Wild Oak Haven

Wild Oak Haven Safe. Seen. Loved. Sharing the love of Christ by ministering to families and vulnerable youth impacted by foster care.

This week was a full-circle moment. 🧡Our incredible Don’t Go Alone young adults and Community Ambassadors took the stage...
07/28/2026

This week was a full-circle moment. 🧡

Our incredible Don’t Go Alone young adults and Community Ambassadors took the stage to share their stories, wisdom, and lived experiences with younger teens currently in care as they prepare for the transition into adulthood.

Their courage, resilience, and authenticity were a reminder that lived experience carries so much power.

We couldn’t be more proud of them for showing the next generation that they are not alone and that a future filled with hope and possibility is within reach.

Dorm Days is a three-week immersive program hosted by The Friends of Foster Care that equips teens in foster care with life skills, leadership opportunities, and the confidence to dream bigger.

We were honored to lead a multi-day workshop and be part of this incredible experience. Thank you, TheFriendsofFosterCare , for creating opportunities that empower youth to discover what’s possible. 🧡

Thank you, Trinity Church, for welcoming us across all of your campuses last Sunday and for your faithful partnership. 🧡...
07/23/2026

Thank you, Trinity Church, for welcoming us across all of your campuses last Sunday and for your faithful partnership. 🧡 Your support helps make this mission possible, and we’re so grateful for the many members of your church who serve alongside us as mentors, volunteers, advocates, and friends.

We always love reconnecting with familiar faces—our mentors, volunteers, and Village families—and we also love meeting new people who are discovering how they can make a difference in the lives of children, youth, and families impacted by foster care.

⛪ Local churches: We’d love to visit your congregation too! Whether it’s through mentoring, volunteering, praying, giving, or simply learning more, your church can make an impact.

Interested in partnering with Wild Oak Haven? We’d love to connect! Email us at [email protected].

VirginiaBeach HamptonRoads BeTheVillage

✨ Calling all foster, adoptive, and kinship families! ✨You’re invited to join us for our monthly Village Gathering on Tu...
07/21/2026

✨ Calling all foster, adoptive, and kinship families! ✨

You’re invited to join us for our monthly Village Gathering on Tuesday, July 28, from 6-8 p.m. at Gateway Church in Virginia Beach.

Dinner and childcare is provided, just be sure to RSVP using the link in our bio so we can plan for your family!

Foster care was never meant to be a journey you walk alone. Whether you’re just beginning or have been caring for children for years, having a community that understands can make all the difference.

See you on Tuesday! 🧡

KinshipCare VirginiaBeach HamptonRoads FosterCommunity SafeSeenLoved

Supporting vulnerable children isn’t reserved for foster parents—it’s something the whole Church is called to be part of...
07/15/2026

Supporting vulnerable children isn’t reserved for foster parents—it’s something the whole Church is called to be part of.

Last week, the rising 6th graders at Grace Bible Church’s Summer’s Best Week showed us exactly what that can look like. They collected brand-new pajamas and wrote encouraging notes for children in our local foster community, reminding each child that they are seen, valued, and cared for.

Our team also had the privilege of sharing about foster care. For many of these students, it was their first time learning why children enter foster care and how every person—regardless of age—can make a difference through kindness, prayer, and practical support.

Grace Bible Church, thank you for creating space for students to grow in compassion, learn about the needs of children in foster care, and serve in such a tangible way. We’re grateful for your partnership and for the next generation of Christ-followers who are discovering that caring for vulnerable children is something we all are called to do.

Grace Bible Church

When a child is placed in a new home through foster care, they often arrive with nothing more than the clothes on their ...
07/11/2026

When a child is placed in a new home through foster care, they often arrive with nothing more than the clothes on their back.

Since January, Wild Oak Haven’s New Foster Placement Sponsorship Program has provided nearly $2,000 in direct support to foster families welcoming new children and youth into their home.

This program helps families to purchase diapers, last-minute formula, bottles, pacifiers, hygiene items, and comfort items for older kids.

“Sometimes it’s (difficult) when the children first come because they usually have the clothes on their back and maybe one diaper,” a Village member said.

Your generosity helps remove barriers so foster families can continue on their calling to care for vulnerable children.

By giving to Wild Oak Haven, you also help provide:
🧡 Trauma-informed training
🧡 Transportation assistance (when necessary) for young adults aged out of care
🧡 Safe and engaging childcare during monthly Village gatherings
🧡Consistent support and resources for mentor matches
🧡Support on day 1 when families receive new foster placements

We’d love to invite you to become a monthly financial partner of Wild Oak Haven. Support from the community is truly what makes these programs possible.

Because everyone deserves to be Safe. Seen. Loved. 🧡

Click the link below to support our mission:

https://givebutter.com/wildoakhaven

🎉 Celebrating another successful mentor match!Did you know with the Don’t Go Alone Mentorship Program, we don’t simply a...
07/07/2026

🎉 Celebrating another successful mentor match!

Did you know with the Don’t Go Alone Mentorship Program, we don’t simply assign mentors?

We prayerfully consider compatibility every step of the way, but the final choice always belongs to the young adult.

That’s the heart of our “Your Voice, Your Choice”model.

Young adults deserve the opportunity to choose the people they invite into their lives. They deserve to build relationships at their own pace and share their stories when they’re ready. When they have a voice in the process, it creates the foundation for trust, belonging, and lifelong connection.

We’re so excited to celebrate another “yes” and can’t wait to watch this relationship grow.

