A warehouse just off Highway 101 in a Newbury Park industrial park is filled with food, clothes, toys, and other items. They're meant for children who don’t have the kind of childhood they should have.
Some are in foster care, and others are on the brink of ending up in the system. Others have aged out, but still need assistance.
"We are here for our Ventura and Los Angeles County foster youth," said Melissa Moore, Assistant Operations Manager with James Storehouse. "We're here to serve our clients who are identified by social workers as at-risk of losing their children, due to not being able to provide essential resources for them, like food, clothing, beds, etc. We give them the things the family needs to thrive."
James Storehouse is a Ventura County-based nonprofit that has worked with public and private child welfare agencies to help at-risk children and young adults for 14 years.
"We're also here for our resource parents," Moore continued. "They get an emergency placement in the middle of the night, and they don't have a bed for that child, or they don't have size 7 or 8 clothing for that child. They can come here and get everything that they need, like a week's worth of clothing."
James Storehouse relies on the community for support in its mission. At their warehouse, a group of volunteers recently unloaded huge boxes filled with new sneakers.
"James Storehouse helps foster kids, currently in the foster system or about to age out," explained James Shipe, president of the Rotary Club of Westlake Village. "They do a thing called the 'Back to School Bash.' One of the items they give out to kids is shoes. So, our club sponsored the shoes. It's roughly about $6,300. We got about 150 pairs of Vans shoes, shoes that kids actually want to wear."
While this project is important for the Rotary Club, it has special meaning for Shipe.
"I'm a former foster child. I was lucky enough to be adopted, but I was in foster care for a few years. For me, this is near and dear to the heart."
He and his wife are currently trying to adopt two children. Shipe said one of the reasons he’s helping is because he knows what it’s like not to have basic things most kids take for granted.
"When I was in foster care, we didn't have programs like this, or if there was, I never got the benefit of it," said Shipe. "I had a Curious George (stuffed animal) to my name, and I had almost nothing else. I had hand-me-downs from older siblings. I think it's nice that these kids get to have what everyone else has. The goal is that hopefully they don't feel left out."
While Moore is a James Storehouse employee, her dedication to helping those in foster care goes way past helping with things like food, clothes, and toys.
"I have been a foster parent since I was 19 years old. I have seven adult children, and five minor children currently. I wholeheartedly believe in this mission. I love children, and I can't turn my eyes if a child is in need," said Moore.
Moore admitted her time as a foster parent started in a big way, and it left her wanting to do more.
"I raised triplets, and they're now 27 years old. Their testimony keeps me going to this day. They said, 'Mom, if it wasn't for you, we wouldn't be the people we are today.' I believe one individual can change a child's life, and that's why I continue to do it."
The James Storehouse organization is getting ready for one of its biggest events of the year: its Back to School Bash.
On August 1, children and young adults in foster care and from at-risk backgrounds will be able to shop for new shoes, school supplies, backpacks, and other items for free.
