River Oak Center for Children: Helping Families When They Need It Most

Alicia is a single mother who, after completing parenting classes at our Family Resource Center and finding stable housing and employment, was granted reunification with her four children by Child Protective Services. However, before the children could return home, basic household items needed to be in place to ensure the children's wellbeing. Through donations River Oak received for our Helping Hand Fund, Alicia (with help from a Family Partner) was able to purchase bedding, dishes and silverware, pots and pans, towels, and other essentials. With these final pieces in place, the family is now reunited and rebuilding their future.

Green beans and corn. Before the Warren family began receiving bags of fresh produce from River Oak and our partner Fresh Producers, canned green beans and corn were the only vegetables the family of four ate or had ever tasted. Living on a limited income, the Warrens limited their food choices to what they could afford: macaroni and cheese, hot dogs, and their staple vegetables. Concerned about the lack of nutritious foods in the family's diet, River Oak began subsidizing the delivery of produce to promote healthy eating. The family excitedly welcomed the opportunity and has been having a wonderful time trying a variety of new fruits and vegetables - some of which they hadn't heard of or ever seen before. The Warrens are embracing the concept of nutritious meals and are happy to get their five year old and eighteen month old on the right track to a healthy future.

River Oak provides direct family support at times of crisis, to stabilize a reunified family and ensure they have the resources to remain together, to help caregivers enroll their children in extracurricular activities, and during the holidays and other important moments in a family's life.

Learn more about the ways in which River Oak helps families when they need it most: