Finch Elementary School Unveils Zion’s Closet, Providing Students & Parents with Supports They Need the Most

Students and families at Finch Elementary School now have the supports and essential items they need thanks to Zion’s Closet, a newly renovated community resource room that offers access to free laundry, a Wi-Fi lab, new shoes, school supplies, uniforms, and fully stocked groceries and hygiene products.

On Friday, April 25, the Finch Elementary School community held a special ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of Zion’s Closet, which is specifically designed to provide basic necessities and ease the financial burden and challenges that many families face. Special guests included school leaders and staff, parents, Atlanta Board of Education Chair Erika Mitchell, Cluster Superintendent Lisa Hill, volunteers, and several city and community representatives.

Nestled in a large, newly renovated classroom space inside the school, Zion’s Closest features a vibrant, colorful mural by local artist Ashley Bella that boldly reads, “Finch is for the Dreamers, the Scholars, the World Changers, and Those Who Believe in Hope.” The brightly lit room also features high-top tables and chairs, a couch, computers, children’s books, a washer and dryer.

Principal Tara Spencer said she’s grateful to the Atlanta nonprofit, Love Beyond Walls, for providing essential resources for Finch students and families. Finch is the first school in Atlanta with a Zion’s Closet, and was selected based on its location and a needs assessment. There are now plans to expand to Fulton County Schools and more schools in underserved communities nationwide. 

“What parents will be able to experience here means so much to me,” Spencer said. “They’ll be able to apply for jobs, use study materials to increase their literacy and numeracy, wash their own clothes, and get food for their families. I’m honored to provide extra support and have all of that in a building where there are kids every single day. All of this is one less thing that they have to worry about. I’m just humbled, grateful, and deeply appreciative to Love Beyond Walls for being able to see Finch as a school that is rich in culture and history, but also in need of opportunities for the community.”

The brainchild of Zion Lester, Zion’s Closet is financed in partnership with Larry Nance Jr. of the Atlanta Hawks. Lester is the 16-year-old daughter of Dr. Terence Lester, founder and CEO of Love Beyond Walls.

The philanthropic effort represents Zion’s desire to extend love, kindness, and generosity to others and make a difference in the Atlanta community.  

“I used to go to work with my dad, and his work consisted of serving people in the community. And just seeing that, it really inspired me, and it made me wonder as a kid, ‘What can I do and how can I serve my community?’,” said Zion, a high school junior, who recently co-authored the children’s book, Zion Learns to See, with her dad. “This sparked the idea of Zion’s Closet. We wanted to build a space where families can come and do basic things like wash clothes, use a computer, grab food or hygiene items, but also breathe and feel safe. That also connects to why we wrote our children’s book. We wanted to encourage kids to slow down and notice the people around them because when you learn to see others with empathy and love, that’s where the real change starts.” 

“My hope is that this closet and this book will both make people feel less invisible and maybe even inspire others to serve in their own ways,” she said.

Dr. Lester said student success is a community effort, and he’s glad that Zion’s Closet is there to help create equitable resources for all scholars. He noted that poverty often impacts students’ academic engagement, developmental skills, and overall academic experience.

“Zion’s Closet is helping to bridge that gap by partnering with schools like Finch Elementary to provide students and their families access to essential items, reducing the stress on parents, and allowing students to focus on learning,” Dr. Lester added. “Our goal is to help students show up as their full selves by removing the type of burden and barriers that create more so we can create a more inclusive school environment and strengthen the support for students and families.”