Paula and David Tarwater are a classic case of turning pain into purpose. One of the couple’s sons—the middle of their three oldest—passed away in his sleep as an infant. “After losing Garrett, there was always a longing,” says Paula. “Of course, you can’t replace a child, but I just wanted to love on kids.” So, she and David signed up to foster, hoping to support kids who needed it most. “We were told during our class that adoption was rare, and that was fine with us,” she says. “We just wanted to love on and be there for these kids who needed stability.” This was the start of Garrett’s Place, and Paula and David assumed their mission would be providing a safe place for kids in the foster care system.
The Lord, however, had bigger plans for the couple—and their organization—but that would come just a bit later. Though it had not been their original plan, Paula and David did adopt two more sons through foster care. After a heart-wrenching experience with a little girl in their care, David was ready to be finished with the emotional rollercoaster. But then, says Paula, they received a call to take 7-month-old twins—a boy and a girl—and she and David knew these two would be the final children for their family. “Our little cabooses,” says Paula of the now-10-year-old duo.
Paula notes how many kids came to them with little to nothing at all—not even a spare diaper in the case of one baby—and often whatever they did have would be tossed into a plastic grocery bag. “It’s just not right,” she says. “They need their own things.” In March 2017, Paula sat straight up in bed at 2:30 a.m. “I always thought fostering and adoption was the purpose of Garrett’s Place, but the Lord made it very clear that it was instead to make sure these kids have what they need—tangible items like clothing and shoes—and love from a community.” She immediately woke up David to tell him, and the very next day she received a call from a lady who owned a clothing store. “She said I have two loads of clothes, and I felt like I needed to call you because you’d know what to do with them,” Paula says. “I told her, “If [the line] goes silent, it’s because I passed out!””
With that provision confirming she was on the right path, Paula called DHR, thinking she would stock a closet of necessities in their offices. But as she pulled into the DHR parking lot, she noticed two fluorescent “for sale” signs advertising a building across the street. After a call to the real estate company yielded confusion, Paula discovered the building’s owner had slashed the price in half and posted the signs himself the night before. “David and I had been saving to travel when we retired,” she says. “And we had the exact amount to purchase the building, plus an additional $3,000 to buy all of the fixtures from a JCPenney that was going out of business.”
Now, Garrett’s Place is a respite for kids in uncertain situations, and Paula and David want them to be sure of one thing: They are cared for. They’ve set up Garrett’s Place like a store, with designated areas for infant, children, and tween clothing and shoes; toiletries and other necessities; toys; and more. Around 125 children come through each month. There, they receive “a suitcase and something to put in it.” “These kids don’t have a lot of choices in their lives, so Garrett’s Place is all about choices,” says Paula. Each kid gets to fill their bag with 14 outfits (“Everyone needs at least two weeks’ worth of clothes,” says Paula), a couple pairs of shoes, socks and underwear, toiletries, toys, books, a stuffed animal, and a blanket. They choose it all themselves. Beyond the practical, the couple also makes sure kids get items such as keychain bling for their backpacks and locker decor for the older ones. In addition, everyone gets a Bible and an arm bracelet with the contact information for Garrett’s Place. “That’s so no matter where they go, if they can get back to us, we can help them,” says Paula. When asked if any kids do call or come back, she says, “Oh, yes.”
“You can’t change the system or what happened to them, but can you give them peace of mind that they won’t have to continue moving their stuff in garbage bags,” says Paula. “By the time they leave here, you can tell their hearts are lighter. You can see the peace on their faces.” She notes that, every single time without fail, a child will choose something—be it a toy or something else—and say, “I’ve wanted this my entire life!” Paula says that’s the “it” moment. “We know things won’t fix their situations, but it does make a difference. They don’t have to worry about going to school without shoes. Think about it, we all have bad days, but when you have a bad day and your needs are met, you are just a bit more joyful. Scripture tells us Jesus takes care of the sparrow, and this is Him taking care of His sparrows, His babies.”
The needs have been met at Garrett’s Place as well. As word spread, businesses, churches, and community members expressed a desire to be a part of Garrett’s Place, and together Paula says they parent 6,000 children with love and support. “The provisions, it takes a community to be able to do that. It may not be their moms and dads, but it is moms and dads loving on these kids.”
Garrett’s Place also hosts events throughout the year, including The Gift of Gardens in spring, a kick-off to summer with face-painting and other fun, a back-to-school bash with supplies and backpacks, a Halloween carnival with costumes, candy, and winter coats, and—coming up soon—their annual Christmas event. “We have 300 kids come to the Bessemer Civic Center, which we set up like a village,” says Paula. “It’s all about traditions. They get pictures with Santa, an ornament with their name on it, a gingerbread kit, hot chocolate. The kids walk from store to store [set up by local businesses] and it’s just so cute. So many things have gone wrong in their lives, but this is a good night, a good memory.”
“Garrett’s Place is the Lord calling us and David and I saying yes with faith,” she says. “It’s grown and grown into exactly what He wanted it to be. We’ve never wanted for anything.”
For more information, visit garrettsplace.org.