When our family home burned down in the Woolsey fire in the fall of 2018, more than any possession we had lost, what we missed the most was the feeling of home. In my quest to find that feeling again I did what any reasonable person searching for answers would do – I asked Google! Through one link or another I found A Sense Of Home and was instantly impressed with their mission. They help prevent homelessness by creating first-ever homes for youth aging out of foster care. The idea that creating a sense of home would help these young adults have the confidence and stability to better make their way in the world resonated with me deeply.
The organization was born out of a random act of kindness when Georgie Smith, their founder, saw a Facebook post from someone trying to find a couch for a youth that had just aged out of foster care. One thing led to another and she found herself decorating the entire apartment and A Sense of Home was born.
After my family was showered with so much kindness and support from our own community after the fires, we in turn wanted to return the gesture and facilitated our own OSEA team home creation with Georgie’s support and guidance.
To this day, I am still incredibly committed and inspired by what A Sense of Home stands for. I am currently on their board and am planning to host another home build very soon! Seeing these kids leave foster care with so little, both in terms of their physical belongings and an ongoing support system, is so humbling. I feel honored to be involved with an organization that can provide the non-essentials that make a house feel like a home. A rug and piece of art on the wall might not be lifesaving, but having a home you can be proud of can make all the difference in the world!
Find out more about A Sense of Home here and watch our home build above!