Local Nonprofit Provides Holiday Support for Hospitality Workers Facing Food Insecurity

Local organizations are stepping up this holiday season to support families in need through food banks, meal distributions, groceries, warming centers, and community donation drives. Among them, a Pocono Mountains nonprofit is helping hospitality workers struggling to put food on the table.Settlers Cares, founded in 2023, is offering a limited number of $200 Wise Market gift cards to employees facing food insecurity due to reduced hours, layoffs, or medical leave.“Settlers Cares has the mission to support hospitality workers in the Pocono Mountains when they experience a time of crisis. So we're offering swift financial support during those times in life when things are really tough and folks are stretched beyond the breaking point, said Janna Genzlinger, Executive Director, Settlers CaresInitially a crisis fund providing emergency support, Settlers Cares has expanded its efforts in response to growing community needs. “In the past few years, we've received a lot of requests related to housing. And so we are developing some housing programs here in the Poconos. And then also lately a lot of requests related to food and security. So we developed our grocery gift card program,” Genzlinger said.The gift card initiative was prompted by seasonal fluctuations in tourism that affect hospitality workers’ hours. “Particularly in the northern Poconos, the travel and tourism is a little bit less than you might see during the summer months. So hospitality employees might see a decline in hours,” Genzlinger said. “We found that the grocery gift card was a quick way to help people to just make sure that they can keep food on the table while they might be waiting for benefits or government programming to kick in.”Eligibility has expanded beyond workers experiencing full or partial layoffs to include those re-entering the workforce or temporarily away for personal leave.“So far, we've distributed close to 50 gift cards,” Genzlinger said. “We're very excited because we have another infusion of fundraising initiative that came through. So we have many more to distribute… and really, we're just getting overwhelming gratitude. I think people feel excited that the community understands what going through… and they're just really happy that there's a little bit of help in these trying times.”Settlers Cares is also focusing on housing initiatives. “We're hoping to increase and further develop the Settlers Care's Hospitality Haven, which would offer shared housing, particularly focusing on employees that are housing insecure or currently unhoused,” Genzlinger said. “We work with our workforce development partners… so that there are programs that are wrap-around which provide employment, housing, educational opportunities, and some assistance with other life necessities like getting them connected to the right agency from medical care and things like that.”Looking ahead, the nonprofit is preparing for Giving Tuesday next week. “Every penny raised next Tuesday will enable us to purchase more of these $200 gift cards to help more of our neighbors here in the Poconos who are facing food insecurity,” Genzlinger said.The organization faces challenges as a fully volunteer-led operation but remains committed to its mission. “I think it's my connection to community and just really believing that we are all stronger together… Knowing that at any moment someone could need help and not have it, versus need help, have the help out there and nowhere to access it… that really is what puts a fire in my belly to keep going and to dream big dreams,” Genzlinger said.For more information on Settlers Cares, visit settlerscares.org.