Foster, Kinship & Adoptive Families Depend on Jose's Closet
Jose’s Closet started in 2009 in the loving memory of Jose, a foster child whose dying wish was not to be forgotten. Our founder, Wendy Esquibel, started Jose's Closet in honor of this special child who was taken years before his time.
Wendy started Jose's Closet to help other foster families find the items they needed for the children who arrived in their homes with little to no belongings. What began in a spare closet has expanded to fill over 20,000 square feet of retail space - and we continue to grow!
Many foster children arrive at a new home with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Without the most basic of necessities, such as writing utensils, notebooks, or even textbooks, foster students are at a serious educational disadvantage when compared to the other children. Jose’s Closet’s goal for the upcoming school year is to provide every foster child who is registered with the organization with a backpack filled with school supplies. This will serve to provide these special children with the basic building blocks to a promising education. Jose’s Closet believes that serving the whole family is the best way to serve the foster child. As a result, Jose’s Closet will provide not only school supplies and backpacks to the foster child but also to the other children in the family unit. Members of Jose’s Closet are required to sign a contract stating that any item given to the child from Jose’s Closet will go with the child. This will ensure that the supplies and backpacks will stay with the child and assist them with their school achievements, even if they move to another placement.
Jose’s Closet is a nonprofit 501c-3 organization serving foster, kinship, and adoptive families throughout Arizona. The funding Jose’s Closet is requesting will directly benefit foster, kinship, and adoptive children & their families.
Jose's Closet provides items needed to make foster children feel welcome in their new home and to meet their everyday needs, such as; diapers, clothes, shoes, toys & games, books, baby equipment, strollers, food, and more. We support the entire family, not limited to the child in foster care. We feel that the best way to support children that need our help is by supporting the whole family's needs.
Several times a year, members are invited to shop (at no cost) for head-to-toe clothing for each household member. We have seasonal giveaways such as Back-to-School (backpacks and school supplies) and Holiday events (new toys, bicycles, wagons, etc.).
We offer infant formula and diapers and operate a growing food pantry with access to pantry items and fresh produce, refrigerated ready-made sandwiches, salads, frozen meat, eggs, dairy products, bakery items, etc., at no charge.
Our resource center is staffed by both outside volunteers/groups and member volunteers. Volunteers sort and organize donated items, make them available for our families, and assist with keeping our facility neat and clean.
Our program requires financial support to help cover diaper bank supplies, our large giveaway operations, and operational costs, including rent, utilities, insurance, shelving & clothing racks, delivery truck expenses, refrigeration, our small support staff, informational material, fundraising efforts, and other overhead costs.
Our goal is to begin offering accessible hours for working families and those who have to travel long distances to access our facility by expanding hours of operation from 5 hours a day, 4 days a week, to hopefully offering 8 hours of access 6 days a week. To reach this goal, Jose's Closet needs financial support.
Jose’s Closet started in 2009 in the loving memory of Jose, a foster child whose dying wish was not to be forgotten. Our founder, Wendy Esquibel, started Jose's Closet in honor of this special child who was taken years before his time.
Wendy started Jose's Closet to help other foster families find the items they needed for the children who arrived in their homes with little to no belongings. What began in a spare closet has expanded to fill over 20,000 square feet of retail space - and we continue to grow!
Many foster children arrive at a new home with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Without the most basic of necessities, such as writing utensils, notebooks, or even textbooks, foster students are at a serious educational disadvantage when compared to the other children. Jose’s Closet’s goal for the upcoming school year is to provide every foster child who is registered with the organization with a backpack filled with school supplies. This will serve to provide these special children with the basic building blocks to a promising education. Jose’s Closet believes that serving the whole family is the best way to serve the foster child. As a result, Jose’s Closet will provide not only school supplies and backpacks to the foster child but also to the other children in the family unit. Members of Jose’s Closet are required to sign a contract stating that any item given to the child from Jose’s Closet will go with the child. This will ensure that the supplies and backpacks will stay with the child and assist them with their school achievements, even if they move to another placement.
Jose’s Closet is a nonprofit 501c-3 organization serving foster, kinship, and adoptive families throughout Arizona. The funding Jose’s Closet is requesting will directly benefit foster, kinship, and adoptive children & their families.
Jose's Closet provides items needed to make foster children feel welcome in their new home and to meet their everyday needs, such as; diapers, clothes, shoes, toys & games, books, baby equipment, strollers, food, and more. We support the entire family, not limited to the child in foster care. We feel that the best way to support children that need our help is by supporting the whole family's needs.
Several times a year, members are invited to shop (at no cost) for head-to-toe clothing for each household member. We have seasonal giveaways such as Back-to-School (backpacks and school supplies) and Holiday events (new toys, bicycles, wagons, etc.).
We offer infant formula and diapers and operate a growing food pantry with access to pantry items and fresh produce, refrigerated ready-made sandwiches, salads, frozen meat, eggs, dairy products, bakery items, etc., at no charge.
Our resource center is staffed by both outside volunteers/groups and member volunteers. Volunteers sort and organize donated items, make them available for our families, and assist with keeping our facility neat and clean.
Our program requires financial support to help cover diaper bank supplies, our large giveaway operations, and operational costs, including rent, utilities, insurance, shelving & clothing racks, delivery truck expenses, refrigeration, our small support staff, informational material, fundraising efforts, and other overhead costs.
Our goal is to begin offering accessible hours for working families and those who have to travel long distances to access our facility by expanding hours of operation from 5 hours a day, 4 days a week, to hopefully offering 8 hours of access 6 days a week. To reach this goal, Jose's Closet needs financial support.
Your generous donation not only goes to help foster, adoptive and kinship families but ALSO is eligible for the Arizona QFCO Tax Credit!
Arizona taxpayers may donate $500 per person to a Qualified Charitable Foster Care Organization - and claim a dollar-for-dollar credit when their annual taxes are due! Learn more here!
Arizona allows you to make donations directly to qualifying organizations and receive a dollar-for-dollar tax credit against your Arizona State Income Tax liability.* Arizona allows you to choose to pay the state or donate directly to the qualified charitable organization of your choice. As a Qualified Foster Care Organization, you can donate $500 (individual) or $1,000 (married, filing jointly) to Jose's Closet as an Arizona Tax Credit Donation.
Wouldn't you rather direct your tax dollars directly to Jose's Closet to help Arizona's most vulnerable children? Jose's Closet was recently featured on 12 News, watch here to see the impact of your dollars and why giving matters.
Jose's Closet can only operate with the assistance of generous people like you. Thank you for your support!
QFCO#10040