Not all of us are blessed with an easy life. For some the basic needs are received with lots of hard work and struggle. Be it home, food, clothes or even a family. However, read the story of this wonderful couple that will bring a smile to your face. Hope we too do our bit and bring a ray of hope in someone’s life.
After realizing her foster girls only had a few items when they arrived into her care, a Georgia mother is starting a free clothes business for children in need. Linda Durrence, 51, of Glennville, plans to open her boutique, Blossom, later this month. It will offer qualifying children with seven entire sets of clothes and shoes each season, as well as after notable size changes, thanks to donations.
‘All we want to do is be the hands and feet of Jesus,’ she expressed, adding that they have already been assisting families ahead of their official launch.
Durrence got the idea for the charitable business when she and her family lost their eldest daughter, who died in a vehicle accident at the age of 27.
She and her husband returned to Glennville with their two girls after the catastrophe. Her children made friends with three sisters in foster care who were staying with another family through their local church.
The Durrences offered to temporarily take in the two youngest sisters until they could be reunited with their grandparents when they realised the girls would be separated into various foster homes. After reaching 18, the eldest sister had recently signed herself out of foster care and was originally hesitant to join the family.
She explained, ‘What God knew we didn’t was that we needed them just as much as they needed us.’
Durrence was astonished by how little their foster daughters owned when they moved into their house. She expressed that her heart broke when she noticed that they came with a garbage bag that was only partly full with garments that didn’t fit them. They had one hairbrush for them all. They did each have a toothbrush, yet they just had like a preliminary size thing of toothpaste. They had no shampoo, no conditioner or anything else.
Durrence and her better half took the young ladies shopping at the end of the week and got all that they could require, yet she really wanted to ponder other non-permanent families who probably won’t have the option to stand to do that.
They soon started seeing positive changes in the girls, who were put in foster care after losing their mother. After a few months, they learned they would be reunited with their grandparents, but they begged to stay in their new home. Durrence and her husband adopted the girls with the blessing of their grandparents. They keep in touch with their grandparents and their older sister, who now lives in the neighbourhood.
The mother never forgot about her dream of opening a boutique for underprivileged children, and when an opportunity arose in a local shopping mall last year, she jumped at it.
While Durrence’s shop was motivated by her encouragement of girls, it’s for any youngster who needs clothing, from babies to seniors in secondary school.
Last month, she posted on Facebook that they are now accepting applications for any child in need, with the promise that they will be allowed to try on clothes during a private meeting.
Durrence said the name for the shop came to her from seeing her foster girls ‘bloom’ under her family’s care. She intends to one day expand the shop to include an education facility to assist foster children with their schoolwork.
‘We just want other foster parents and foster children to know that if everyone pitches in and does a little bit, the trip can be lovely,’ she said.
Share this heartwarming story where after adopting foster daughters this wonderful mom establishes a free store for children in need.
