Our mission
At Oak Street Foundation, we strive to foster community resilience and environmental sustainability in Knox County, Ohio. Through the distribution and education on the use of water purification systems, rain barrels, sun ovens, portable solar panels, compost bins, composting toilets, and raised garden beds, we empower households to thrive with local resources.
Who we are
The Oak Street Foundation (OSF) was founded in Knox County, Ohio, in 2023, by three women who wanted a reasonable, community-minded, earth-friendly approach to both everyday sustainability and disaster planning—the now and the maybe.
Our purpose is to nurture resilient communities.
What we do
The Oak Street Foundation supports households in Knox County, Ohio, in becoming self-reliant with healthy environmental practices.
We encourage communities to use and share their own natural resources like water, sun, and earth, through distributing and teaching about items like water purification systems and rain barrels; sun ovens and portable solar panels; compost bins, compost toilets, and raised garden beds.
Why we do it
Just getting through the day and making it to the next paycheck is enough for most people, without thinking through the environmental impact of everyday choices or how to work with their neighbors in a natural disaster or an interruption of global food production and delivery systems. Even agencies of emergency management urge preparedness for only three to seven days. Meanwhile, preppers stock up on canned foods and guns, and CEOs prepare private jets to whisk them to luxurious compounds in New Zealand—away from the communities of ordinary people, whose typical response to a disaster is “We didn’t think it could happen here.” Between these two extremes, there should be a reasonable approach—households making simple, everyday choices to nurture their resources and help each other. Sustain and recover; survive and thrive. We can do this now.
Meet our team
Rebecca Abbott
President
What started as a backyard organic garden has grown into a vision for working together for resilient, sustainable communities. She was elated to meet the other board members and find common dreams.
Noelle Jordan
Treasurer
She serves as the director of Kenyon College’s Brown Family Environmental Center & Farm and is pleased to serve on the OSF board to promote eco-friendly practices that make households more resilient.
Sarah Goslee Reed
Secretary
Sarah is known for her involvement in the community music scene. As a volunteer bluebird monitor at the Brown Family Environmental Center, her master’s degree in biology, concentrating in ecology, makes OSF a perfect fit.
Our impact
Through our initiatives, Oak Street Foundation is positively impacting Knox County, Ohio, by fostering community resilience and promoting environmental sustainability. We believe that every step towards a greener, more sustainable future contributes to the well-being of both the community and the environment.