Inside the Wisconsin Foster Closet, Where Hope Is Always in Stock

Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Tammy Wood-Garr. Read her story, and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.

The journey into foster care is often marked by upheaval and uncertainty for a child, but thanks to people like Tammy Wood-Garr, that transition is being softened with dignity and care. Tammy is not just the director, she’s also the dedicated founder of the Wisconsin Foster Closet, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization born from a profound personal understanding. The Closet’s mission is powerful: to provide essential items like clothing, hygiene supplies, diapers and school supplies to children entering the foster and kinship care system—all at absolutely no cost. This ensures that children, during their most vulnerable moments, feel valued, supported and cared for.

The inspiration to create this essential resource sprung directly from the lived experience of Tammy and her husband, Joshua, as foster parents. They witnessed firsthand the immediate and often overwhelming need for basic necessities when a child arrives in a new home. This personal insight fueled a determination to fill that gap. Today, Tammy shoulders the responsibility for the entirety of the organization’s day-to-day operations. Her workweek often stretches from 40 to 60 hours, sometimes more during the busy Christmas season, dedicating herself to tasks that range from the high-level (like searching for funding, grants and sponsors, and speaking at community events) to the everyday practical (like personally washing, sorting and organizing clothing and other donations.)

The reach of the Wisconsin Foster Closet is impressive, serving children across the entire state, but maintaining a concentrated effort on families within 14 surrounding counties including Dunn, Eau Claire, Chippewa and St. Croix. Tammy is the main point of contact, consistently meeting with foster and kinship families to offer direct support. This aid goes beyond material items; it’s a critical support system that helps social workers maintain placements and relieves significant stress and financial burden on the families opening their homes.

Ultimately, Tammy’s dedication allows caregivers to spend less time worrying about acquiring necessities and more time doing what truly matters: bonding with and loving the children they take in. Her tireless efforts ensure that every item, from a fresh outfit to a Christmas gift, helps restore comfort and dignity.

Tell us about your volunteer role.

I started this organization out of my home in 2013 with the hopes of helping a few local children. Eventually, we found the need was much bigger. We had some amazing volunteers who came together and helped us grow it significantly. In 2018, we officially became a nonprofit with our 501(c)(3) status and acquired what we call a “storefront,” where children can come and “shop” for their clothes. Everything here is 100% donated and 100% volunteer-run. Nobody, including myself as the director and founder, is paid a salary. It’s an amazing blessing. We thought we’d only help a few, and we’ve ended up helping thousands of children.

Foster families, kinship families or social workers can reach out to us, and people can donate to get what they need. We receive donors and sponsors that deliver new or gently used clothing. If it’s used, we wash it to ensure it is ready for the children to wear. We are available 24 hours a day. If we get a call at two or three o’clock in the morning, we’ll meet the families to give them at least a week’s worth of clothing, personal hygiene items, a brand-new blanket, a stuffed animal and anything else they can use going into the foster and kinship care system. As well as our regular services, we do a Secret Santa program where children from all over sign up, and we match them up with a sponsor so they get a little extra Christmas love.

What inspired you to get started with this initiative?

I’ve been a treatment foster parent for many years now, and my husband and I discovered that most of the kids who come into care arrive only with what they’re wearing. Sometimes, in certain situations, they can’t even keep those items because they may come from a home with drugs or other hazards. So, they’re forced into a traumatic situation, leaving everything they have. Whether the memories are good or bad, they still leave with nothing. They go into a home where they know nobody and have nothing, and that just adds more and more trauma. Opening this program was our way of ensuring that children would be met with compassion and love, and know that they are seen and valued. They receive something tangible of their own that they can take from place to place. We make sure every child has a suitcase as well.

This situation is also hard for the foster and kinship families. They are taking on one, sometimes two, three or five kids who are new to their house, and they have to buy completely new wardrobes, toys and other items. It’s economically stressful on them as well. Most families don’t receive a clothing stipend, and if they do, it’s a maximum of $250 per child, one time in their lifetime. If they’ve been placed in care multiple times, they don’t get that help again.

What are your long-term plans or goals for the organization?

We’re going to be opening up a support group for foster families. They’ll be able to come in and have a network of families that truly understand what they’re going through. It will be a safe place to talk, communicate, get resources and have childcare available so they can just have that necessary decompression time. We would also love to be able to buy our own, larger building. A bigger space would allow us to provide extra beds, mattresses and dressers—things that are urgently needed when we get that last-minute sibling placement.

My personal dream is to someday open up a transition home for young adults who are aging out of the foster system. This would prevent them from being thrown onto the streets or ending up in our prison systems. They could actually have a house to go to where they’ll have mentors and sponsors who will teach them essential life skills: how to set up appointments, how to apply for jobs and how to fill out college applications. Crucially, they’ll have that family connection—a place they can go for the holidays. That’s my ultimate dream.

What’s been the most rewarding part of your work?

It’s seeing the stories that come in. You know, the child who has never been to a store and says, “I can’t buy anything. I can’t afford this,” and then being able to let them know, “You pick out whatever you want.” They come in, heads hanging low with tears in their eyes, and then after that interaction, you can see this look of pure joy wash over their faces. When they leave, they have a suitcase, a backpack, school supplies—a whole new reality is taking shape just in those few minutes they are there. They’re successful, they’re smiling and you see that ray of hope in their faces, and the relief in the foster families’ and kinship families’ faces.

It’s those moments that we look back on when we’re struggling for sponsors and donors, when we’re wondering, “Oh my gosh, are we going to make it through next month? Are we going to be able to afford this?” Even though all of us work for free, we still have to pay for rent, utilities, laundry supplies and other unmet needs. But looking at those stories and being able to see those faces in our heads is what gets us through the day.

What have you learned through your experiences volunteering?

You have to trust and rely on your volunteers and your board to help carry the weight. You don’t have to do everything yourself. Put that time aside for your family; always put your family first.

Even on those days where you feel like you’re losing faith in humanity, that’s when it’s going to hit you the hardest, but you’re also going to see amazing support.

You know, right now, with kinship families losing their SNAP benefits, we have so many people worried about food. We’ve had people set up food banks and pop-up clothing shelters and reaching out, asking, “How can we help?” Bringing in grocery gift cards. It’s just amazing to see. There are so many people out there who want to help. They just need to know what resources are out there to be able to do so.

Why is it important for others to get involved with causes they care about?

I think everybody has a cause they care about, whether it’s children, substance abuse, animals… Volunteering makes you feel good, and it brings a sense of community. It opens doors for meeting new people that you would never meet in any other way. You’re doing so many good things. You can only better yourself by bettering other people.

Any advice for people who want to start volunteering?

My advice is to reach out to an organization that shares your beliefs, do some research and set up an appointment to volunteer. Or start by just walking in and talking to the people who work there. Sometimes people just go in and volunteer for a day. Sometimes you can make it a regular thing. Our organization doesn’t survive without people like you who are donating, sponsoring and volunteering. We truly have the best volunteers and board that I could ever ask for.

Do you want to make a difference in your community like Tammy? Find local volunteer opportunities.