Today we’d like to introduce you to Melinda Stephenson. They and their team shared their story with us below:
Clothed by Faith began with humble origins: A young woman with a servant’s heart, an empty garage, and a tower of black trash bags filled with donated clothing from a local ministry. As the daughter of an immigrant family Abi Fourie knew only too well what it was like to live on the poverty line without adequate clothing, the feeling of isolation and exposure not only to the elements but also to the unkind words of others. She knew true hardship. In the summer of 2013, Abi felt called by the Lord to reach out to the underserved in Katy and decided to reach out to citizens walking the same path that she had experienced as a little girl, struggling without enough to wear and all the stigma and side-effects that go alongside. Abi felt led to show God’s love by providing clothing to children at risk and those living in poverty. She was shocked at how great the need in such an affluent community as Katy.
During that same year, Abi, a London girl, met two Scottish sisters at a Katy community social event where she was presenting her concept to an expatriate group interested in creating a fundraiser to help her get started with her mission to serve the needy. Audrey Hosie and Susanne Hewson were among the guests and approached Abi after her presentation. Together they began to develop a plan that would take Abi’s idea and turn it into a long-term project supported by the necessary infrastructure to attract volunteers, apply for funding, and establish a presence in the community. Abi’s marketing and PR background inspired a unique professional brand; Susanne’s financial skills formed the basis of an essential treasury and general management function, while Audrey’s operational skills devised meticulous warehouse procedures that underpin the entire sorting, bagging, and distribution process.
Clothed by Faith grew organically from that day in the garage, transitioning slowly to a storage unit, then to a small unit in Mason Creek business park without either natural light nor air conditioning, and then to humble new beginnings in a larger unit on Dominion Drive, owned by Kingsland Baptist Church. After renovations in 2018, the Dominion Drive address now includes three adjacent units most of which are dedicated to sorting and storage, a shared office for administrative support, and an area for volunteers to take breaks and refuel. Volunteers are at the heart of Clothed by Faith, and the organization prides itself on providing a clean and respectful environment for all its helpers. One of the keys to the success of Clothed by Faith is its unusually polished volunteer program which includes detailed training videos, practical support in the warehouse, and a culture of ongoing volunteer appreciation that is unique to CBF founders and the way they work with others.
Today Clothed by Faith comprises two branches – our Katy branch on Dominion and our Southeast Houston Branch in Deer Park, which was founded by our Executive Director, Melinda Stephenson. The mission of both branches is the same – to seek out those who need us the most and provide them with new or gently used clothing. Since 2013 we have served over 108,000 children and adults across the Greater Houston Area. We do this by working with other charitable organizations whom we refer to as agencies or partners. Our donated clothing is gently used but always respectable and clean, and our undergarments and socks are always brand new. Those we serve are in need of clothing for a multitude of unrelated reasons: The person receiving your donated clothing could be one of your neighbors who has fallen on hard times, a teenager in sheltered accommodation, or a foster family needing assistance with an intake of children. These are just three of dozens of different circumstances that lead to destitution.
Melinda Stephenson Story
In February 2016, I ordered some goal-setting tools called “Powersheets” and started answering questions about myself and my interests. I wrote down “clothing ministry” and added some ideas about what I thought that might look like. I even wrote down a name, ‘Dylan’s Closet.’ However, one of my sons was a senior in high school that year, and that ended up taking priority, so I put the ministry idea on hold.
Later that year, I was scrolling Facebook and saw a picture of a friend with Abi Morton, who had a ministry called Clothed By Faith. I remembered my clothing ministry idea and decided to find out more about her ministry. I met with Abi and toured their facility. It was very organized and had great systems in place. At the end of our meeting, Abi told me if I started my own ministry, she would gladly share what worked and didn’t work for her. She had been praying about how to start a branch in our area and suggested that I open one; I would be able to open under Clothed by Faith 501(c)3 status and would be funded through them also.
Clothed By Faith Southeast Houston started in my garage but quickly moved to three spaces inside Best Storage on Spencer. In July, we moved to part of a space rented by The Refuge Resale Shop. Then Hurricane Harvey came and moved into the gym at Deer Park First Baptist which allowed us to serve a large amount of people quickly. The gym was set up as a “store,” and people were able to get clothing for each family member. We operated from this location through October. The church then graciously gave us a lot of unused space upstairs above their gym, and that is where we are still based. Having a rent-free space has been an amazing blessing!
