An Important Update From AOK

Dear AOK Community,

With deep sadness, we write to share the news that AOK’s operations and all programming will be on indefinite pause effective February 27, 2026. This includes the AOK Community Closet, which will close its location at 6 Open Square Way. 

During this pause, the AOK Board of Directors and other stakeholders will come together to assess possibilities for the future of our organization. 

As many of you know, 2025 proved to be a challenging year for AOK and for the nonprofit community at large. With federal funding for nonprofits slashed and a marked increase in competition for grant and foundation funding, AOK lost significant sources of funding without warning. As a small nonprofit, we did not have the financial reserves to absorb this loss long term, particularly after moving into a larger space in 2024, with the goal of expanding our programming and better serving our community.

In response, we quickly launched our “All In For AOK” fundraising campaign. We cannot thank our community enough for helping to keep our doors open through 2025. Your generosity, encouragement, and belief in this work sustained us longer than would have otherwise been possible.

At the same time, we explored every viable path to create a long-term, sustainable financial model for AOK in the current climate. We pursued new grant opportunities and even explored potential mergers with aligned organizations. Despite these efforts, no immediate solution has emerged that would allow us to continue operating AOK at this time. We are devastated.

When AOK was founded—first as a Facebook group back in 2015—all we knew was that foster parents needed a space to connect, commiserate, learn, and empower one another. From those early conversations, AOK grew into a vibrant community with a physical Community Closet, family-centered events, and a strong network of partners committed to supporting foster, adoptive, and kinship families. Over the years, we have provided essential items to thousands of children, brought families together to build connection and joy, and expanded the web of support available across our region.

We are so grateful for our staff, volunteers, and of course, for our tireless community of foster parents and caregivers who are making a real and lasting difference in the lives of children every day.

What Comes Next

• The final day of operations at the Community Closet at 6 Open Square Way will be Thursday, February 26 (open regular hours, 11am-2pm). We invite you to visit the space one last time, receive any needed items, and surround yourself with community.

• While in-person programming and regular operations are paused, the private Facebook group, AOK Connect, will remain open as a space for connection and mutual support. We encourage you to continue to use this space to share resources within the AOK community.

• The website, including Hub resources, will remain live for the time being so families can continue accessing available information.

• Foster parents and caregivers with urgent needs, questions, or requests are encouraged to reach out to Board Chair Kerri Bergendahl at kbergendahl@fosteringaok.org.

Longer term, we simply don’t know what the future holds. There is great energy among us to explore new models or solutions in the coming months that can serve our community while remaining financially viable during this difficult time. We are also open to ideas, support, and opportunities for collaboration.

What we do know is that the mission remains critical. While this is a difficult moment, the need for connection and support within the foster and adoptive community remains as critical as ever. We hope that, even in this pause, the strength of this village will continue to carry forward.

Thank you for walking this journey with us. Thank you for showing up for the kids who need us. Thank you for our shared community.

With appreciation,
Marianna Litovich, Kerri Bergendahl, Staff, and Board of Directors
All Our Kids, Inc.