The food cupboard at Charles Settlement House, Inc. was started in June 2006. Previously consumers were given vouchers to Tops Friendly Markets to purchase their groceries. Unfortunately, the closest store was nearly 2 miles away. This proved to be a hardship for mothers with young children and the disabled or fragile consumers. The onsite food cupboard means consumers can receive their food at the same location thereby saving them time, energy, and money.

To meet the needs of the consumers we use an inventory list and consumers pick out the items they would like. This avoids waste and empowers the consumer to get the food they know their family will eat. We utilize Foodlink for most of our food which allows us to provide more food than we could afford with store vouchers. Occasionally we purchase meat and other items when unavailable at Foodlink. We would like to offer more fresh fruits and vegetables to our consumers. We are a small operation with two caseworkers.

We serve a specific geographic area, using a street index. Consumers are seen by appointment and caseworkers meet with each consumer. Our goal is to provide resources to assist the family to get through the current crisis and develop a plan to avoid the same situation in the future. Consumers with multiple issues are asked to work with the caseworker on a plan to stabilize them and improve their quality of life. The caseworker and the consumer partner together and develop goals with specific action plans to meet the goals. A few examples include finding lower cost housing, getting health insurance, doing job searches, or finding day care.

We also offer  free clothing to neighborhood residents. Consumers in need of assistance with transportation for medical appointments, job interviews or rehab appointments are provided with a bus pass.