Since opening in 2017, our branch has served over 24,000 people! We have an amazing team of volunteers. There is a core team who is there almost every day we are open and another group who volunteers once or twice a week. NONE of this would be possible without these wonderful volunteers.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
We have had some struggles along the way. In the beginning, Clothed by Faith operated with a majority of volunteers. In 2019 we began operating with a small staff in addition to a large volunteer team. Like everyone else, 2020 was a huge struggle. While our staff was able to work, we did not have the same amount of volunteers. Many of our volunteers did not come back after COVID. We have an amazing Volunteer Team, but the reduced number has affected the amount of people we are able to serve.
We’ve been impressed with Clothed by Faith, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
The mission of Clothed by Faith is to demonstrate God’s love through the provision of gently used clothing to those in need. Our objective is simple, to give one week’s worth of clothing, free of charge, to anyone in need. Our volunteers and staff customize a week’s worth of gently used clothing, shoes, new underwear, and new socks for each child or adult. The clothing and shoes are carefully sorted, selected, and packaged in a gift bag specifically for each client in a manner that offers them confidence, hope, and dignity.
We are very picky about the quality of the clothing we give. It is important to us that the children and adults receiving clothing feel seen and loved when they unpack their bag. We don’t want to just give them a bag of clothes, we want them to have a gift that offers hope and dignity. This sets us apart from other organizations that provide clothing.
Since 2013, Clothed by Faith has served over 109,000 children and adults across the Greater Houston area. In 2022 we gave clothing to 17,366 children and adults.
Agencies and Schools want to be able to provide clothing for their clients or students who are struggling to meet their expenses, but the organizations often have limited resources and capacity with all the other services they provide. Clothed by Faith is a resource that provides a week’s worth of clothing and shoes to those in need through nonprofits and schools.
The Agency Partnership Program currently has 91 agency partners in the Houston area. These agencies work with clients dealing with many different issues. These issues include domestic violence, child abuse, homelessness, immigration, refugee resettlement, prison, victims’ assistance, veterans, mental health, and more.
One of our Agency Partners had this to say about working with Clothed by Faith:
“Having Clothed by Faith as a resource helps CPS assist in meeting the most basic needs of the vulnerable children and families we serve on a daily basis. We work with a lot of children and families who live in poverty and need help with finding clothes for their children or themselves. I previously worked with a family who was struggling to keep afloat due to the rising cost of living. Although both parents worked, they temporarily ended up in a homeless shelter. The family needed winter coats and winter clothes, and when I placed the order with Clothed by Faith and brought the purple bag of clothes with the child’s name on it, her face lit up. She even got a sweater with a unicorn on it and couldn’t believe Clothed by Faith knew exactly what she wanted. I believe little acts of kindness can bring comfort to those in need, and I believe Clothed by Faith does that for the community.”
Through our School Partnership Program, Clothed by Faith partners with 19 school districts across the Greater Houston Area as a resource to provide clothing for students and their families. Clothed by Faith utilizes two programs to meet these needs – Online School Partner Requests and Closets for Schools.
One of our school partners had this to say about the impact of clothing for her students. “Clothed by Faith is such a blessing to our students and their families. They help alleviate some of the problems that schools have by providing uniforms to our students. Children who are in uniform have better punctuality and attendance rates. Their self-confidence and school spirit increases knowing that their peers are dressed like them. Children can often tell their social economic status based on the clothing they are wearing, and this becomes a basis for bullying and discrimination. When provided with uniforms, our students become focused on their education and not on what they are wearing or what their parents can and cannot afford. Overall, having Clothed by Faith in our community and more so on our school campus, where they offer a closet for readily available uniforms, is such a blessing.”
We also serve individuals and families across the Houston area throughout the year and through special shopping events and coat giveaways.
The easiest way to get involved is to donate clothing. We are always looking for new volunteers who want to make a difference in the lives of those in need.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
The quality of the clothing we give, the amount we give, and the way we package it for each individual person is the most impactful part of what we do. Our agency partners and school partners always tell us how important this is for the children and adults they serve. It is what sets us apart from other organizations.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.clothedbyfaith.org
- Instagram: @clothedbyfaithtx
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/clothedbyfaithorg
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/clothed-by-faith
- Twitter: @clothedbyfaith
