Founded in 2018 by lifelong friends Tina and Wendy, Our Friends Closet began with a simple act of kindness—a single delivery to a student in need. What started as a small gesture quickly grew into a mission: ensuring no child feels unseen, unsupported, or left behind.
Today, we partner with more than 60 schools across St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Washington, St. Bernard, and Jefferson Parishes, responding daily to both ongoing needs and urgent requests from school counselors, social workers, and staff.
Who We Are
Our Friends Closet is a 501(c)(3) volunteer run nonprofit supporting homeless, low income, and unaccompanied students throughout Southeast Louisiana. We provide essential items that help students feel confident, cared for, and ready to learn—at no cost to them or their schools.
What We Provide
We deliver year round support tailored to the real time needs of students, including:
- Hygiene Kits – soap, deodorant, toothpaste, menstrual products, and other basics many students go without
- Individually packaged snacks and meals – for students facing food insecurity at home or during the school day
- Dignity Items – shoes, socks, uniforms, lice treatments, and other essentials that help students feel comfortable and confident
- Emergency Support – clothing, shoes, bikes, space heaters, and more, shared through our Facebook and Instagram pages when urgent needs arise
Why It Matters
Students experiencing homelessness or poverty face challenges that extend far beyond the classroom. A lack of basic necessities can lead to:
- Absenteeism
- Social stigma
- Emotional distress
- Difficulty focusing or participating in school
By meeting these needs with compassion, consistency, and zero barriers, Our Friends Closet helps students feel seen, valued, and capable of thriving.
Join Us
Your support—whether through donations, volunteering, or simply sharing our mission—directly impacts the lives of students who need it most. Together, we can ensure every child has access to the essentials that restore dignity and hope.
Every effort matters. Every contribution changes a life.
Financial Transparency
We believe in radical transparency and responsible stewardship.
- 98% of all donations go directly to students.
- 2% covers administrative costs.
- 0 paid employees. Our organization is powered entirely by volunteers-from packing hygiene kits to coordinating deliveries across multiple parishes.
This lean, efficient model ensures your support goes exactly where it’s needed: into the hands of students facing homelessness, poverty, and food insecurity. Every dollar counts. Every item matters. Every student deserves dignity.
About Wendy & Tina
For more than three decades, Wendy and Tina have shared friendship, laughter, and a deep commitment to helping others. They met in 1999 as young roommates raising four kids between them – a season filled with frozen pipes, microwave mishaps, a flood, even a robbery… and somehow, endless joy. That early chaos built a bond rooted in resilience, humor, and heart.
Both women grew up in St. Bernard Parish. Life eventually brought one of them to the Northshore after Hurricane Katrina, while the other has called the Northshore home for more than 30 years. Their paths may have shifted, but their shared values never did.
Years later, one of them had an idea: What if we created something that made life a little easier for students who were struggling? She asked the other for help. The answer was immediate – “Absolutely.”
That simple yes became Our Friends Closet.
Today, their partnership works because they balance each other perfectly:
- The Organizer keeps the paperwork, compliance, and logistics running smoothly.
- The Deliverer spends her days picking up donations and bringing essentials directly to schools.
- One loves spreadsheets; the other loves wrapping paper.
- One sends late night “I was thinking… ” texts; the other begs her to stop thinking.
- One remembers every pair of shoes a child received; the other keeps every deadline on track.
They share a frugal streak, a love of clearance sales, and a belief that small acts of kindness can change a student’s entire day.
Most importantly, they share gratitude – for the volunteers, donors, schools, and community members who make this work possible.
What started as two friends with a simple idea has grown into a movement of compassion serving more than 60 schools across Southeast Louisiana. And through it all, Wendy and Tina remain exactly who they’ve always been: two women who show up, work hard, laugh often, and believe every student deserves dignity.