Park Slope Christian Help or C.H.I.P.S. (New York)

Park Slope Christian Help or C.H.I.P.S. (New York)
CHIPS is a nonsectarian, voluntary, community-based organization, serving the needs of the poor and homeless in the Park Slope area of Brooklyn. Begun in 1972, C.H.I.P.S. was originally a soup kitchen and clothing distribution center for the poor. It has expanded over the years to now include temporary housing for single, homeless mothers and a soup kitchen serving over 6,000 hot meals per month. Volunteers perform the various tasks involved in keeping the soup kitchen and residence open and operating smoothly and efficiently. These tasks include, but are not limited to cooking, cleaning, laundry, transportation, maintenance and repairs, painting, fundraising and supervision of the residence 24hrs a day.

The focus at CHIPS is the guests – all of our brothers and sisters who come in need, requesting assistance. The goal is to work together with the church and civic communities, local merchants and entrepreneurs, volunteers and neighbors, and the guests to improve lives, bringing dignity, health, freedom, and peace to all! The specific objectives are to provide healthy and tasty meals for those who are hungry, in a safe, homelike, Christian environment; and housing for homeless women that is secure, loving, warm, and free from alcohol, drugs, and the violence and cold of the streets.

The Soup Kitchen
Between the hours of 11:30am – 1:30PM, the daytime soup kitchen serves up to 200 meals daily to families and individuals. Anyone who is hungry and in need is welcome. Over 150 volunteers, from religious groups to youth groups to individuals, come every month, taking turns preparing, cooking, and serving the hot meals, as well as cleaning up. The soup kitchen relies heavily on food donations by area merchants, local groups, and individuals.
Frances Residency Program
A housing facility for young, single, homeless mothers and mothers-to-be, the Frances Residency opened in the spring of 1999. The program requires women to take responsibility for developing a plan for themselves and their babies that is holistic and interdependent. Through promoting self-reliance, offering instruction in household management, requiring classes in parenting skills, and arranging for well baby care, the Residency program empowers young mothers to take charge of their lives and their children’s future. The program provides an environment free from the violence and insecurities of the streets enabling the participants the freedom from fear to learn the skills necessary for mothers to care and nurture their children in households of their own.
(Visit CHIPS website @ www.chipsonline.org)

Needs: Funding to support the food pantry and soup kitchen, maintenance and utilities for the building housing both programs, and general needs of the residents at Frances’ Residence.