It Started With Neighbors. It Became a Promise.

Nobody should have to choose between paying a bill and having a warm coat. Nobody should walk into a job interview worried about what they're wearing. And nobody should have to prove they are struggling before a neighbor is willing to help.

That belief is the heart of One Foot Forward Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit serving Napa and Solano Counties. It's why we exist, and it's why we keep showing up.

How It Started

We never set out to build a clothing closet. It started as a simple community gathering. The idea was small: bring neighbors together to share the clothing they no longer needed and keep good items out of the landfill.

Then that first gathering happened, and it changed how we saw our own community. People weren't just there to pass things along. Many of them were going without.

We could have called it a nice afternoon and moved on. Instead we said, let's do it again next month. In the weeks between, the picture kept growing. The more closely we paid attention, the more we saw how many of our neighbors were going unserved, and how big that need really was.

What began as a way to reduce waste showed us something we could not unsee. That is how Community Closet was born.

Why One Foot Forward

Our name is our belief. No matter what you are facing, you can always start over with one step in the right direction.

Life can change quickly. A job ends. A family grows. A move comes before anyone is ready. Hard seasons come for all of us, and nobody should have to get through them alone. Everyone deserves a second chance, no matter the circumstances. Sometimes moving forward takes one foot placed in front of the other, and a community willing to walk alongside you.

That's why our work has never been only about clothing. A clean outfit, a pair of shoes that fit, or a coat before the cold sets in can take one worry off someone's plate. It can give a parent one less thing to carry. It can help a person walk into a room standing a little taller. Small things, offered with kindness, have a way of making the next step feel possible.

The Neighbors We Serve

Picture a mother making sure her kids have what they need for the school year. A woman getting ready for a job interview who wants to feel prepared the moment she walks in. A family adjusting to an unexpected change in their budget. A neighbor who could simply use a hand right now.

None of these is one person's story. They are our neighbors, and any of them could be any of us. They are capable, resourceful, and doing their best. What they deserve is what we would all want: to be met with respect, and to leave with what they came for.

Where it starts: volunteers hand picking clothes for our neighbors before every pop up.

What We Do

Community Closet provides free clothing for women, men, children, and families across Napa and Solano County. Our philosophy is simple: free clothing, no cost, no judgment. There are no questions to answer and nothing expected in return.

Guests find everyday and seasonal clothing for all ages, including shoes and coats, in a space that feels calm and welcoming. Every donation is sorted by hand before it reaches the racks. We hold a monthly closet date in Napa and bring pop ups to partner locations across both counties, and partner agencies can refer clients at no cost to them. Along the way, good clothing gets a second life instead of a landfill, which is exactly where this all began.

Best Foot Forward is our career confidence day for women. At our first event on October 17, 2026, every participant received a complete professional outfit to keep, hair and makeup styling, a professional headshot, one on one resume help, interview coaching from a volunteer coach, and direct introductions to local employers who are hiring. All of it was free.

Afterward, one participant wrote to tell us she left feeling motivated and confident about seeking work, and asked if she could come back and volunteer at the next one. That's what this work looks like when it goes right. Someone is supported, and then turns around to support someone else.

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Become Part of Our Story

Community Closet runs on neighbors. It always has. Every rack we fill, every guest we welcome, and every woman who walks into an interview ready is possible because ordinary people decided to care and then did something about it.

There is a place here for you, whatever you have to give.

Three Ways to Help