Grace Care Center Empowers
Grace Care Center Values: Empower
Grace Care Center is focused on creating a shared understanding of who we are and who we are committed to becoming. This helps us operate smoothly, as every staff member and volunteer knows what we are working toward.
When we developed our new strategic plan, we named a set of five values that shape how we show up in our community. We’ve been sharing more about each one, and why they matter.
Our next featured value is a key part of what we do here at Grace Care Center: Empower. We don’t offer a band-aid or a hand-out; we equip Care Center Friends with tools that truly empower them to make long-lasting changes.
Why Empowerment Works
We believe that everyone should be in charge of their own lives. It’s a big reason behind why we are focused on choice-first care!
It’s also why empowerment plays such a key role at Grace Care Center.
While we aim to help our neighbors in times of need, we don’t just offer a quick fix. We provide real solutions that help Care Center Friends break the cycle of poverty, overcome crises, and build independence and stability that will last.
By focusing on empowering those we serve, we make it possible for them to help themselves. This fosters pride and hope instead of shame, leading to lifelong change.
How We Empower Care Center Friends
Empowerment starts the moment a Care Center Friend walks through our doors for the first time.
They are greeted with kindness and directed to the Welcome Desk, where they meet one-on-one with a volunteer who provides guidance and resources right away. This information is tailored to each visitor’s specific needs, and they are guided to the Care Center services that will best help them on their journey.
An Empowering Food Pantry Experience
Most Friends start in the Choice Food Pantry, where they are empowered to make their own decisions regarding the groceries and household items that are right for their family.
Each family is provided with a set of points per week based on the size of their household. They then have the dignifying experience of shopping with these points in our grocery-store-style Pantry. Fresh, nutritious options like fruits, vegetables, eggs, and dairy products are available, as are cultural favorites, shelf-stable goods, and other necessities like household cleaners and personal care items.
Empowerment Through Other Services
After families are stabilized through the help they receive in the Choice Food Pantry, they are empowered to choose other services that will help them towards long-term flourishing.
This might include taking a free English class, which breaks down language barriers and opens doors to new working and learning opportunities. It might involve a zero-interest micro loan, which equips Friends with the ability to make critical purchases or pay down debt, without further harming their credit.
Or, it might look like joining Co-opperative Services. In the Co-op. Friends are empowered by volunteer coaches to tackle debt, manage budgets, build savings, and more.
Relationships that Empower
No matter which services our Care Center Friends access, they find a supportive community focused on treating them with dignity, kindness, and respect.
We strive to ensure that each Friend builds relationships with staff members and volunteers that lift them up and empower them to flourish for life.
Read More About Our Values
If you want to learn more about Grace Care Center and the Grace Care Center Foundation, we encourage you to read about our four additional values:
Lasting Change (coming soon)
