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Family Tree Relief Nursery tells council about recovery supports, early childhood program and food pantry
Summary
Family Tree Relief Nursery described therapeutic early‑childhood classrooms, peer‑mentor outreach and a community pantry; presenters said their 2025 services reached hundreds of families and nearly 5,000 pantry recipients and asked the community to donate supplies and volunteer.
Meredith Shreper, director of program services at Family Tree Relief Nursery, and Ashley Vermillion, director of the organization's Therapeutic Early Childhood Program (TECP), briefed the Albany City Council on June 10 about services aimed at preventing child abuse, reducing parental stressors and supporting family stability.
Shreper summarized Family Tree's model as strength‑based and long‑term, emphasizing parent education, employment supports and connections to substance‑use treatment through regional partnerships and Measure 110 funding. "We build off of what people can do within themselves and support them on their journey to recovery," she said.
Vermillion described the TECP, which serves prenatal parents through children up to age five with home visits and small therapeutic classroom settings in Albany, Lebanon and Sweet Home. "Children who are 12 months to 5 years have the ability to access our classroom programs," Vermillion said; classrooms are intentionally small, with at least three teachers and no more than 11 children, to focus on social and emotional development.
Presenters reported program impact for 2025: Family Services served 450 families; the peer‑mentor outreach team served 612 families; TECP served over 274 families across three sites; and the food pantry served 4,924 individuals. Staff said the pantry opened to the general public in early 2026 after a supplemental pantry phase in 2025 and that urgent needs (diapers, wipes, hygiene items, canned meat) are posted on the organization's website.
Councilors thanked the presenters and asked how residents can help. Shreper and Vermillion said classroom and hygiene supplies, diapers, wipes, backpacks and clothing are the most useful in the short term and volunteers are welcomed to support programming and training efforts.
Council response and next steps
Councilors praised the early‑intervention focus and noted the downstream benefits for schools and the community. No formal funding request was made to the council at the meeting; presenters said detailed program and funding information is available in the council packet.
Provenance: presentation and Q&A (SEG 050–SEG 241).
