North Valley Caring Services

Nvcs food pantry distributes over 80,000 pounds of food weekly (3.9m pounds annually) that would otherwise be destined for landfill. We are a lean organization that relies on hundreds of volunteers, providing food to our most vulnerable communities including families, seniors and shut-ins. We are honored that many of our volunteers have benefited from our programs and return to give back to their neighbors. Last year, nvcs distributed food via our drive-through food pantry to over 188,000 low-income families, seniors, veterans and other individuals, providing them with approximately $200 worth of high-quality and nutritional fresh and non-perishable food each week. Many families who participate in nvcs' food pantry have shared that, by redirecting money that would have been spent on groceries, they now have sufficient money for rent and other basic necessities. In addition to the drive-thru pantry we operate a walk-up option for people experiencing homelessness, and others who do not have the ability to refrigerate or cook food. We provide them with bags of groceries and prepared meals, with a priority on fresh fruit, protein drinks and snacks.homeless outreach: building relationships with the unhoused - delivering meals, personal care kits, medical supplies, connecting them with Services and shelter. In 2022, more than 9,128 people experiencing homelessness received assistance and 303 individuals moved off the streets into shelter. 5,000/month hot meals are prepared by our chef and volunteers utilizing rescued food and delivered by our homeless outreach team to encampments and families experiencing homelessness living in local motels.

Nvcs' breakfast and showers program offers a hot breakfast and shower to individuals without housing. Our program is available mondays, wednesdays, and fridays from 6:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. In 2022. Nvcs served 6,292 hot breakfast and each meal is made in-house using fresh ingredients and is never deep fried. Nvcs was able to provide 6,119 showers to our unhoused community in 2022. Our shower rooms are spacious enough to accommodate an entire family or larger items such as wheelchairs, shopping carts, or bicycles. Body wash, towels, and toiletries are provided on-site for use.

At our three safe parking lots we provide safe overnight parking for people living in their cars, many fleeing domestic violence. Case management, showers, hot breakfast, family reunification and wraparound Services are a focal point of every client's journey transitioning to shelter. In 2022, over 480 seniors, students, families, veterans and individuals living out their cars received Services through our safe parking program. More than 68% transitioned to some form of shelter/housing.

Children and youth enrichment: serving 5-18 year olds with afterschool and out-of-school academic and recreational programming at no-cost to families, nvcs' enrichment program provides children with a safe space to grow their confidence and sense of self-worth while supporting them to stay in school and improve their grades. All of the children we serve live in poverty within a gang injunction area and are critically under-resourced in educational, extracurricular, and safe-play opportunities. Many are from families experiencing homelessness. Nvcs provides educational support, enrichment activities, 1:1 tutoring, exposure to the arts, and safe outdoor play, as well as nutritious food during the day to ensure the children are not hungry. Best buy teen tech center at nvcs: after undergoing an extensive re-model, we opened the doors to youth (12-18 years old) december 2023. Equipped with a state-of-the-art recording studio, engineering booth, film, video and photography studios, fashion merchandising studio, makerspace, virtual reality, gaming and animation teens are empowered with the skills, resources, and opportunities they need to succeed in a rapidly changing digital world and to become creators and innovators in their communities. The center serves as a hub for community engagement, bringing together teenagers, parents, educators, and local organizations to collaborate on projects, share resources, and build relationships.