What is ACCESS?

ACCESS is a network of congregations, individuals, and the community at large working together to meet needs in Kent County.

ACCESS was established to serve residents of Kent County. The community at large, but especially congregations, saw a need for religious and secular services to be coordinated. They also recognized the need for a central point through which human needs could be matched with the most appropriate congregational or agency resource.

Since 1981, the resources, both volunteer and financial, of more than 300 ACCESS member congregations have been involved through participation in the many services ACCESS provides. Through participation in the ACCESS network, congregations will have the knowledge to decide how best to use their resources. As part of the network, resources are maximized and less duplication occurs.

Click here to learn more about membership.

Thanks to the collective time, talent, and money resources of area congregations, individuals, businesses and the community at large, ACCESS is able to:

  • Support and coordinate the 100 Pantry Network of Kent County which serves over 7,000 households each month. The ACCESS Food Fund provides funds to food pantries to buy necessary food and non food supplies.
  • Coordinate food drives to supplement food supplies for the pantries. The ACCESS County-Wide Food Drive, which involves over 1,700 volunteers collect over 100 tons of food in one day. Southwest area schools collect over 30 tons of food during ACCESS Care Week. The ACCESS/ 13 Food For Families food drive in conjunction with Spartan Stores, WZZM TV 13, and WLHT 95.7 collects over 150 tons of food for the pantries during the summer months.
  • Provide Casework Services for 200 Kent County congregations. The Operation Second Mile Caseworker helped congregations determine how best to work with individuals in need. These congregations assisted with over $100,000 for rent, utility, transportation, and other emergency needs.
  • Coordinate the county-wide Holiday Giving Network. Over 8,000 families were linked to holiday food basket providers in 2008.
  • Offer Poverty Simulation Workshops to hundreds of participants in our community.