Caring for the Hungry and Homeless of Peekskill (CHHOP) Mission
"At Caring for the Hungry and Homeless of Peekskill (CHHOP), we believe that every person is entitled to safe and adorable housing and healthy, nutritious food. We work to alleviate hunger and homelessness in Peekskill and its surroundings."
CHHOP Services:
Fred's Pantry
Fred’s Pantry was opened in response to the demand created by the great recession, we opened Fred’s Pantry to serve the community with healthy and nutritious food. Until the Covid-19 pandemic, Fred’s operated as a choice food pantry which enabled clients to choose the food that is right for them and their families. Beginning March 2020, we pivoted to a “bag and go” model. Fred’s Pantry currently serves approximately 1,300 people each week. Hours of operation are 4 pm to 6 pm on Wednesdays and 9 am to 11 am on Saturdays.
Turning Point
The Turning Point Program addresses the complex needs of individuals who have been chronically homeless. To address those needs, we started our permanent supportive housing program for chronically homeless adults with a disability. Clients live in their own apartment and receive supportive case management services that enable them to live productive lives while maintaining permanent housing.
Jan Peek House Shelter
Jan Peek House Shelter is a Westchester County Department of Social Services-funded 24-hour, 365-days a year shelter for single adult men and women. We provide supportive case management services for clients to develop an independent living plan that focuses on obtaining housing and supportive services such as medical, behavioral, employment and educational. Jan Peek drop-In services provides shelter, food and limited supportive services for homeless adult men and women, particularly during inclement weather. In 2019 we added robust case management services to assist our drop-in clients with accessing the housing and support services they need.
Healthcare for Homeless Veterans
Health Care for Homeless Veterans was developed to assist the growing epidemic of homelessness among our nations’ veterans, we started this 90-180-day transitional housing program for VA eligible veterans. Working closely with the VA, we provide supportive case management services and linkage to VA medical and support services.
Our Work with CHHOP's Fred's Pantry
Donations
Since July, 2020, we've been regularly donating English muffins to our neighbors at CHHOP's Fred's Pantry. Additionally, we've added a donation feature to our online store where customers can add on an extra bag(s) to their order to be donated on their behalf. These additional donations from our generous customers are included in 20% of all orders.
To us however, donating food isn’t the only thing you can do to make a difference -- if possible, we encourage you to get involved by donating money to your local food pantry, or Feeding America, and/or volunteer at your local food pantry.
Volunteer
As a team, we take trips to volunteer at the Fred's Pantry distribution site. Although we always look forward to our visit from Arthur (Fred's Pantry Coordinator) and Gordon (Fred's Pantry Volunteer) to our bakery where they pick up our donations of sourdough English muffins, it's nice to see where the donation goes beyond the van so that we can further connect with our Peekskill, NY community.
King Arthur Baking's "For Goodness Bakes" Program
After our head baker, Ty, told us about King Arthur Baking’s "For Goodness Bakes" program in 2021, we reached out immediately to learn more about how we could get involved. Since we regularly donate our English muffins to Fred’s Food Pantry, which is just one of the many services managed by Caring for the Hungry and Homeless of Peekskill (CHHOP), this opportunity was the perfect fit. It’s even more perfect that the Pantry Coordinator’s name is Arthur! As you’ll notice in the picture below, we crowned him so that he is King Arthur!
As a result of our participation in the program, we were humbled to be able to donate 167 bags of our vegan sourdough "Original White" Dam Good™ English muffins to CHHOP on behalf of King Arthur Baking Company, and are proud to be able to do what we can in our community to help alleviate hunger.
"Calling All Foodies"
In April, 2021, Amber Michelle included an interview with Denise (owner) about Dam Good™ English Muffins partnership with CHHOP in her article titled "Calling All Foodies." Providing a healthy product and giving back to the community are an important part of what we do. It is our responsibility to help. Everybody needs a little help sometimes. People who rely on food pantries don't always receive the best quality food, which can cause or play into health issues. We're giving them a premium product, because they should have the same food that we have," Denise stated.
CHHOP History
In the winter of 1988, a man who had nowhere to go suffered severe frostbite in Peekskill from living outside. That tragedy galvanized members of the Peekskill Community, who met weekly in Dr. Janet Foy’s office to brainstorm about immediate housing solutions.
Members of the committee donated what they could and solicited financial support from others in the area, including the Peekskill Area Pastors Association (PAPA) and committed community members to create a safe place for those without a home. Although many of those early pioneers who founded CHHOP, including the indomitable Dr. Foy are no longer with us, their spirit, passion and compassion live on in Jan Peek House, a 24-hour 365-day a year shelter for adult men and women.
In 2007 we added Jan Peek Drop-In services providing shelter, food and supportive services. Over the years, CHHOP has added in new programs, including Fred’s Pantry, our food pantry. In 2014, CHHOP started a program to assist VA eligible veterans access housing and healthcare. The Turning Point program was launched to assist with the varied and complex issues faced by people with disabilities. CHHOP partnered with My Sisters' Place and Lifting Up Westchester, in 2019, to create, RISE, a program geared to providing holistic services to survivors of domestic violence so that they can rebuild their lives with compassion and dignity.