Christine Hein helping out at the People’s Place 2014 Annual Toy Trot at Rotary Park this past summer. (Photo provided)
CJR: What foods do you have?
CH: We provide a wide range of food choices to the visitors at our food pantry. We are a “your-choice” pantry, which means volunteers go around with the visitors to help them pick items from each food group: proteins, vegetables, fruits, grains, desserts, a bonus shelf and personal care items.
CJR: What don’t you have?
CH: We don’t hand out diapers and have a very limited choice, if any. of special diet foods — gluten free, diabetic, etc.
CJR: What items are most in demand?
CH: Meat, eggs and fruits. We often run out of pasta sauce, canned ravioli and stews, veggies and cereal as well.
CJR: What are some reasons people might cite as a reason for requiring food pantry assistance?
CH: There are so many reasons why people look to us for help. Most all of the families who come into People’s Place have household members who work. Many work two or more jobs. Some are seniors who worked their entire lives and are having a hard time with the cost of utilities, insurance, gas and food. Some are people who just lost their jobs, or are hurt and can’t work. Many are single moms who are raising their children on their own.
CJR: Busiest month?
CH: For the last two years we have had an increase of over 25 percent from the year before. They are all busy, each month seems busier than the next, but November and December are usually busiest. There are so many different things happening. It is starting to get cold and money is going towards heating bills, the holidays are coming and that often requires more food or other expenses. July and August are usually very busy too because the children are out of school and therefore not getting the breakfast and lunch programs offered in the schools.
CJR: Tell me about some programs People’s Place does.
CH: Our biggest programs are the Thanksgiving and holiday programs. We provide families in Ulster County with the ingredients for a traditional Thanksgiving dinner to take and prepare at home. The items they receive are: a turkey, stuffing, potatoes, gravy, cranberry, green beans, corn, butter, coffee and pie. Those registering as individuals will receive a chicken.
Last year we helped over 750 households with this program. This year the Thanksgiving meals will be distributed Monday, Nov. 24 from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. In case of a winter storm, the snow date is Tuesday, Nov. 25, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
Our Holiday Gift Program is just as much in demand. This program provides gifts to area children in need. Parents or guardians can sign their children up to receive toys and gifts. Children from the ages of infant to 12 years old are eligible for this program. Registration for this program will run until 1 p.m. on Dec. 12. Distribution will be Tuesday, Dec. 16 from 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Along with an age-appropriate toy, parents/guardians are given the choice of a board game, book, winter accessory such as a hat or mittens, and stocking stuffers. Our hope is to not only provide a toy or gift that will bring joy to a child, but also to create a special memory that will last a lifetime. Last year we helped 928 children have a happy holiday.
CJR: Anything else? How about the school year?
CH: People’s Place also has a back-to-school program where we provide school supplies from late August until mid-September. Our free coat program runs from Nov. 1 until Feb. 28, or until we have no more coats to offer. The People’s Place free clothing program offers free clothing to individuals in need in Ulster County.
CJR: What other organizations are you involved with?
CH: Kingston Kiwanis, Woodstock Playhouse, Ladies’ Ancient Order of Hibernians, Junior League of Kingston, Friends of the Senate House and the KUBA Snowflake Festival.
CJR: Win any awards recently?
CH: In September, Always There [Home Care] honored People’s Place for our community work and I was just honored at this year’s Ulster County Community College Gala for my commitment to our community.
CJR: What are you passionate about?
CH: I really enjoy helping others. I think our purpose is to help others. I love to volunteer. I think our purpose is to help others in need. This gives us countless areas to work in and if we look, we can always find somewhere to lend a hand. Eleanor Roosevelt is a great inspiration to me. She identified areas of need and worked tirelessly to affect change to help others who often didn’t have a voice of their own.
I also love learning about local history and my own family history. Absolutely treasure old family photos and some of my favorite stories are ones from my grandparents’ lives.
CJR: Tell me something about yourself that people would never know about you.
CH: My greatest love is my family. My favorite job is being a mom. Have you ever read the book I Love You Forever? That mom is me. I just hope I don’t take it to the extreme that the storybook mom does when Mick gets older. But I do check in on him every night after he goes to bed. I can’t go to sleep if I don’t! Seriously — I can’t. And P.S., he knows the saying in the book. (Christine and I both proceed to shed a few tears in this part of the discussion over the book.)
CJR: Are you a morning bird or a night owl?
CH: Not really either.
CJR: Hobbies? Eclectic collections?
CH: I love Christmas! I really enjoy decorating for the holiday. It’s the best time to check your mailbox … Christmas cards are always wonderful to get. I have at least 10 Christmas trees (in varying sizes) that I like to put up. I have hundreds of Shiny Brite ornaments that were my grandparents’ and aunts’.
I also love the music, the shows, driving around looking at the lights and the parties, but the best part is sitting at night looking at the lit-up tree. It is probably one of the few times I slow down and really just enjoy the quiet. It is a great chance to reflect on how blessed I am.
And Mass, I especially love going to Mass this time of year. The hymns make me cry.
CJR: Got any weird habits or idiosyncrasies?
CH: I can never order anything off a menu without making some kind of change to it. I guess I am a little high-maintenance.
CJR: Guilty pleasures?
CH: I do love sweets! Anything chocolate is a winner! However, I am partial to lemon meringue pie. Dietz Stadium diner has a wicked good one.
CJR: What do you do for stress relief?
CH: Still working on that one!
CJR: Favorite Places in Ulster County?
CH: Mohonk Mountain — love hiking to the tower. Rotary Park. My grandmother was from the Rondout and she has great photos of Rotary Park from the early 1900s. When I go there I like to imagine the grandeur of that time.
CJR: Anything else you love?
CH: I actually enjoy local radio. I try to catch the morning shows on WKNY and WGHQ. It is so import to have this venue of local information.
CJR: Favorite movie?
CH: Moonstruck.
CJR: Favorite Christmas movie?
CH: That’s a really hard choice. A Christmas Story, Miracle on 34th Street.
CJR: Favorite Christmas TV show?
CH: A Year Without a Santa Claus. The Heat Miser is hysterical.
CJR: Favorite TV show?
CH: I don’t really watch a lot of TV, but I do like American Pickers. All time best TV show: M*A*S*H*.
(This just in from the Full Disclosure Department: The author also works for Food Bank of the Hudson Valley, which operates a program at People’s Place. To donate to People’s Place, mail or drop off them off to/at 17 St. James St., Kingston, NY 12401. People’s Place is open Mondays-Fridays from 10 a.m.-1 p.m.)
As a former Director of The People’s Place when Iwas a student at The Mount (1974 – 1978), I loved reading this article. It’s quite apparent that Carrie Jones Ross, the article’s author, was most likely not even born yet when The People’s Place was started by the Redemptorists from The Mount. So glad to see that Christine Hein was able to provide the historical perspective concerning the birth of The People’s Place, and so even more so elated to hear that it is still in existence and going on stronger than ever. Live on The People’s Place! Gotta Love It !!!
Thanks for the compliment (????) Joe, I think, but I was actually born before then!
Carrie…I only made the comment about you possibly being born after the period of time that the Redemptoritsts ran The People’s Place based on the comment you made in the write-up that you were not aware of such. Have you always lived in the Kingston/Ulster County area? If not, maybe that’s why you may not have been aware of The Mount’s connection with The People’s Place, or maybe you were just so very young in the 1970’s and were not aware of that fact. Nonetheless, I am grateful that you took the time to do this question and answer write-up with the current People’s Place Director, Christine Hein. That type of written publicity helps to keep this people-helping establishment up and continued running after its inception some 42 years ago! Kudos to you!