Coffee, Community & Giving Back at Our Village Closet

Over the weekend Santa Rosa Women for Good gathered for a special combination coffee meetup and volunteer opportunity at the Our Village Closet’s resource center in Santa Rosa, an opportunity for to connect and also do some good together.

We started the day the way we typically do for our Saturday morning meetups: coffee, pastries, and conversation. One of the things we love most about our group is creating welcoming spaces for women to connect authentically, whether they’re longtime members or attending for the very first time

We were especially excited to welcome several women who chose this volunteer event as their very first Santa Rosa Women for Good gathering. There’s something so special about meeting new people while rolling up our sleeves together in service of our community, and we loved getting to connect with women who were inspired to jump right in and help.

After spending time socializing and getting to know one another, members had the opportunity to tour the Our Village Closet resource center and learn more about the incredible work they do to support youth and families impacted by foster care throughout Sonoma County.

At any given time, there are more than 400 youth in foster care in Sonoma County. Our Village Closet helps ensure those children, along with foster families, kinship caregivers, and reunifying families, have access to essentials like clothing, shoes, diapers, toys, school supplies, and more. Beyond physical resources, they also provide support groups and community connections so families navigating foster care never feel alone.

Following the tour, our group spent the rest of the morning volunteering around the resource center. Members helped sort and stock swimwear just in time for Summer and sorted and prepared shoes for Our Village Closet’s large back-to-school event coming up in August.

It may seem simple, sorting shoes, organizing supplies, restocking shelves, but every task contributes to creating dignity, stability, and support for children and caregivers during times of transition.

The morning was a beautiful reminder that growing the good in our community happens in many ways: through generosity, through volunteering, through learning about local needs, and through creating meaningful connection with one another.

A huge thank you to Our Village Closet for welcoming us into your space and allowing our members the opportunity to support your incredible mission. We’re grateful for all you do to create a true village for youth and families impacted by foster care.