CLIENT CHOICE FOOD PANTRIES

- Emergency Food Pantry (3-4 day supply)

- Grocery Store setting

- Empowers clients to pick and choose a variety of foods they need and want for their families

- Serves more than 700 families per month with food

- Pantry Locations and Operating Days and Times:

- NECM’s main office, 214 Spencer NE (M,T,W,F 9AM-12:30PM)

- Leonard Terrace, 1315 Leonard NE (Last Monday of the month 9AM-12N)

SPECTRUM HEALTH ‘NOW’ REFERRALS

- Special Food is provided each week for 10-20 clients for 2 months at a time for clients with illnesses, such as diabetes or cardiovascular disease requiring a high protein diet, with low salt and sugar through Spectrum Health ‘NOW’ (Nutritional Options for Wellness)

HOLIDAY GIVING NETWORK

- NECM screens over 900 families per month for holiday food baskets and coordinates with area churches, organizations and individuals to provide food baskets

- Links names with "Toys for Tots"

NECM INFANT AND TOYS CLOSET

- Provides infant layettes for newborns, complete with sleepers, new baby outfits, booties, diapers, receiving blankets.

EDUCATIONAL/INCENTIVE CLASSES

Creative Cooking

- Creative ways to cook food with what is on hand

- Two (6-week) educational class sessions each year on nutrition, food planning and preparation and food budgeting

- Bible study and prayer time

- Class shares a fun meal time together

- Incentives: cooking utensils, recipes, cookbooks, pans

- Meal ingredients sent home with each participant weekly

- No cost

Sense with Cents

- Classes on household budgets and job skills training

- Prepare a household budget and learn effective ways to utilize income

- Preparation for interviews and resume building

- Two (6-week) class sessions per year

- Incentives

- No cost

Single Parenting

- Equips single parents with education and resources on how to effectively parent

- Two (6-week) class session per year

- $5.00 fee for each series of classes

REWIRE YOUR HARD DRIVE

- Class offered to clients to teach them Microsoft word applications and navigating the internet.

- 2 (4-week) classes per week

- Incentives provided

- No Cost