We're kicking off December with 12 Days of Nonprofits — a 12-day celebration of the many local organizations that provide needed services to our community.
Grace Stocksdale knew she couldn’t change the system, but she decided to help.
Eight years ago, Stocksdale saw firsthand the struggles with foster care while helping with her church at GAP Ministries. That’s when she decided to do something about it.
Stocksdale created More Than A Bed, a nonprofit organization that provides essential items for free to foster, kinship and adoptive families in the foster-care system.
The main focus of More Than A Bed is the children, Stocksdale said. She wants to improve their lives and make them feel good about themselves.
Last year, 2,393 children received essential items from More Than A Bed and the organization served 796 families. Each month, 27 new families experienced More Than A Bed for the first time.
More Than A Bed also provided 426 beds, 1,818 bags of clothing and 6,635 toys to families in 2020.
What started out as nine storage units with bins of items became a warehouse stocked with goodies. Neatly organized clothes for newborns to 18-year-olds fill the warehouse, along with dolls, shoes, books, diapers, strollers and beds. Church groups even make quilts and blankets for the warehouse.
“Foster families can just come in and pick up what they need at no charge, that's the beauty of it,” Stocksdale said. “I want these kids to be happy.”
After serving countless families for years, Stocksdale said she loves to see children get adopted by loving people as well as being able to make a difference in their lives. She said that some parents even tell her they couldn’t have done it without More Than A Bed’s help.
“They don't have to stress over buying a $300 bed or those types of things,” Stocksdale said. “We can provide them with clothes and provide them with shoes. With that little bit of money that we help them with they can now put the child into some extracurricular activities. We want these children to be happy adults.”
Families shop around More Than A Bed's warehouse during last year's holiday event.
When the pandemic hit, More Than A Bed had to adapt to the new normal. The organization had to close down for a bit, but it soon reopened and started doing curbside pickup. When things got a little better, it opened the warehouse back up for appointments only.
“It just knocked the wind out of everybody, including us, but we figured out how to still stay open and still be able to serve the families,” Stocksdale said. “We've gone through the COVID stage and we have survived.”
Since June, the warehouse has fully reopened and families are free to shop around.
One good thing came from the abnormal year: people cleaned out their garages. Stocksdale said this year has been a crazy year for donations. The organization has received everything from new toys and clothes to couches and kitchen tables.
With the holidays right around the corner, Stocksdale is hoping More Than a Bed can be a useful resource for foster-care families. With constantly changing shoe sizes and clothing sizes, Stocksdale believes the warehouse can make their lives less stressful.
“The key is the children,” Stocksdale said. “I want the smiles; I want the hugs. That’s why we do it.”
How to help
If you are looking to help at More Than A Bed, Stocksdale welcomes volunteers of any age. Volunteers can help Stocksdale organize the warehouse and make sure the donations received are up to standard.
Stocksdale also encourages community members to donate gently used clothing, shoes, books and toys for the warehouse. Monetary donations are also accepted.
“It takes a village and we are a part of it,” Stocksdale said.
