Blanchet House

"Blanchet House of Hospitality offers food, shelter and aid to all those in need of a safe place to be nourished and restored. We facilitate the transformation of each life we touch with compassion and dignity." In the beginning, the mission of the Blanchet House was to provide free hot meals to those individuals who found it difficult, for many reasons, to provide for themselves. Armed with a resolve to make a difference the founding fathers, with help from donors and donations alike, were determined to offer up one of life's basic needs-food. Today, Blanchet offers breakfast, lunch and dinner six days a week, with Sundays being a day of rest. With frequent donations from various food partners throughout the city, Blanchet is able to serve up generous portions of fruit salads, garden salads and whatever the main entrée happens to be on that particular day. To further assist the community, Blanchet operates a transitional shelter program for men struggling with addictions, unemployment or home and family issues. Currently, 27 men live above the dining hall and there's always a waiting list with regards to the housing component. In exchange for room and board, the men must volunteer six to seven hours per day, six days a week, on either the morning or afternoon shifts. They must adhere to certain rules and regulations, but most importantly, they must abstain from using drugs or alcohol while being part of the Blanchet community.