Norman Nonprofit Supporting Foster Teens Seeks New Van For Fundraising

A Norman nonprofit that serves teens aging out of foster care announced Tuesday that it will need a new van soon.

Fifth Sparrow Refuge said its current cargo van is nearing the end of its lifespan, and the organization will need a replacement to continue raising funds for transitional housing.

Matt Snook, director of Fifth Sparrow Refuge, was moved to act in 2022 when he learned two of his former students were facing homelessness.

"I was their elementary music teacher when they were five and six years old. They were raised by grandparents. Grandparents passed away. They ended up in foster care, and then when they hit 18, there's no more money and support, and they were essentially homeless," Snook said.

He founded Fifth Sparrow Refuge to help those two boys and others like them, including Adam Nogueira.

“You kinda have to go through it to have that close perspective. For me, that was the instance, being a person who was homeless for a little while,” Nogueira said.

Nogueira is the resident manager of the Sparrow House, where he said he is happy to give back to young adults staying in the organization’s transitional housing.

"We don't pay salaries for the nonprofit. The money comes in and goes straight to the mortgage and bills, and then to—if the kid's moving out and needs a security deposit, help turning on utilities, or a vehicle, those kinds of things," Snook said.

Gesturing at the table in his garage, Snook explained how the nonprofit raises most of its funds.

"Most of our funding comes from this stuff right here," Snook said, pointing to woodwork on the table. "This is our bread and butter: resin cutting boards, tables, charcuterie boards, and stuff like that."

The organization also crafts farmhouse tables, selling its work at shows around the country, which is why it said it needs another van.

"We're looking to find another delivery vehicle, and the best fit for us has been a cargo van like a Ram ProMaster, Ford Transit, or something big enough to put a dining table in the back of," Snook said.

Since its founding, Fifth Sparrow Refuge said it has helped 30 people.