The Lamorinda Care Collective
Our Experiment Worked: Now What?
We had an idea.
In the season of uncertainty that was Fall 2024, an idea came to us about the power of community to meet unmet needs in our community. We lived in a town where generosity showed up in big and small ways every day, between neighbors and strangers alike. Online forums, school playgrounds and grocery store parking lots were filled with offers of home cooked meals for tired first responders (Hi LasagnaLove!), introductions to caregivers for aging parents and donation drives for urgent needs presented by local non-profits. We also lived in a town that was not immune from economic downturn, a difficult job market and tumultuous political times. People both had more than they could imagine and struggled to make ends meet. Tucked in between (and sometimes, inside) the big houses were unmet needs, a desire to connect generosity that might seem out of reach and a driving desire to feel less alone and to connect ourselves and our children to something bigger than ourselves.
We sought to make both the unmet needs of our community and the generosity of our neighbors visible in the Lamorinda Care Collective. Thanks to the support of Diamond Homes and Enkasa Builders, we were donated commercial space in downtown Lafayette and on December 7th, 2024, we opened our doors. The pop-up set out to reduce the burden of holiday expenses, create a welcoming and inclusive environment where families feel valued regardless of economic circumstances, and build lasting partnerships with non-profits to foster connection, reduce isolation, and meet needs throughout the year.
Turns out, it worked.
In just two short weeks, a handful of non-profits trusted us enough of help us spread the word, and more than 130 volunteers (ages 6 - 96) filled the store with holiday cheer, inviting hundreds of neighbors to donate thousands of new and like-new items. My Google translate worked overtime and we spoke more than 15 languages, welcoming people into our kindness experiment. When we closed our doors on December 20th, we counted more than 700 familes who’d had their unmet needs met. 700 families.
So, we’re going to do it again and we’re going to share the stories of our families, the non-profits we work with, the volunteers that show up and the beautiful magic that is created when a community asks itself how to be in community.
Join us - whether near or far - and help us tell the story of our Lamorinda Care Collective and invite you to think about what collective care might look like in your community.