Hopkinsville Mayor J.R. Knight and Christian County Judge Executive Jerry Gilliam joined Joy Closet members and Kentucky DCBS workers to proclaim May as National Foster Care Awareness Month on Tuesday.
Joy Closet is a Hopkinsville-based nonprofit that supports foster care children and families in the Pennyrile region by providing them with need-based donated items such as clothing, toys and sanitary products.
Knight and Gilliam read a proclamation spotlighting the importance of foster care. Knight says supporting foster care agencies is vital to ensure that the children and adoptive and kinship families they serve have their needs met.
Gilliam says it’s also important to support older youth who transition out of foster care to ensure that they tools needed to be successful adults.
Joy Closet Executive Director, Heather Gray, says it means a lot to have Knight and Gilliam read the proclamation because it shows their support for the services the nonprofit offers.
In 2023, Gray announced her plans for the Hope House, which will house children who have been removed from their homes instead of placing them at a DCBS office. The Hope House will have resources for children and a space for DCBS workers to find placements for them.
Joy Closet broke ground on the Hope House in June 2024, and Gray says the house is set to be operational next month.
More information about Joy Closet and its mission is available at joycloset.org.