Neighbors helping neighbors
Long before the doors open each morning, there’s already a purpose waiting inside Chapin We Care Center. A family struggling to keep the lights on. A senior who needs help putting food on the table. Someone simply trying to get enough gas to make it to a doctor’s appointment. Every day yields a different story, but each one begins the same way: with a neighbor in need and a community willing to help.
For nearly 40 years, Chapin We Care Center has become one of the community’s greatest examples of what can happen when churches, businesses, schools, civic organizations, volunteers, and neighbors come together with a shared mission. Incorporated on September 30, 1986, Chapin We Care Center was founded to meet the basic living needs of people facing emergencies. What started as a group effort among a few local churches has grown into a reputable resource for countless members of the Chapin community.
Originally, We Care Center operated out of the old Chapin United Methodist Church. As the community grew, so did the ministry. Local supporters came together to build a permanent home on property leased by St. Francis of Assisi Episcopal Church. Through generous fundraising efforts—led in large part by the Chapin Sunrise Rotary Club—the building was paid for in full, leaving the organization without a mortgage or lien. In March 2014, the ministry moved next door into a newly renovated building that had previously housed the St. Francis Thrift Store, where it continues serving neighbors today.
Now, the center serves as a single point of assistance, coordinating resources so people can receive help in one place. Whether someone needs food for their family, gas to get to a medical appointment, or assistance with utilities, every service is provided free of charge. And as for the Executive Director, the buildings used to carry out this ministry tell only part of the story. The real story is found in the generosity of the people who make the mission possible.
The organization is led by Executive Director Alecia Klauk, who has served in the role for the past 10 years, and includes one part-time paid administrator. Everything else, from welcoming visitors at the front desk to stocking pantry shelves, interviewing clients, picking up food donations, and completing special projects, is made possible by volunteers and a dedicated Board of Directors.
Community members looking to support the ministry have many opportunities to become involved. Financial gifts help meet the organization’s day-to-day operating needs and ensure emergency assistance remains available. Food pantry donations are always needed, and volunteers are essential to nearly every aspect of the ministry’s work. Chapin We Care Center is continually looking to speak with local organizations, Sunday School classes, and community groups. Being able to talk with groups of people helps spread awareness of the services available while encouraging others to become part of the mission. Groups interested in completing community service hours are also invited to serve alongside the volunteer team.
The generosity of the volunteers and the community has allowed the organization not only to continue its work in Chapin but also to expand it. An exciting recent development has been the creation of the Mobile Pantry, which now serves locations throughout Newberry County once a week, bringing food directly to more people in need. At the heart of everything We Care Center does is a simple philosophy: people should be served with compassion and dignity. This mindset is woven into everything the staff and volunteers do.
For nearly four decades, Chapin We Care Center has shown that compassion is most powerful when a community chooses to share it. Every service provided and every volunteer hour given represents something larger than assistance; it represents compassion and love. In a world where many people wonder how they can make a difference, Chapin We Care Center offers a simple answer: start by caring for the person next door. To learn more, volunteer, donate, or schedule a presentation for your organization, visit their website.