Our Village Closet

Our Village Closet (OVC) is a dedicated team of advocates, passionately committed to strengthening the foster community in Sonoma County by providing free relevant supplies and support to youth (ages 0-25) and their caregivers impacted by the welfare system. 

Every day in Sonoma County, between 50-75 children enter foster care, an average of 450 children have ongoing cases in the dependency system, and hundreds of families are impacted by trauma associated with abuse, addiction, mental illness, and neglect. Our Village Closet was established to connect these youth and families of foster and kinship care with needed supplies and support.  

In June of 2021, we opened the OVC Resource Center, where the connections take place. Here, we have essentially created a shopping experience for the youth and caregivers to pick out what they need and/or want. This includes everything from shoes, socks, clothes, books, toys, games, arts & crafts, equipment, baby supplies, small furniture, to accessories, jewelry, some toiletries, diapers and wipes, and a supply of sensory materials and equipment. We also have a lending library of books covering topics pertaining to foster care, adoption, attachment, special needs, drug and alcohol exposure, general parenting, and trauma informed care. 

Each week we see a variety of faces use our Resource Center, from social workers, CASA workers, family advocates, grandparents caring for their grandchildren, new foster parents, seasoned foster parents, transitional aged youth, biological parents reunifying with their children, and former foster youth now determined to provide for their children. 

The work we do, though, is about more than the materials we provide. Our Village Closet not only gives supplies here, we also foster connections in a warm, inviting atmosphere that allows the youth and caregivers to feel seen and heard, growing their village and strengthening their support system. We have connection groups for youth affected by foster care, and support groups for caregivers. No matter what role you play in the foster care system, it can be an isolating and lonely journey. By providing extra layers of support, we hope to reduce caregiver burnout, help restore dignity to foster youth, strengthen the care system for youth being placed in foster care or reuniting with their first families, and make it easier for new people/families to say “yes” to becoming a foster parent.  

We are excited to participate in the return of Sonoma County's beloved Human Race and have a goal of $5K to raise. These funds will go directly to support the programs of Our Village Closet and those impacted by foster care in our community.