Immanuel Community Services

Mission

Our mission is to alleviate the effects of poverty, hunger, homelessness and addiction by providing community-based social services to those in need.

Description

Immanuel Community Services (ICS) serves approximately 18,000 individuals experiencing homelessness and hunger every year through our four programs: the SLU Food Bank at ICS, ICS Hygiene Center, Community Meal Program and a residential Recovery Program Shelter. Through these programs, we strive to build relationships and be a place where people can become connected and involved. We work together, side-by-side, to maintain dignity, rekindle hope, and create a community of belonging.

We work each day to provide Food for those are Hungry, Hygiene for those are Homeless and Recovery for those who are Addicted:

• Our weekly Food Bank serves approximately 700 community members each month, feeding 8,000 people per year.
• We provide approximately 150 meals each day and each month at Community Lunch, approximately 100 people enjoy a warm, nutritious meal and conversation.
• Mondays through Fridays we offer a Hygiene Center that serves about 40-60 people per day. This Hygiene Center provides a place where people can do laundry, shower, eat a warm meal and find respite + shelter.
• Our Recovery Program Shelter provides a safe, supportive, clean and sober living environment for men who are working to overcome addiction to drugs and/or alcohol. Up to 15 men, who are homeless as a result of their addictions, are invited to stay with us while they build a new life for themselves.

In 2022, we served close to 40,000 meals, provided 4,252 bed nights for men in recovery, distributed about 400,000 pounds of food, and provided 12,335 showers! We never closed our doors or reduced services as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. In fact, we expanded our services and remained open on holidays when we would normally be closed. We have navigated an increase in visits, inflation (which increased costs of food and utilities), and a decrease in government COVID assistance within the same year. It is challenging, but the work is too important for us to stop. We need our community to continue to help so that we can continue to serve each and every person who comes to ICS seeking food, shelter, and recovery. 

Please consider giving to our mission, to help with not only sustaining but improving, enriching, and strengthening these programs and services. Your gift is more important now than ever, as we experienced unexpected cost increases in 2022 and continue to see the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic.