Peoples Place in Kingston has grown to be much more than thrift store and food pantry – The Daily Freeman

Editors note: This is one of a series of articles profiling area agencies that help the needy.

KINGSTON, N.Y. For nearly five decades, The Peoples Place has been thought of as a food pantry and thrift store. But Christine Hein, executive director of operation on St. James Street in Midtown, says it has become so much more.

While Peoples Place is most well-known for its 49-year-old mission of feeding our community members with needs via [the] food pantry, it has more than 20 additional programs that focus on achieving food security, cultivating self-dignity through offering life essentials, and nurturing our next generation of community leaders, Hein said.

She said initiatives at The Peoples Place range from programs focused on food to the agencys new Wellness Empowerment Center.

Food initiatives include Bag Hunger, which provides breakfast, lunch and snacks to Ulster County families with children when school is out of session, such as during the summer or holiday breaks. The Peoples Place also partners with schools such as John F. Kennedy Elementary School in Kingston to provide food on weekends to all members of a childs family.

On a daily basis, The Peoples Place offers its Fresh Bounty program, which provides a rotating selection of free produce, breads, baked goods, dairy and proteins. The items change daily and are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Fresh Bounty operates in The Peoples Places parking lot.

There also is the Free Farm Stand program, which provides fresh produce from local farms from May until the end of October. And Thanksgiving and Christmas each year are marked with the free distribution of complete holiday meals.

The Peoples Place relies on a mix of public funding and private donations. Earlier this month, the Ulster County Capital Resource Corp. approved providing $100,000 to the agency so it could buy and distribute $50 gift cards to 2,000 area residents.

Recent additions to The Peoples Place include its Community Caf, which opened in October 2019 at 777 Broadway and offers breakfast and lunch to all at no cost; and the Wellness Empowerment Center, which began workshops in July of this year.

The Wellness Empowerment Center strives to enhance the quality of an individuals current life and help them build a strong healthier life for their future through wellness classes, health screenings, nutrition education, financial education, and alternative health modalities, Hein said.

Workshops and classes are held Monday through Friday and are free to Ulster County residents.

Other initiatives at The Peoples Place include the Personal Care Closet (which provides, for free, such items as toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, shampoo and deodorant), Dress for Dignity (which provides free clothing), Styles N Smiles (free haircuts), and Project Stay Warm (which provides free winter weather items such as coats, hats, mittens and scarves).

Specifically for children, The Peoples Place has its annual Project Santa program, which distributes toys, board games, books, stocking stuffers and winter clothing during the Christmas season for Ulster County residents up to 16 years old. There also is a Birthday Booth program through which children can receive an age-appropriate birthday present, birthday cake and party supplies.

For more information about The People Place, go to the website peoplesplaceuc.org or call (845) 338-4030. Donations to the agency can be made atpeoplesplaceuc.org/donate or by sending a check to the agency at 17 St. James St., Kingston, N.Y. 12401.

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Peoples Place in Kingston has grown to be much more than thrift store and food pantry - The Daily Freeman