PROGRAMS, SERVICES, & CLIENTS
DESK’s Drop-in & Resource Center at 266 State Street is open Sunday through Friday, 1:30-4:30 pm.
Our dinner program, meal prep, and pantry are located in the basement of the Center Church Parish House at 311 Temple Street in New Haven, right behind the New Haven Public Library. Parking is on-street. Volunteers, visitors, and those dropping off donations should enter via the basement entrance on the south side of the building (to the right when facing the building).
Our Drop-in & Resource Center is located at 266 State Street, between Chapel and Crown.
Lunch is served Monday-Tuesday and Thursday-Friday, 11:30 am – 1:30 pm at Community Soup Kitchen, located in Christ Church (84 Broadway).
For more information, including a searchable list of pantries, shelters, housing programs, and other social services, visit https://www.211ct.org/ or simply dial 211.
If you’re coming to our State Street location, there is a surface lot at 253 State Street and a parking garage at 282 State Street. If you’re coming to our Temple Street location, there is a parking garage at 32 Elm Street. Please visit parknewhaven.com for more information.
When possible, we strongly encourage alternative forms of transportation, including bus and bike.
The programs offered at 266 State Street are wheelchair accessible.
DESK’s Food Pantry program serves about 1,200 individuals per year. Across all programs, DESK serves approximately 2,300 unique individuals annually.
VOLUNTEERING
We also encourage you to check in with our partnering organizations to see what sort of volunteer needs they have available.
DESK is not a “dry facility,” meaning that we do not turn people away if they are intoxicated (though of course use of alcohol or drugs on the premises is strictly prohibited). In addition, many of those who come to us are suffering from a variety of mental health disorders. All this requires sensitivity and maturity on the part of the volunteers. Generally, we say that DESK is a “PG-13 settling.” While there are occasionally volunteers under 12-years of age, this typically happens after a conversation with the parents, who should be prepared to have difficult conversations on the way home.
When it comes to our clients and guests, that’s a different story. At DESK, we are very protective of our clients’ privacy, and we take this obligation seriously. While we work hard to dispel myths and stereotypes that plague people who access food assistance, stigmas persist. In the absence of written permission (Media Release), it is incumbent upon all of us (staff, volunteers, and others) to protect those whose lives may be adversely affected by public testament to their acceptance of the services we offer.
If you’re coming to our State Street location, there is a surface lot at 253 State Street and a parking garage at 282 State Street. If you’re coming to our Temple Street location, there is a parking garage at 32 Elm Street. Please visit parknewhaven.com for more information.
When possible, we strongly encourage alternative forms of transportation, including bus and bike.