forced to close its doors.

"I actually fostered for 10 years and every foster child who came to me had nothing," said Michele Austin.

Foster care charity in Farmington Hills needs donations

To keep its doors open, a foster care program in Oakland County needs some help.

As a former foster mom, Michelle realized foster parents needed their own help to help the children they were caring for, so she started collecting items for a foster closet at her house -- and the items poured in.

The Oakland County Foster Closet was born. In 2015, it moved to an office complex on Farmington Road in Farmington. It provides everything a child might need from diapers to books to school supplies. They even have clothing and coats, but this space comes at a cost -- like $800 a month for rent just to keep doors open. Right now, the organization is in need of major support.

"We have zero funds. We do not have enough money to pay the rent," Austin said.

If the organization closes, one mom who currently has six foster kids believes a much-needed resource will be missing in the community.

"This place, countless times, allowed our family to not just be clothed but for our kids, who have lost so much, to have dignity in the clothes that they have," said Liz Mietling.

Organizers say the money they take in does not go toward salaries because they are operated by volunteers only.