Founder of The Closet of Blessings

Tia Clark Interviewed by Keylan Ridley

Hi! Can you introduce yourself for us?

Hi! My name is Tia Clark and I am a mother of two adult children, Colby and Jordan and am also a grandmother of five. My background is retail management where I was first connected with fashion. Early on in my journey of this life, I was diagnosed with a life-threatening disease. After being diagnosed, I left the workforce and became a stay at home mom. I spent 15 years following in a chronic illness, through that I had to find out what my gifts were outside of motherhood and being a wife.

How did this idea come about?

After leaving my marriage and the death of my brother, I went on a journey to find out who I was. During that time, I opened an upscale resale store. I also organized the very first Career Fair in the Eastdale community, the community in which my store was located. The store did well the first year, however, the second year wasn’t as fortunate. I continued dealing with the chronic illness and stayed in prayer asking the Lord what he had in store for me.

When I was contemplating on what to do with a store full of clothing, a young girl and her mom were doing some last-minute shopping. The young girl began talking to her mom about the upcoming prom and the fact that she was in need of a prom dress, but the mother insisted that prom dresses were too expensive and that she didn’t have the money for one.

Since I was without a plan for the clothes and dresses I had, I offered her a dress at no charge. The young girl and her mom were so thankful and that made me extremely happy. After this encounter, I instantly saw that there was a need and was reminded of the same reason that I didn’t attend prom.

Upon closing my store and seeing that there was a need for prom dresses, the Lord put it on my heart to start making prom dresses accessible to young girls that couldn’t afford one. I began asking people to donate their gently used prom dresses, accessories, and even shoes. As I started receiving phone calls and began fitting these girls for dresses, I saw the need as well as the excitement and joy on these girls faces.

The first year was pretty slow and I wasn’t really sure on how to get the word out, but soon after I started getting creative on how I could get the word out. I started passing out flyers, relying on word of mouth, and even resulted to speaking on news channels. After this was rolling for a while, I started calling it “The Closet of Blessings.”

Why did you decide on this name?

I decided on this name because it quite literally was a closet of blessings. It was a big closet (my closed in garage) and was such a huge blessing to be able to help the girls and their families out on a potentially huge expense.

How has your ministry grown in the last five years?

The Closet of Blessings is stronger than ever! Girls are coming from Alabama, Georgia, and of course Tennessee. I never would’ve expected for this to grow as immensely as it has. We’ve given away hundreds of dresses, clutch bags, and other accessories. Five years later and I would’ve never expected that giving away prom dresses would be a part of my ministry.

What is a goal or dream of yours for this organization?

I have a dream for The Closet of Blessings. I hope it will continue to grow. I hope that one day it will have building of its own to house many more dresses and accessories. I would love to one day have volunteers or even paid workers that will assist in the fittings of these young ladies. And finally, I hope that it will always be a blessing to whoever crosses its path!

If you’d like to contact Tia about a dress, you can EMAIL HER at JANEOFTRADESUPSCALERESALE@GMAIL.COM. Be sure to follow her on Facebook and Instagram at @theclosetofblessings.

Fashion Has Impact

“The Closet of Blessings has been a tremendous blessing to me and my girls. From dresses for my daughter’s special needs prom to dresses for my special day, I can’t sing enough praises for the ministry that Tia is performing through her organization. My daughter who is on the autism spectrum has difficulty navigating through some of the busier shops and sometimes needs personalized touch that is wrapped in a lot of patience. Tia went above and beyond to make sure that her experience was just like other young ladies and helped her pick out the perfect dress. She was the Belle of the ball. The selection is top notch and Tia keeps the shop well organized. I cannot express enough gratitude for the blessing they have been to our lives. Keep shining!”
- Christel Graham, mother

After struggling to find an affordable prom dress online, my guidance counselor mentioned Ms. Tia’s business. At first, I was upset when nothing was fitting me and nothing was catching my eye, until Tia showed me a gorgeous dress that fit like a glove. It was perfect. I was so happy to find such a beautiful, one of a kind exquisite dress! I am so thankful for Ms. Tia and her organization!”
- Summer Miller, high school student

Meet Tia Clark