History
Elijah’s Closet (EC) began in 2015 by providing free tangible items, such as clothing and car seats, to foster families for their new placements. In 2017, a group of like-minded individuals came together and formed EC’s Board of Members. The organization began growing at a rapid pace and became a 501(c)(3) in February of 2018. EC began its operations out of a single storage unit and worked its way up to three units before moving into a rented building located in North Gulfport. Community sponsors assist in covering the organization’s monthly overhead costs.
The organization was initially created to assist foster families with first-time placements. We have
expanded our reach and now find ourselves primarily assisting partner organizations such as the
Mississippi Department of Child Protective Services (MDCPS), Canopy Children’s Solutions, Youth
Villages, etc. with prevention and reunification cases through referrals. In addition to these dynamic
partners, we also accept referrals from local schools, churches, etc.
Many people inquire about the story behind the name Elijah. In 2009, one of our founders gave birth to a beautiful baby boy named Elijah who passed away from Partial Trisomy 22q. Naming “The Closet” after him is our way of honoring the time he was with us and it represents the desire to make a positive difference in this world. Elijah’s time on Earth may not have been long, but it was impactful.
