Chronic poverty, isolation and medication use saps the health of many people with mental illness. Many do not have the money to buy healthy groceries, the skills to plan and cook nutritious meals, or the motivation to prepare decent meals for just themselves.

Houselink’s Food Program puts good nutrition within the reach of all our members.

• Community kitchens offer nutritious $1 meals seven days a week. We recently added a weekly breakfast and Sunday dinner to our schedule in response to member requests to share more meals together.
  
  Member employees plan, shop for and cook all meals. The training they receive helps prepare them for potential jobs in the restaurant and catering industries. Member volunteers also help with food preparation, set-up and clean-up.

• Good Food Boxes, offered in partnership with Field to Table, lets Houselink members enjoy top-quality fruits and vegetables at affordable prices – in a way that promotes community.

• Group grocery shopping expeditions create opportunities for bulk purchasing, nutrition education and fun. Vans leave from east and west locations on the first of each month.
• Education, training and counseling to promote healthy eating, including workshops on cooking, food safety and handling, and such activities as bread baking, making preserves, and visits to markets and farms.