Choice-First
Grace Care Center Values: Choice-First Food
At Grace Care Center, our values truly reflect who we are and who we are committed to becoming.
Through creating our new strategic plan, we’ve named a set of five shared values that shape how we show up in our community. Over the next few months, we’ll be sharing more about each one.
Next up is a value that drives everything we do at Grace Care Center: Choice-First, our Friend-centered approach to food, support services, and community care.
Creating a Different Model
“Choice” has been a key part of our mission from the very first days of Grace Care Center.
Before we opened our doors, we noticed that most area food pantries provided pre-packed boxes or bags of groceries, often prioritizing shelf-stable items over fresh, nutritious choices. While the number of items sometimes changed depending on the family, the majority provided the same foods to every visitor.
In addition, area food pantries at that time were primarily open one day a week, with hours that typically conflicted with many people’s work schedules.
We knew from the beginning that we wanted to do things differently. So, we set out to create a “Choice-First” food pantry model, starting with the Choice Food Pantry.
A Pantry Built on Choice
Today, our Choice Food Pantry operates just like a grocery store. Families are provided with a number of points based on the number of people in their household. They are then able to “shop” alongside a Care Center Volunteer, using their points to select groceries and household items that fit their needs and preferences.
The Pantry provides shelf stable items like canned goods, but also gives guests the opportunity to choose from nutritious fruits and vegetables, fresh meat and dairy products, delicious baked goods, and various cultural foods. Household necessities like personal care items, cleaning supplies, and even baby diapers are available as well.
Our Choice Food Pantry is open three days a week – including Monday and Tuesday evenings and Wednesday mornings. These varying hours accommodate different schedules and preferences, another piece of our “Choice-First” philosophy.
Plus, these choices extend to our Mobile Food Pantry. The Mobile Pantry operates much the same as our brick-and-mortar Choice Food Pantry, but is ready and available to go where help is needed most.
Choices Beyond Food
But, to us, choices don’t stop with food. All of our services are available on a choice-by-choice basis – no programs are required in order to receive other services.
The Thrift Store, available for shopping both in-person and online, provides guests with several options of new and used clothing, toys, and small household goods at discounted prices.
Each summer, we also host the Grace Care Center Community Fair to support families as students prepare to head back to school. At the Fair, attendees are able to choose everything from backpacks to school supplies to shoes, as well as receive hair cuts and visit the Pantry. We distributed 1,500 backpacks and pairs of shoes – and so much more – in 2025!
At Grace Care Center, we understand that everyone’s journey is different. We aim to provide as much information and support as possible to every Care Center Friend who walks through our doors, empowering them to make decisions for themselves.
Why Choice-First Matters
We believe that choice is dignity in action. By building our organization on the idea that choice should be a priority, we honor each Care Center Friend’s ability to decide their own path.
Instead of feeling “less-than” or unworthy, Friends are welcomed and supported. They are provided with the opportunity to shop for the items that fit their dietary needs, cultural traditions, and lifestyle preferences – without shame.
Our Friends are encouraged to decide for themselves when they are ready to take the next step towards stability, whether that step is English class, the Co-op, or another service.
Every day, we see the difference that putting choice first makes. Because each Care Center Friend is met where they are at now, they feel empowered and capable of building independence and making lasting changes.
We provide “Choice-First” care because choices are dignifying.
Read More About Our Values
Want to learn more about Grace Care Center, the Grace Care Center Foundation, and what we value? You can read about our four additional values in our other blogs:
Dignity (coming soon)
Empower (coming soon)
Lasting Change (coming soon)
