The story of Clothed by Faith; where it began and how it has evolved.

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 South East Houston Branch in Deer Park which was founded and is managed by Melinda Stephenson (read Melinda’s story here).  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.  We often 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.

We need your help to sustain our ministry, to help those who desperately need our help - infants, children and adults alike.  Please consider donating toward this worthy cause:  $25 will clothe a person for an entire week.  Thank you in advance for your much needed and appreciated support.

Abi, Audrey and Susanne