Religious Community Services

What Religious Community Services does

Religious Community Services (RCS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit social services organization (EIN: 58-1553367) founded in 1982 in New Bern, North Carolina, by Sister Angela Mary Parker. The organization delivers basic-needs and supportive services to individuals and families facing food, clothing, and housing insecurity across Craven, Jones, and Pamlico Counties in Eastern North Carolina. All services are provided free of charge; the organization is funded entirely through individual donations, in-kind contributions, monthly sustainer programs, legacy/planned giving, the annual 'Haunted Histories' gala, and capital campaigns such as Raise the Roof.

RCS's core programmatic offering comprises an integrated suite: a volunteer-run Community Kitchen serving meals 365 days a year (47,449 meals in 2025); a Food Pantry distributing groceries on an alternating-month basis; the Buy-A-Bag Boutique clothing program; three distinct shelter wings — Emergency (28 beds), Family (up to four families, average six-month stays), and Veteran (up to five veterans, ~one-year program); mobile distribution (Operation Outpost in Havelock and Pamlico County) and Pop-Up food distributions (Tuesday/Friday afternoons). Adjunct services include Support Navigators case management (552 sessions in 2024), Rent & Utility Assistance, Transportation Assistance (C.A.R.T.S. vouchers), Prescription Assistance (partnership with Realo, CarolinaEast, MERCI Clinic), Job Readiness Boot Camp (Craven Community College), and a newly added Mental Health Services line via a Howard University MSW partnership announced August 2025. RCS employs 1-10 paid staff (per firmographics) and depends on 3,250 community volunteers, governed by a Board of Directors with new leadership installed in March 2025 (Ann Marie Devanney, Executive Director; Jessica Kozma Proctor, Board Chair).

The business model is contribution-funded rather than revenue-generating: there are no fees for clients, no pricing tiers, no contracts, and no enterprise sales motion. Distribution is direct — walk-in and appointment-based at the 919 George Street campus, supplemented by mobile outreach — and customer acquisition is essentially zero-cost, driven by word-of-mouth through community, faith, healthcare, and government partner referrals. The technology stack is minimal: a Wix-hosted marketing site, Facebook and Instagram accounts, and email newsletter; there is no proprietary platform, no app, and no AI/ML components.

Name

Religious Community Services

Legal name

Religious Community Services

Website

https://rcsnewbern.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Religious Community Services is a New Bern, NC-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing free food, clothing, shelter, and supportive services to individuals and families facing insecurity across Craven, Jones, and Pamlico Counties in Eastern North Carolina.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Human and Social Services

NAICS

Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242), Community Food Services (624210), Religious Organizations (8131)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Based Social Services & Community Outreach (Food Pantries, Shelters, Counseling) (BPAGAJAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Faith-Based Humanitarian Aid & Relief Ministries (BPAGAJAF)

Keywords

• Emergency shelter services
• Food pantry programs
• Homeless services nonprofit
• Community social services
• Case management support

Headquarters

HQ city

New Bern

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: RCS relies heavily on individual donors who contribute financially to support programs. Donations can be made online, by text (RCSFEEDS to 53-555), by mail, or through workplace giving programs.
2. In-Kind Donations: RCS accepts donations of non-perishable food and gently used clothing from the community to stock its food pantry and Buy-A-Bag Boutique.
3. Monthly Giving Program: Monthly sustainer program where donors commit to recurring monthly contributions to provide predictable funding for operations.
4. Planned Giving/Legacy Gifts: The Samaritan Society planned giving program allows donors to include RCS in their estate plans.
5. Annual Gala Fundraising: Annual fundraising gala events such as 'Haunted Histories: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow' on October 18th to raise funds for programs.
6. Campaign Fundraising: Capital campaigns such as the 'Raise the Roof' campaign for facility improvements. The campaign reached $27,937.91 (one-third of goal) as of June 2025.

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Religious Community Services (RCS) is a faith-based nonprofit organization that delivers free food, clothing, shelter, and supportive services to individuals and families experiencing hardship. Core offerings include a Community Kitchen serving meals 365 days/year, Food Pantry distributions, three distinct shelter wings (Emergency, Family, and Veteran), the Buy-A-Bag Boutique for clothing assistance, and case management through Support Navigators.

Product overview

Religious Community Services (RCS) operates as a non-profit social services organization offering an integrated suite of programs addressing food insecurity, clothing needs, and homelessness. The core programs include the Community Kitchen (serving meals 365 days/year), Food Pantry (providing groceries monthly), Buy-A-Bag Boutique (clothing assistance), and Emergency Crisis Shelter with three distinct wings for individuals, families, and veterans. Additional support services include Support Navigators (case management), Rent & Utility Assistance, Transportation Assistance, Prescription Assistance, Operation Outpost (mobile food distribution), and Pop-Up Food Distributions. In 2025, RCS expanded to offer mental health services through a partnership with Howard University. All programs are coordinated through the George Street campus in New Bern, NC, serving Craven, Jones, and Pamlico Counties since 1982.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Community Kitchen
• Food Pantry
• Buy-A-Bag Boutique
• Emergency Crisis Shelter
• Family Shelter Wing
• Veteran Shelter Wing
• Operation Outpost
• Pop-Up Food Distributions
• Support Navigators
• Rent & Utility Assistance
• Transportation Assistance
• Prescription Assistance

