Today we’d like to introduce you to Krizia Capeles Evans.
Krizia, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
In my early 20s I was working with a nonprofit organization that was contracted to provide case management services for youth in foster care. At the time, I was in college to be a social worker. I had the opportunity in this time of my life to work with youth in foster care, and youth adopted from the foster care system. I learned so much during this time, but one of the things that came across my path that I felt like I could make an impact in, was the need for nice clothing, especially for teens in foster care.
Youth coming into the foster care system, come with little to no belongings, and one area of need is clothing. But not only is this an area of need, it’s an area that helps build confidence in youth. So as soon as I came across an organization in South Florida that was a free boutique for foster girls, I knew I wanted to create something like that here in Central Florida. I instantly saw the connection between how youth in foster care could benefit from an actual experience of shopping for their own clothes, in a beautiful setting, and how that would help boost their self-esteem.
From Outside In started in 2014 with me and my good friend, Beverly Sanchez (who is currently our Store Manager and Community Engagement Director) collecting as much clothes as possible from friends and family, storing the clothes in our cars (and later my parents house), and later partnering with a group home to provide a free pop-up boutique shopping experience for the foster youth living there.
From Outside In grew very slowly in the beginning years as I was still a college student, working full-time to pay for college! Yet, each year I tried my best to keep the organization going, and to improve the shopping experience for youth so they could truly feel special and loved when shopping with us. This vision that I am describing, was also seen and embraced by a countless number of volunteers, so much support from my family and friends, and it was incredibly supported by WholeLife Church as well. In fact, seeing that so many other people also believed in the vision of providing a beautiful shopping experience to youth in need, was what inspired me to do what I could to keep that vision going, even if that meant moving at a snail pace.
It wasn’t until 2017 that From Outside In became an official nonprofit organization, and in 2018 we moved into our first ever retail space where youth can actually come to us to shop for clothes for free. It was also in 2018 that we brought “home” our newly made mobile boutique, which is now a tiny home converted into a store on the inside, and provides such a beautiful shopping experience. And in 2019, we opened our doors as a resale boutique to the public as well, so that we can offer a beautiful shopping experience to more people, which also is a way for the public to help support the nonprofit in providing free shopping experiences to youth in need.
From Outside In has grown gradually from its start in 2014. But one thing that has always remained the same is our mission to inspire confidence in youth from the outside-in. We exist to provide an experience to youth that they will never forget. We try to be very intentional about everything we do, like the quality of our clothes, how everything is displayed, the bags, music, atmosphere, and so on. The small details matter because we want youth to feel special, to envision their dreams coming true, and to find clothes that will inspire them to succeed. Today, we serve many different populations, including youth in foster care, youth experiencing homelessness or poverty, youth who identify as LGBT+, refugee youth, and more. Each time I hear, “this was the best time ever,” or “I love these clothes, thank you,” I’m reminded of why I love being a part of this vision.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Starting From Outside In has been a huge learning curve, every step of the way. When I first had this idea of starting an organization with my friend, I had no idea what that actually entailed, and I really didn’t have much time – I was in school, and working full-time to pay for school. So From Outside In was always this big dream, but I had to slowly chip at it, and the progress still feels slow at times.
So in the beginning I struggled with finding time to produce free pop-up boutique events for organizations, but I also struggled with trying to get organizations to trust us with having us at their location, getting volunteers to assist (thankfully my family and close friends were always willing), and I was trying to just learn about general nonprofit management things along the way. I also struggled with learning how to create a sustainable organization – one that could fundraise, and be stable for years to come! Nonprofits depend so much on the larger community to wrap around their vision, and to help with their time, talents, or treasure.
There were definitely times when I felt like I had to let go of this dream: like when our clothes were being stored in a shed, when an event did not go as planned, or when each event took so many hours to recreate because we didn’t have a good process down, the list goes on! But then I’d have a friend, or someone from the church that was helping me with the project, say how they loved this vision, or someone would give me more clothes, or I’d have a youth come up to me and say how this was the best shopping experience they ever had, and it would re-energize me to just keep going.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I have been working in the nonprofit sector for 10 years, during which most of that time I have been doing work that helps uplift youth in the Central Florida area, and helping others get involved in the Central Florida community. Since 2014, I have been the Founder and Executive Director of From Outside In, where I have the amazing opportunity to use my unique gifts to help spread some love and inspiration. I have a passion for serving, especially for opportunities that help inspire young people, and I love helping others find their niche for serving the community too.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
There are a few big lessons that I have learned in starting a nonprofit organization: first, keep going. There will be times when it seems like there is so much to do that you become frozen with fear. Your mind may keep telling you that you don’t know enough about a subject, or that you are not capable of doing this thing you want to do. But don’t let those fears stop you. Inch by inch, day by day, you can take steps towards your goal. Which leads me to my second lesson, be in the moment. It is SO hard to be present and in the moment when you have a BIG goal (which is always future focused) in mind. But I promise you, this moment right now, is all you have, and it is the building block for any future success. I had a huge issue (and still struggle sometimes) with fighting the present moment because I always felt like there was something bigger and more important for me to be doing. “Why concentrate on organizing clothing right now?” “Why am I organizing these files?” I can hear my former self asking. Some tasks just seem tedious, or not big enough, but when you pour your whole self into whatever you are doing, the results will be worth it. Be in the moment – enjoy what you are doing, each step of the way.
Contact Info:
- Email: krizia@fromoutsidein.org
- Website: www.fromoutsidein.org
- Instagram: instagram.com/fromoutsidein/
- Facebook: facebook.com/FromOutsideIn
Image Credits
For the personal photo of myself: Maria Long
