Georgia mom, who lost her eldest child in a car accident, is turning her tragedy into something positive by opening a clothing shop for children in need.
Blossom Boutique was officially opened on February 20, though it has been helping many children since its inception.
Linda Durrence, 51 years old, founder of Blossom, said to Fox News Digital, that the store will provide seven full sets for children in need with clothing and shoes at no cost. The store will offer seven new sets of clothing every quarter to families for any size change or change in season.
Durrence had lost her eldest daughter Kristin in a December 2016 car accident. She came up with the idea of the boutique. She was only 27.
After her death, the Durrences moved back to Glenville with their two other daughters and began attending a local church.
They quickly became friends with three foster sister sisters, who shared their home with another family that attended the same church as them. They learned in 2018 that the sisters would be moving to another foster home and were being separated.
Durrence and her spouse decided to take in two younger girls, Juanita (Princessa) and Juanita (Juanita), until they could return home to Florida. The eldest sister, who was now 18 years old, left foster care.
In September 2018, the two younger sisters moved into the family’s home. Durrence said there was one thing she’d never forget about that day.
“The first thing that broke my heart was that they came with a trash bag that wasn’t even halfway full with clothes that didn’t fit them,” she recalled.
“They had one hairbrush. Although they did have one toothbrush, they had only one tube of toothpaste. They had no shampoo, no conditioner, no nothing.”
The couple took the girls shopping on Saturday and bought everything they needed.
As the girls settled into their new home, they noticed positive changes, with Durrence saying that they just “blossomed.”
After a few more months, Juanita & Princessa were to be reunited at their grandparents. However, they loved their home so much they asked to stay. They didn’t want to move around anymore.
Durrence and her spouse adopted the girls with permission from their grandparents in May 2019. The family kept in close contact with the sisters’ grandparents. The older sister lives with them now.
Durrence recalled the trash bags they brought with their first move in.
She said they were “financially blessed” enough to afford the sisters’ needs and wants, but Durrence understands it’s not the same for all foster families.
That’s when she started Blossom, a boutique for children in need. The clothing store is currently a free one-stop shop that relies on donations, and has received a lot of help.
The boutique’s name came from the transformation they saw in their adopted daughters.
“We watched them blossom and that’s where the name came from,” Durrence explained. “And what our hope is, is with Blossom, that it goes far beyond just kids coming to get clothes.”
While Blossom is only recently opened, Durrence already has her sights set on the future. She plans to open an education centre to help foster children stay on track in school. This center would also offer foster parents the resources they need in order to support their children.
“We just want other foster parents to know and foster children to know that the journey can be beautiful if everybody just pitches in and does a little bit,” Durrence said.
You don’t have to be a foster child to shop at Blossom; just a child in need of clothes. Durrence will make sure the store has the right size for you. Shoppers should schedule an appointment. It’s also to give them a private shopping experience because some kids get embarrassed.
This is a wonderful initiative that could help many families, especially during this epidemic. To learn more, you can follow Blossom on Facebook.
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