About Citizens Inn
Who We Are
Citizens Inn provides transformational opportunities to individuals and families experiencing homelessness and food insecurity.
Citizens Inn Between and Citizens Inn Transition are our emergency programs for families experiencing homelessness within a 20-mile radius of Peabody. We house 35 families and over 65 children at any given time, with a focus on addressing the root causes of their instability. This is accomplished through special programs including mental health counseling, wellness classes, financial literacy workshops, our Children’s Enrichment program, and Career Link, in addition to clients’ participation in ongoing, individualized case management and housing search support.
Our Haven from Hunger program, located at 71 Wallis Street in Peabody, distributes nearly 1.8 million pounds of food annually to 6,0000 unique residents of Peabody, Salem, and Lynnfield who are experiencing food insecurity. This program includes a food pantry and community meals program, that deliver a dignified experience for clients, with nutrient-dense, fresh and self-stable food and a client-choice format.
The Resource Center at Haven from Hunger, launched in fall 2021, serves as a resource for individuals accessing the Haven from Hunger food pantry and community meals program, by offering counsel for housing, benefit, employment, and health challenges. The Center has office hours with our Homelessness Prevention experts, as well as workshops with various partner organizations in the community. By addressing the other obstacles to financial security, our Resource Center ultimately decreases our clients’ food insecurity.
What We Do
More than just a shelter
We house 35 families experiencing homelessness and provide more than just a roof over their heads. Many of our families include single mothers with young children and babies, 80% of whom have experienced domestic violence. We also house 8 families in recovery from substance use disorders. All of our families have experienced significant trauma, which drives our trauma-informed-care model to be woven in every aspect of our organization. With philanthropy, we are able to run special programs that give clients the tools necessary to rebuild their lives and ultimately find and maintain permanent housing. Typically, 100% of the families we serve do not return to shelter within the year they exit our program.
Food pantry and meals program
Haven from Hunger serves 1 in 20 Peabody and Salem residents, providing groceries to help stretch budgets and allow clients to take care of other critical needs such as personal health, housing, utilities, child care, and loans. Our pantry offers the most comprehensive hours in the area and has been met with increasing demand, due to both the Covid-19 pandemic and the ever-increasing cost of living on the North Shore. Our community meals program offers guests both dinner and companionship, four nights a week, and is open to anyone, from all communities. Approximately 15,600 meals are served annually. Our Summer Eats program provides over 2,500 lunches to children in Peabody throughout the summer. Haven from Hunger acquires food from the Greater Boston Food Bank, and over $2 million worth of food from our food rescue partners, and local farms, including Tillie’s Farm, Brooksby Farm, and the Boston Area Gleaners.
Homelessness Prevention
Our Resource Center at Haven from Hunger provides valuable information and guidance to individuals on the brink of homelessness or experiencing other instabilities that lead to food insecurity. Our Homelessness Prevention experts hold office hours and our partner organizations host workshops, to help clients navigate the complex benefit systems and to ultimately provide a path out of poverty.