POLAND — Clothed in Strength, a nonprofit organization aimed at helping single mothers make ends meet, will host its grand opening Friday.

The organization recently relocated to 301 S. Main St., and its grand opening will be 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with a ribbon cutting set at noon.

“Our whole mission at Clothed in Strength is to help bridge the gap for single mothers stuck between government assistance and financial freedom,” said founder Heather Fronk.

Fronk knows all about being a single mother who earns too much money to qualify for government assistance, but isn’t financially free. She found herself in that position in 2003 at the age of 19. As a single parent with a 3-year-old daughter to care for, Fronk headed down a road for which she wasn’t prepared.

She registered at Youngstown State University to obtain a bachelor’s degree in banking. She was bringing in approximately $15,000 and was told she made too much to qualify for food stamps.

“I worked really hard (two jobs), attended school, and came out on the other side,” Fronk said. “It took prayer and faith and through the grace of God, I made it.”

She managed to get into a banking career, starting as a teller with Sky Bank and working her way up the ladder. She worked her way out of her financial crisis, married Steve Fronk and raised two girls, Taylor and Brooklyn. In 2023, she felt it was a good time to give back and already had an idea of what she wanted to do.

“I wanted every single mother to have access to the resources and supplies they need,” she said. “I thought about the verse in Proverbs 31:25 that says “She is clothed in strength and dignity and laughs without fear of the future.”

Clothed in Strength stuck and became the name of her new nonprofit. It began with collecting clothes and items such as diapers, wipes and feminine products to give away to single moms. The new organization also accepted cash donations that were used to help out with utility bills and emergency needs like a blown vehicle tire or a home repair.

Clothed in Strength started in 2022 with one locker in Boardman, and in a relatively short time, grew to five lockers. As it approached the end of its second year, a new path was presented.

“We didn’t intend to buy property,” Fronk said. “This opportunity for 301 S. Main St. in Poland landed in our laps.”

Plans were made and donations came in to transform the former house into the Clothed in Strength center. Over the past month, the house underwent repairs and improvements, along with a fresh coat of paint and new windows.

The interior is set up to have a lobby that includes information and forms on all the help that is available to single moms. It is like a one-stop shop. A room off the main room is set up for children to sit and play while mom gets the help she needs.

The back rooms contain the free items. One room is full of women’s clothing and even some jewelry. A second room has items such as frying pans, coffee mugs or other appliances and kitchenware that mothers may need.

The large back room has children’s clothing, including winter jackets.

“We have had some great donations from businesses,” Fronk said. “One good example is Vince’s Shoes from Pennsylvania. They donated over 500 pairs of new shoes following one of their big sales.”

All the items are free to single moms who need help. Fronk said financial help is also available and she encourages moms to apply.

“My vision for the kitchen is to have a coffee bar,” she said. “It could be a place to sit and talk with moms about the resources they could obtain.”

The second-floor rooms, she said, could be used for yoga classes, or even Bible study groups. Fronk said there is a local photographer who volunteered to do “mom and me” prints for free. She said Clothed in Strength has gone further than she ever expected.

“I had no idea of the many doors that God has opened,” Fronk said. “My biggest prayer is this becomes so big that only God could get the glory for it.”

Fronk is preparing for the grand opening on Friday, followed by a Pop Up Boutique 8 to 11 a.m. Sept. 28. Single moms can come to the pop up event and shop for free, no questions asked.

A major fundraiser has been set Nov. 8 at Mr. Anthony’s in Boardman, featuring a designer purse bingo and a raffle. Last year’s event raised more than $50,000 and the hope is to match or exceed that amount this year. Fronk said 100 percent of those proceeds will go into maintaining the new location and providing the free mini grants to single moms.

Clothed in Strength serves women in seven Ohio counties and western Pennsylvania. For information on Clothed with Strength and the upcoming events, visit its Facebook page or email Fronk at heather@clothedinstrength.org. All clothing and items offered to moms have been donated by people and businesses in the community.