Quantifiable outcome

• 47,449 meals served in 2025 through Community Kitchen operating 365 days/year
• +4 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Howard UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 August 2025Howard University MSW student Rashanda Cooper provides therapeutic mental health services and group sessions on RCS campus. This collaboration brings mental health support to clients addressing issues like food and housing insecurity. Cooper is a New Bern native and ECU graduate, providing culturally relevant care.
• Food Bank of Central and Eastern North CarolinacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor partner providing food supplies for RCS operations including the Community Kitchen and Food Pantry. Supports Operation Outpost mobile food distribution program.
• Craven Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership delivers Job Readiness Boot Camp on RCS campus, directly addressing employment barriers. Also partners with RCS for clothing assistance for boot camp participants, and refers clients to RCS for emergency needs.
• Realo PharmacycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPharmacy partner for prescription assistance program. Navigators work directly with Realo to cover up to $50 of prescription costs for eligible clients. Clients can transfer prescriptions to convenient Realo locations.
• CarolinaEastcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare system partner supporting prescription assistance and transportation programs. Helps bridge healthcare access gaps for RCS clients.
• MERCI CliniccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare partner providing medical, limited dental, and pharmaceutical services to uninsured adults with limited income. Serves patients below 300% of poverty level who fall into coverage gaps. Partners with RCS prescription assistance program.
• C.A.R.T.S. (Craven Area Rural Transit System)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTransit partner providing vouchers to RCS clients experiencing transportation insecurity, enabling access to healthcare, employment, education, and basic necessities like groceries.
• True JusticesupportingOthersReferral partner in RCS's extensive referral network for holistic client care, connecting individuals with additional support services.
• Salvation ArmysupportingOthersReferral partner in RCS's extensive referral network for holistic client care, connecting individuals with additional support services.
• Catholic CharitiessupportingOthersReferral partner in RCS's extensive referral network for holistic client care, connecting individuals with additional support services.
• Craven County Department of Social ServicessupportingOthersReferral partner in RCS's extensive referral network for holistic client care, connecting individuals with additional support services.
• International PapersupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partner supporting Operation Outpost mobile food distribution program. Provides resources to help stock food distributions.
• The Gathering Place (Havelock)supportingOthersHost site for Operation Outpost mobile food distribution on first Wednesday of each month at 114 Trade Avenue, Havelock, NC 28532.
• Contentnea Health (Pamlico Community Health)supportingOthersHost site for Operation Outpost mobile food distribution on third Wednesday of each month at 313 Main Street, Bayboro, NC 28515.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• American Red Cross: Nationwide nonprofit providing emergency shelter, disaster relief, food support, and health services. Broader and larger than RCS, but materially overlapping in food pantry, emergency housing, and disaster response categories.

Direct peers

• Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina: Regional food bank supplying partner pantries (including RCS's Community Kitchen and Operation Outpost) with shelf-stable food and produce. Comparable as a sister food-distribution nonprofit in the same catchment area.
• Catholic Charities USA: Federation of faith-based social service agencies delivering food, housing, rent/utility, refugee, and case-management support through local diocesan affiliates. Matches RCS's faith-rooted, multi-service social assistance model.
• The Salvation Army: Faith-based multi-service nonprofit operating emergency shelters, food programs, rent/utility assistance, and case management in regions across the U.S. Highly comparable to RCS's integrated food + shelter + clothing + navigators model.
• Love INC (Love in the Name of Christ): Interfaith nonprofit that mobilizes local churches to deliver food, clothing, financial assistance, and case management through coordinated volunteer networks — directly analogous to RCS's interfaith Craven/Jones/Pamlico model.
• St. Vincent de Paul Society: Faith-based volunteer-led nonprofit providing food pantries, clothing, rent/utility aid, and direct home-visit social services to neighbors in need. Closely aligned with RCS's volunteer-driven, donation-funded service model.

Emerging players

• Habitat for Humanity (local Craven Coastal affiliate): Faith-affiliated nonprofit addressing housing insecurity through home construction and repair, with a local Craven-area affiliate. Adjacent to RCS's shelter and rent/utility assistance programs serving the same housing-insecure population.

Regional players

• United Way of Eastern North Carolina / Coastal United Way: Regional United Way affiliate that funds and coordinates health, housing, and food-insecurity programs across the same Eastern NC counties RCS serves. Operates in overlapping geography with similar donor-base and referral dynamics.
• MERCI Clinic: Free clinic in New Bern, NC providing medical, dental, and pharmaceutical services to uninsured low-income adults — and an active RCS referral partner. Similar mission alignment and tri-county service footprint.
• Coastal Women's Shelter (NC): Eastern NC shelter organization providing emergency housing, food, and supportive services to women and families — overlaps with RCS's Emergency and Family wings in the same geographic market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/RCSNB
• Instagraminstagram.com/rcs_newbern
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/religious-community-services-of-new-bern-inc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Religious Community Services