Conversations with Amanda Drake

Today we’d like to introduce you to Amanda Drake.

Hi Amanda, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
In 2013, my husband and I received twin 2-year-olds into our home. We were not current foster parents, so we quickly began the training and classes necessary. Because we knew the family of the children, we were able to go through the process very quickly.

However, the situation presented itself so quickly that we were not exactly prepared. Within about three days, we had to come up with beds, dressers, clothes, and many other things. We were able to do this thanks to many of our friends and family. I don’t know what we would’ve done without their support. I now realize that not everyone has the same support.

Years later, a friend of mine became a foster parent. Her needs were similar to ours when we first took in twins. However, she was an “open” foster home meaning children moved in and out of her home periodically, so her needs were always changing. I knew of foster closets in other states and decided that our community could benefit from such an organization.

In 2019, I formed the non-profit, Upper Cumberland Foster Closet, and within the first year, doubled in size. We are now serving 20-40 families per month including about 50 children.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I am happy to say that we have had a relatively smooth journey since opening our doors in 2019. Although the Upper Cumberland Foster Closet is not a religious organization, our assistant director and I are both Christians. We have prayed for this organization and its outreach from the beginning. We have seen God provide in a number of ways including financially, being as we do not have any sponsorship or consistent funding.

We are also so thankful for our amazing community. They continually meet the needs of our local foster families through donations and gifts. We do, however, struggle to have enough volunteers. This is something we would like to work on in 2022.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I have learned that every foster closet is unique. I have talked with many foster closet leaders and learned that we all do things differently and there’s nothing wrong with that. We are all doing our best to meet the needs of the families in our community. The Upper Cumberland Foster Closet has chosen to go above and beyond meeting physical needs such as clothing, shoes, toiletries and do our best to also meet emotional needs. Throughout the year we host different events each with a different focus.

Some of the events focus on the children, where we shower them with love and acceptance and attempt to make them feel special and seen. Other events focus on the parents where we give them a break and an opportunity to fellowship with other foster parents. We do our best to support the foster parents as much as possible because we know and understand how hard their job can be.

Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
I try to do my best to relate to the foster families that we serve even though my experience was a little different. I highly recommend the book “The Connected Child”. This book has helped me understand the needs of children who have been through trauma.

Contact Info:

• Email: ucfostercloset@gmail.com
• Website: www.ucfostercloset.org
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/uppercumberlandfostercloset?utm_medium=copy_link
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UCfostercloset