Community Shop Class plans to continue its youth programs and community services in Oak Park but needs funding to keep its Stockton Boulevard space sustainable.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — From hands-on classes in woodworking, 3D printing and podcasting to free repair events, tiny-home construction and support for neurodivergent children, Community Shop Class provides a wide range of programs and services in Oak Park.

But after five years on Stockton Boulevard, founder Chad Orcutt says the nonprofit needs more funding to continue that work beyond the next few months.



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Community Shop Class offers summer inventors camps, classes for charter school and homeschooled students, an ADHD Inventors Club and after-school programs. Its programs are built with neurodivergent children in mind, especially those with ADHD and other learning differences.

“We tell kids they could do anything and then we cheer for them,” Orcutt said. “Our entire goal in life is that they feel more confident, that they feel that surge of creative courage when they leave our programs.”

The organization also hosts the monthly Oak Park Fix It Cafe, where community members can bring in broken items for free repairs. Community Shop Class builds tiny homes, helps with neighborhood projects and has hosted peer support groups, open mic nights and other community events.

Orcutt says the organization is seeing the impact of its work as children return year after year.

“These kids that come back, they are different than they were when they got here — not because they’re older, but because they’re more confident,” Orcutt said.

Despite that impact, Community Shop Class is facing financial challenges. Orcutt says individual donations have declined, funding through a partnership has been reduced, and the organization has lost federal funding. The nonprofit has also missed out on several grants it expected to receive.

The building owner is providing several months of rent relief, allowing Community Shop Class to remain in its current space and continue its children’s programs and the Oak Park Fix It Cafe for now.

However, Orcutt says the organization needs additional support to remain sustainable after that period.

Community Shop Class estimates it costs about $5,500 a month to maintain its Stockton Boulevard space. Orcutt says about $30,000 would cover basic expenses for six months and help the organization move toward a more sustainable future.

“My wife and I have funded this place on faith and credit cards,” Orcutt said. “We’ve been going for the last three months on the rest of our savings plus the credit cards we’ve been able to keep the place alive with.”

Orcutt says Community Shop Class’s work extends beyond the programs offered inside the building.

“We know that this is the kind of thing that changes the neighborhood,” he said. “We know that this place is the kind of thing that changes kids’ lives.”

The organization plans to continue serving Oak Park, but Orcutt says its ability to keep going depends on whether it can secure more financial support in the coming months.

“We’re in a tough spot right now, and making it to our next step is going to be hard if we don’t get some additional support,” Orcutt said.

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