After the tragic loss of her daughter, a foster mom and entrepreneur from Georgia became devoted to faith and doing good works for less fortunate young people. It was a redemption of sorts.
Already a business owner, Linda Durrence, 51, alongside her husband, Mark, 56, in February opened a niche thrift boutique especially for kids in need.
They named the store “Blossom,” after what occurred in the wake of their daughter’s tragic car accident in 2016; the couple welcomed two sisters, who were in foster care, to join their family and saw how the girls’ lives bloomed.
The couple, from Glennville, had three other daughters, now all attending college; Linda was a youth leader at her local church in Tattnall County where they first met Princessa and Juanita, who sometimes visited the Durrences at their home.
Linda learned that the sisters were set to be separated from each other (and their older sister also), for they couldn’t find foster parents to take in all three.
This caused Linda and her husband to take the first step.
“My girls were very upset and asked Mark and I to take them in,” Linda told The Epoch Times. “Mark and I prayed about it and agreed to take them in temporarily until they could transition to their grandmother’s home in Florida.”
When the girls arrived at their home, the belongings they brought with them broke Linda’s heart, which, in fact, impelled her to take the arrangement a step further.
“They came with a black trash bag that was maybe one quarter-full,” said Linda. “The clothes were old and tattered and didn’t really fit them. They had one hairbrush and three toothbrushes and a trial sized toothpaste.
“We took them shopping the following weekend and make sure they had everything they needed and as much as Sara and Mattie had.”
The Durrences never received a dime from Department of Family and Children Services (DFACS) for caring for the siblings, Linda said—that’s not why they took them in.
Linda’s connection with them grew stronger.
“They were so broken. Their mother was killed practically in front of them,” the mom said, adding that, after DFACS removed them from their biological family, they were “being starved and beaten among other things.”
She added, “We fell in love with the girls right away.”
Linda was still coming to grips with the loss of her daughter Kristin, who died at age 27 while they were living in Brunswick. The mom saw in these sisters an opportunity to do things differently—to follow what her Lord wanted of her.
“When we lost Kristin, we made up our minds to love always and without conditions,” Linda shared. “I was still quietly and secretly reeling from the grief of losing Kristin.
“When the girls came, I had no choice but to take the attention off myself. I dealt with some of the same behaviors I had wrongly handled with Kristin but this time, I responded with love and grace.”
Linda realized she needed them as much as they needed her. The girls expressed that they were tired of moving around and wanted to stay.
After much prayer and pondering, she and her husband took the leap.
She shared, “I got home with a teary face and Mark asked me what was wrong, I said ‘nothing.’ He said, ‘Let me guess, you want to keep the girls.’ I shook my head ‘yes,’ to which he responded, ‘Honey, I knew this day would come. I knew you wouldn’t let these girls go.’”
With the girls’ grandmother’s blessing, it was made official.
That was in 2019.
Late last year, the couple bought a stall in a shopping mall and launched Blossom, a donation-run boutique which provides free clothing, hygiene items, and other household goods for less fortunate children—particularly fostered or adopted kids in need.
Today, Princessa is attending college while her sister Juanita finishes school. The siblings, alongside their new sisters, all work at Blossom on the side.
“Our community is on board 100 percent,“ Linda said. ”I love my town and county. We have been so blessed to receive some monetary donations and donated items from surrounding counties.”
She added, “We have to consistently walk in love with everyone including the unsaved. Perhaps if we love first, they will be more trusting of us as disciples and be open to the gospel if we love always and consistently.”
