SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — An organization dedicated to helping children in foster care has a new home in Sioux Falls.

After serving a record number of kids in need in 2022, The Closet by The Foster Network was in desperate need of additional space. The organization found what it was looking for on South Cliff Avenue.

“This space is three to five times bigger than our previous location,” The Closet Executive Director Holly Christensen said.

The 7,000-square foot location includes eight clothing rooms, a variety of work, play, and educational areas, and the ability to better serve foster families.

“This location is going to allow us to offer training and education for families, offer spaces to host our own events instead of doing all those outside of our facility, and just allow us to grow in other ways,” Christensen said.

“We’re going from foster parents and kiddos shopping out of banker boxes to everything being hung up and it’s more like a real shopping experience with different rooms for different sizes and genders,” volunteer Chelsea Jorgensen said.

Chelsea Jorgensen volunteers at The Closet, which is currently only assisting families with emergency placements but hopes to reopen by the end of May.

“We need help to get it going and running again. We have lots of foster parents already asking when they can come in to get summer clothes for their kids and it’s just not possible yet,” Jorgensen said.

As The Closet relocates, The Foster Network is preparing for its annual gala, which is the non-profit’s biggest fundraiser of the year.

“The money that we raise during that, it’s our main fundraiser, so then we know what our budget is for the next year going forward, how much more we can expand, how much more we can do for the families in the area,” Jorgensen said.

“It will allow us to grow programs that we need to grow to meet the gaps of the community for the foster families and also allow us to expand some of the current programs,” Christensen said.

All for the benefit of kids.

The Foster Network’s annual gala is Tuesday, May 9th at The Social in Sioux Falls.