Because everyone deserves to belong 🧡

What if one faithful “yes” could change the trajectory of a young adult’s life?If you feel the Lord stirring your heart ...
07/02/2026

What if one faithful “yes” could change the trajectory of a young adult’s life?

If you feel the Lord stirring your heart to invest in the next generation, we’d love to invite you to our Don’t Go Alone New Mentor Training on Wednesday, July 15, from 5:30–8:30 p.m. at Grace Bible Church.

Don’t Go Alone is a Christ-centered mentorship program that walks alongside young adults who have aged out of foster care or are at risk, providing consistent encouragement, practical life skills, and the support of a trusted mentor as they navigate adulthood.

We’ve had the privilege of watching these mentor-mentee relationships flourish, bringing growth, hope, and lasting impact—not only for the young adults, but for the mentors as well. We truly believe that God works powerfully through the gift of a faithful, consistent relationship.

If you’re ready to learn more, click the link below and register for “Session 1: In-Person DGA Mentor Training” to begin the onboarding process. We’d love to have you join us!

Mentor training signup ➡️ https://m.signupgenius.com/?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZnRzaASzL7NwZG9mAmV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDzEyNDAyNDU3NDI4NzQxNAABp_cjFoRn8aAljvQdspbJhxtrEOurufYVvtMbT4vMGxJvfckGC55evAi1hxke_aem_fu9mW4w4zHvfUPiV1TZmUw #!/showSignUp/10C0A49ABAB2EABFCC16-52467741-village?useFullSite=false

Community is always worth celebrating 🧡We don’t often get the chance to bring our Don’t Go Alone and Village programs to...
06/27/2026

Community is always worth celebrating 🧡

We don’t often get the chance to bring our Don’t Go Alone and Village programs together, which made last Saturday’s Family Fun Fest extra special! 🎉

From foster, adoptive, and kinship families to mentors and mentees (and the amazing volunteers from Trinity Church), it was such a joy to see our Wild Oak Haven community gathered in one place.

With face painting, Kona Ice, games, and lots of smiles, we celebrated something much bigger than a fun day together—we celebrated the power of community. The kind that shows up through the highs and the lows, the big milestones and the ordinary days.

To every child, family, mentor, mentee, volunteer, and friend who makes Wild Oak Haven what it is: thank you. We pray you always know you are safe, seen, deeply loved 🧡

KinshipCare AdoptiveFamilies

🧡Foster, adoptive, and kinship families—you’re invited!Join us on the last Tuesday of every month for dinner, fellowship...
06/22/2026

🧡Foster, adoptive, and kinship families—you’re invited!

Join us on the last Tuesday of every month for dinner, fellowship, encouragement, and connection at our Village Meetings. It’s a time to build community, share resources, and be reminded that you don’t have to walk this journey alone.

đź“… Our next Village Meeting is Tuesday, June 30

⏰ 6:00–8:00 PM

Be sure to RSVP today! Click the link in our bio or use the link below ⬇️

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSezaLRxloTzx6lsuvycxi570LSEZUWjFPflQ2ZWdoHAuj3qww/viewform?usp=publish-editor

Please join us in welcoming our newest team member and official Empathy In Action Training Facilitator, Heather!Heather ...
06/18/2026

Please join us in welcoming our newest team member and official Empathy In Action Training Facilitator, Heather!

Heather is truly one of a kind and brings an incredible passion for learning, community-building, and helping people grow through meaningful relationships.

Empathy In Action serves as Wild Oak Haven's training arm, equipping the community through education, reflection, and discussion around trauma, empathy, and what it means to be an active, compassionate member of the community.

Join us in welcoming Heather and learn more about her heart for this work below!

🧡What led you to this area of work?
It is beautiful how God has woven my personal and professional experiences into just the right mix at the right time! I have a passion for learning that empowers individuals, strengthens communities, and inspires meaningful engagement. Empathy in Action is a learning opportunity that embodies all of these things! I want to see people thrive in the places and spaces where God has them, and I believe strongly that He has something for each of us in every interaction we’re called to. I believe one of the ways the Church can be the hands and feet of Jesus is to display his radical compassion in a way that helps people see God and experience His love for themselves.

🧡Why did you choose to join the Wild Oak Haven team?
In so many ways I feel like God has drawn my husband and me to Wild Oak Haven, in the same way that He drew us clearly to Hampton Roads (a story for another day!). We love this local area, and desire to see revival in this place! I believe Wild Oak Haven is already part of that, and that Empathy in Action is an important opportunity to equip and encourage the Church to reach the Seven Cities for Christ.

🧡What are you most excited about in your new role, and what perspective or value are you hoping to bring?
This new role is a refinement of my ongoing work with Wild Oak Haven in outreach and community engagement. I am so excited to watch God do a new thing in His people through the renewal of the Empathy in Action program. I’m humbled that I get to bring a focus and intentionality to the growth of this initiative.

🧡 What are a few things you enjoy outside of work?
My love for people and curiosity about their stories also comes to life in my free time—whether I’m exploring creative nonfiction, uncovering hidden gems of local history, or cultivating intentional roots within the Hampton Roads community. But most people don’t realize that I am actually an “extroverted introvert” – so when I’m not engaged with my big, beautiful family, I like to recharge by crocheting in my “Bible chair” and listening to hymns and worship music.

🧡 Do you have a favorite quote, motto, or life philosophy?
My favorite Bible verse is 1 Thessalonians 2:8, where Paul shares that he and Timothy cared so much that they were “delighted to share not only the gospel of God but our very lives”. This is how I want to live, and how I hope Empathy in Action will encourage my fellow believers to live: in deeply invested relationships with a heart that points to Jesus!

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