Megan Navarro
SAN MARCOS — A San Marcos-based organization is taking the phrase, “it takes a village,” seriously by providing a network of support for families that are going through pregnancy, postpartum and beyond.
“For 99% of human history, we all raised kids surrounded by a village and now, in this country, most people are doing it very, very isolated,” said Randi Finn, director of operations for Little Village Texas. “There are other cultures around the world who still really prioritize postpartum care and providing that village for people who just had a baby, but the U.S. has some of the worst maternal health outcomes in the developed world. We're really trying to give people a place where they can build that village for themselves.”
Little Village Texas was created more than 10 years ago, hosting weekly in-person gatherings on Mondays, where parents can come to get that emotional and physical support. This is done through multiple ways, including offering yoga movement classes, pelvic floor/physical therapist sessions, lactation consulting, meal trains and offering a free store, called Village Commons, for baby gear, clothes and diapers.
The foundations for wellbeing are established in the first six years of life, Finn explained, but, at the same time, several mothers and families experience a 6-week to 6-year gap in social support, especially between giving birth and returning to work.
Knowing this, Little Village Texas works to build that bridge for a lot of people who lose their community when they really need a safe space.
“This gap is largely unmet by existing public systems, which necessitates community action. Little Village implements research-backed strategies to reduce postpartum depression and support early childhood development,” Finn said.
The importance of this network of support is not lost on the many participating mothers, including Greta Nakliudaite-Perez, who sees Little Village as a blessing: “After having my second baby, I was fed and taken care of for a whole year [on] Mondays at Little Village. I've seen how, for some mothers, it's a total life changer and possibly the main thing that saves them from postpartum depression.”
Erin Lester echoed similar points, sharing that her desire in this world is for every woman to experience the postpartum support that she did after her second pregnancy — something that did not happen the first time around.
“The amount of people who had only met me once or twice who signed up for my meal train blew me away. I felt so supported and so loved. I love that I don't have to think about planning lunch on Mondays,” Lester said. “I can bring myself and my toddler and know we'll be nourished with homemade soup. It's also nice being able to relax in a room full of women and have a real conversation while my toddler plays with the other kids."
The organization also officially filed — and was accepted — to became a nonprofit in October 2025 to preserve the work, acquire funding and ensure that it doesn’t go anywhere after the current generation of volunteers age out, the director explained.
Now, there will be a fall festival fundraiser tentatively at 3-7 p.m. Oct. 17 at Flying Armadillo Disc Golf. Proceeds will go toward sustaining the current Monday meetup, while also helping launch another program, called Self-Care Wednesdays.
The Wednesday program would give dedicated time for caregivers to engage in activities that support physical and mental wellbeing, including guided movement and wellness practices led by qualified local instructors. Onsite childcare — with financial assistance opportunities — would also be available to increase accessibility.
Currently, Little Village meets from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Mondays at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 3039 Ranch Road 12, San Marcos, in the old preschool building. For more information, updates and RSVP details, visit the private Facebook group at bit.ly/4gETk71.
