For nearly nine years, Elizabeth Maize has been a dedicated and compassionate volunteer at the Foster & Adoptive Care Coalition. With a professional background in merchandising, Elizabeth honed her skills while working with major corporations like May Merchandising Co. and Maritz. Her extensive experience in the retail industry has given her a unique perspective on what it takes to run a successful, large-scale operation, making her an invaluable asset to the Coalition.
“One summer, I donated a few clothes to ReFresh,” Elizabeth recalled. “While I was there, I noticed the volunteer sign and mentioned that I had spent my entire career in merchandising. I immediately felt drawn to the mission and knew it was the perfect opportunity to volunteer and put my skills to use.”
As a volunteer at ReFresh, Elizabeth helped with setting up retail window displays, merchandising the sales floor, conducting annual inventory, and even filling in as a part-time manager when the Coalition was short staffed. “I just keep doing more. I like to call myself a ‘utility’ player,” Elizabeth smiled. In March 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our ReFresh boutique fully shut down to the public, but did not stop helping those impacted by foster care.
“Even during the pandemic, we made sure to keep supporting kids and families with what they needed,” Elizabeth shared. “I helped the ReFresh team assemble packages for families who reached out. Each package included a basic ‘starter kit’—things like socks, underwear, shirts, pants, coats, hats, shoes, and more. These packages were then delivered directly to the families.” The amount and type of donations ReFresh received was also impacted by the pandemic. The team quickly realized there was a need for a resource specifically for older youth—one that would offer a special shopping experience with more than the retail store.
In addition to ReFresh, the Coalition maintains ReSource, which provides free clothing for newborns all the way up to youth sizes 18/20. Located in the lower level of Coalition’s building, this shopping area is only available to foster and adoptive families.
“Michelle, the ReFresh Manager, saw the need to set aside popular teen items separately from the sales floor,” Elizabeth explained. “At first, we used a small storage room, but it wasn’t inviting or designed for shopping. I wanted to transform the concept into a mini boutique, so I began searching for a new space and shared my idea with Melissa, the Director of ReFresh.”
The project took a while to begin, but Elizabeth stayed both hopeful and persistent. “One day, I came in and saw Melissa cleaning out a room for me,” Elizabeth said. “I honestly couldn’t have made any of this happen without the support of Melissa and her team. They helped me put up shelving, and Melissa painted the walls and cleaned the space.”
Elizabeth personally funded the décor to transform the room into a space where older youth would feel safe and comfortable while shopping and trying on clothes. “The most important thing for me was creating a space where kids felt like it was truly for them,” Elizabeth said.
And we’d say: mission accomplished! Our Teen Room opened in June 2024, just before the new school year, and it’s already a community favorite. It offers a variety of clothing, shoes, accessories, hygiene products, and even a fitting room.
“One of my favorite parts is interacting with the kids,” Elizabeth said. “I had two twin boys, age 16, come in. I had helped them pick out items right before Christmas. They were so excited and came [to the Teen Room] directly after school because they wanted to see if we had any new sweatshirts and pajamas in,” Elizabeth smiled. “The kids always request to shop downstairs first. It really does make me feel good.”
Our Teen Room is carefully stocked with popular clothing styles that our teens love, offering them a chance to shop for what they need. Teens can select up to 30 items every 6 months of quality name-brand merchandise, including t-shirts, joggers, sweatshirts, and shoes.
For Elizabeth, volunteering holds a deep personal meaning. “My mom passed away last May, and she had volunteered for most of her life,” Elizabeth shared, her voice filled with emotion. “She really instilled that passion for volunteering in me. When she passed, it sparked my idea for the Teen Room. I needed something to focus on, and this project became a form of therapy for me. It helped me process my grief. ReFresh has become my team, and I feel incredibly close to everyone involved.”