Kelly and Bruce Button of Wallace thought their foster parenting days were over once they moved from New York to North Carolina to care for Kelly’s elderly parents in their final years.
But their daughter said she wanted a sister, so the couple took the Journey foster parenting classes through Boys & Girls Homes of North Carolina. After fostering dozens of children through the agency, the Buttons noticed another need in their community – a place where foster parents could get needed items for free for foster children who were new to their homes. The closest foster closets to them were in Wilmington or Fayetteville. Again, they realized they could help and opened a foster closet in September in a large metal garage on their property.
The Buttons call their ministry Hearts for Homes Community Foster Closet. It runs under the 501 c-3 of their church Poston Baptist Church and serves foster parents in Duplin, Pender, Sampson and Onslow counties. Kelly said she began seriously considering how to open the closet in June. Today, Hearts for Homes is filled with children’s clothes for all ages, shoes, mattresses, cribs, small beds, car seats, children’s bikes and shelves and shelves of toys. Someone even donated a giant pink dollhouse.
In their time as foster parents, new foster children have come to the Buttons without shoes or they immediately needed a car seat for an infant and had to scramble to find one.
“I want the kids to have something of their own,” Kelly said. “I want to make it easy for foster parents because when that phone rings they can say yes because we can just go get what we need today. You don’t have to worry about it because you can get it today.”
Deacon Tony Horne of Poston Baptist Church was happy to spread the word about the Button’s ministry.
“The first time meeting her I could see in her eyes that this was something the Lord had placed on her heart,” he said at the foster closet ribbon cutting. “This is amazing to see especially knowing now that the word is getting out. I know that the Lord’s word is also getting out because he’ll bless those coming in and also those going out.”
In about 45 days, the Buttons were astounded to see daily donations pouring in, and they realized the closet was full enough to open. They would go to sleep and find piles of new items donated on their front step in the morning. To contact the Buttons with donations or if you are a foster parent in need, call 518-369-2164 or email kbuttonsales@gmail.com.
