About Healthy Equitable Living Project
Every community has a moment where it must decide: do we look away from need, or do we lean in?
In 2012, the Healthy Equitable Living Project (H.E.L.P.) was created in response to a growing and visible gap in access to basic needs, especially for families with school-aged children. What began as a simple, parking lot food pantry quickly revealed something deeper. Hunger was only part of the story. Families were also having a hard time accessing essential household items, hygiene supplies, clothing, and trusted guidance to navigate available resources.
It became clear that what our community needed wasn’t just a pantry. It needed a more connected, compassionate, and equitable way to support families facing hunger and the everyday challenges that make it harder to get by.
Healthy Equitable Living Project is that vision.
We envision a community where all students and their families have access to the resources, support, and opportunities they need to live healthy, stable, and equitable lives. As a project, Healthy Equitable Living Project exists to design and grow programs that remove barriers, expand access, and center dignity in every interaction ensuring families have reliable access to food and the basic support needed to stay stable and move forward.
Our Programs
To bring this vision to life, Healthy Equitable Living Project develops and operates programs that meet families where they are, starting with their most immediate needs while recognizing that many families are navigating more than just food challenges, including rising costs, limited resources, and day-to-day pressures. Our primary program is a shopping-style community food pantry, one of the first of its kind in our area. Built on a client-choice model, the pantry allows families to select the foods that best meet their needs and preferences. This approach not only reduces waste but restores dignity and autonomy helping families feel respected, supported, and in control during times when they may need it most.
Through partnerships with programs like The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), administered by the USDA, we are able to provide consistent, supplemental food support to low-income families. Our programs are intentionally designed with these realities in mind, understanding that needing food support is often connected to bigger challenges families are facing behind the scenes. Because need rarely exists in isolation, we also provide clothing, household essentials, and resource navigation alongside our Health is Equity events that bring critical health and wellness services directly into the community supporting families in ways that go far beyond the pantry and helping them move toward greater stability over time.
Why It Matters
When families have access to basic needs, everything changes. Students are able to return to the classroom focused, supported, and ready to learn. Families experience greater stability and less day-to-day stress. And over time, this leads to stronger academic outcomes, increased graduation rates, and a more equitable future for our community.
This is the impact of ensuring families have consistent access to food and the support they need to stay stable and move forward.
Our Partners
We are grateful for the collaboration and support of our partner organizations in our shared work to end student hunger in our community.
Non-Discrimination Statement
In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident.