“Hi, Moriah! We know you aren’t licensed for older kids, but we’re wondering if you could take in an 8-year-old?”

And just like that, my foster care journey had begun. In the hours before Anthony’s arrival, I rushed around like a madwoman, shopping for clothes, shoes, and kid-friendly food. During that chaos, I remember thinking, “How cool would it be if there was an organization that could drop off everything that I needed for Anthony so I didn’t have to scramble to find things before he arrives?”

When Anthony did arrive, he walked through my front door with nothing but a trash bag full of clothes that were too big and smelled like smoke. I was glad that I had the time before to shop for clothes, but I knew this wouldn’t always be the case. This was proven true when just a few short months later, I received a call for a newborn, with literally no time to prepare.

It was during this time that the idea behind There’s Always Room was born. As I got to know my local foster care community, I found a large group of families who needed tangible support, especially during their first week with a new placement. I began to accumulate used clothing, bottles, packs of diapers, and other items that people had donated to me. And, as my new foster friends welcomed children into their home, I was able to give them these items. 

Soon, my hoard of items exceeded my apartment and I purchased a storage unit. But even that was soon outgrown and my church graciously let me use a large room for storage in their basement. Now, three years after my own foster care journey started, I am honored to be able to serve foster parents in Ingham County.

There’s Always Room was founded to ease the transition for foster parents welcoming new children into their home. Our "foster closet" provides all items a child may need when they enter foster care. Every child deserves a safe and loving home, and we believe that there is always room to help children in foster care.

Thank you for being here and for serving children in foster care.

Love,

Moriah Bowman

P.S. That sweet kid with glasses in the pictures? That’s Anthony! After almost three years in foster care (1 year of that spent in my home), my parents adopted Anthony! He was once my son, and now he’s my brother!