People’s Place

What People’s Place does

People's Place (legally Kingston Self-Help Center, Inc.) is a 501(c)-style not-for-profit organization founded in 1972 and headquartered at 17 St. James Street, Kingston, NY, serving residents of Ulster County and, as of 2026, Dutchess County. Its mission is to feed, clothe, and respond to the needs of people while preserving human dignity, and it operates as an integrated community-services hub comprising four core service lines: a 3,500 sq ft "Your Choice" Food Pantry (the largest in Ulster County and the only one open five days a week), a 4,500+ sq ft Thrift Store described as the primary economic engine, a Wellness Empowerment Center offering free health and wellness classes, and a Community Cafe operating on a pay-what-you-can model. These core services are supplemented by roughly 20 specialized programs, including Bag Summer Hunger, Bag Holiday Hunger, Talkin' Turkey, Dress for Dignity, Warm Coats from Warm Hearts, Project Santa, Birthday Booth, Styles N' Smiles, Stella's Pet Pantry, and Farm to Pantry Internships.

The organization is funded through a diversified mix: Thrift Store retail sales (the primary economic engine), individual donations via check/PayPal/credit card, institutional grants (including Fidelis Care), four annual signature fundraisers (Winterfest, Help Fight Hunger, Rally Ride, Sip-n-Sail, Celebrate Santa), community-organized third-party fundraisers, and an eBay online storefront. All food pantry, personal care, and wellness services are provided free; thrift store pricing is set at "beyond reasonable" levels; and the Community Cafe operates on a pay-what-you-can-afford basis. The organization is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors (with officers drawn from Ulster Savings Bank, WMC Health, and other local institutions) and a separate Community Board of ambassadors, and is led by Executive Director Christine Hein. It reports approximately 20 staff members serving an Ulster County population in which 14% live at or below the poverty line and 18,000 residents are food-insecure, with 5,000+ of those being children, and reports 25% year-over-year growth in the number of community members helped to feed.

Name

People’s Place

Legal name

Kingston Self-Help Center, Inc.

Website

https://peoplesplace.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

People's Place is a Kingston, NY-based not-for-profit founded in 1972 that operates an integrated food pantry, thrift store, wellness center, and pay-what-you-can community cafe, serving food-insecure and low-income residents of Ulster and Dutchess Counties in New York's Hudson Valley.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Kingston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Thrift Store Sales: The 4,500+ square foot Thrift Store is described as the primary economic engine, selling donated clothing, accessories, housewares, and vintage items to fund food pantry operations and programs.
2. Individual Donations: Individual donors contribute funds through checks, PayPal, and credit cards. Food and goods donations are also accepted.
3. Grants: Funding received from institutional grants to support operations and specific programs.
4. Special Events and Fundraisers: Four primary fundraisers conducted throughout the year plus community-organized third-party events generate revenue.
5. eBay Sales: Online sales through eBay store (peoplesplaceuc) for additional merchandise revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

People's Place is a not-for-profit community services organization that operates a Food Pantry (3,500 sq ft Your Choice model), a Thrift Store (4,500+ sq ft), a Wellness Empowerment Center, and a Community Cafe in Kingston, NY. The Thrift Store serves as the primary economic engine funding the Food Pantry, which provides free groceries to community members in need. The Wellness Empowerment Center offers free classes in yoga, nutrition, mindfulness, and financial education, while the Community Cafe serves meals on a pay-what-you-can basis. The organization has served Ulster County since 1972 and expanded to Dutchess County residents.

Product overview

People's Place is a not-for-profit organization operating as a unified community service hub in Kingston, NY. The organization operates four core service areas: the 3,500 sq ft 'Your Choice' Food Pantry, a 4,500+ sq ft Thrift Store (the primary economic engine funding operations), the Wellness Empowerment Center offering free health and wellness classes, and the Community Cafe serving meals on a pay-what-you-can basis. These core services are supported by over 20 specialized programs including Bag Summer Hunger, Bag Holiday Hunger, Talkin' Turkey, Dress for Dignity, Project Santa, Birthday Booth, Warm Coats from Warm Hearts, and Stella's Pet Pantry. The organization has been serving Ulster County since 1972 and now also serves Dutchess County residents from its Kingston location.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Your Choice Food Pantry

Quantifiable outcome

• Serving 18,000 hungry people including 5,000+ children in Ulster County
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Local Economies ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for seasonal Farm Stand program providing free fresh produce from local Hudson Valley Farms. Program runs mid-May through end of October, serving 1,200+ people weekly.
• Community Foundation of the Hudson ValleycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsor of Farm Stand seasonal produce distribution program serving Ulster County residents.
• Regional Food Bank of North Eastern New YorkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Farm Stand program conjunction with Local Economies Project and Community Foundation for fresh produce distribution.
• Ulster Savings BankminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent sponsor for 2026 Rally Ride and general organizational supporter. Board President Crystal Jacob serves as AVP Training Officer at Ulster Savings Bank.
• WMC HealthminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent sponsor for Rally Ride. Board Vice President Tom Scaglione serves as VP Government and Community Relations at WMC Health.
• O'Connor Personal InjuryminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent sponsor for 2026 Rally Ride.
• Karrzer Roll Off RentalsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent sponsor for 2026 Rally Ride.
• Castaways Bar GrillminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent sponsor for 2026 Rally Ride at Bridge View Marina.
• PuroClean Professional RestorationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent sponsor for 2026 Rally Ride. Owner Jonathan Beever serves on Board of Directors.
• Royal WelshminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent sponsor for 2026 Rally Ride.
• Bowery DugoutminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent sponsor for 2026 Rally Ride.
• RTP CarpentryminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent sponsor for 2026 Rally Ride.
• Lynch Auto PartsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent sponsor for 2026 Rally Ride.
• J. Mullen and SonsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent sponsor for 2026 Rally Ride.
• Max BMWminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent sponsor for 2026 Rally Ride.
• JA RoofingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent sponsor for 2026 Rally Ride.
• Patriot GISminorGTM or Marketing PartnerKickstart Breakfast Sponsor for 2026 Rally Ride.
• Mid-Hudson Valley Federal Credit UnionminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting sponsor for 2026 Sip-n-Sail event.
• Phoenicia Diner CanteenminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent supporter for 2026 Sip-n-Sail, providing fare.
• Peekamoose Restaurant and Tap RoomminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVenue partner for Tequila Tasting Supper + Spelling Bee community fundraiser event.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Goodwill Industries of Northeastern New York: Non-profit operator of thrift/retail stores funding job-training programs. Comparable in the social-enterprise thrift-store-as-economic-engine model that funds mission work, though Goodwill's mission centers on workforce rather than food security.
• Salvation Army: Multi-service faith-based non-profit offering food assistance, clothing, shelter, and social services. Comparable in the integrated 'one-stop' human-services platform model and donated-retail model (Family Stores), though globally larger scale.
• Feeding America: National umbrella network for 200+ regional food banks including Food Bank of the Hudson Valley. Comparable in core mission, but operates at system/network level rather than the single-site direct-service model of People's Place.

Direct peers

• Food Bank for New York City: Major urban food bank providing food assistance and nutrition programming to NYC residents. Comparable in operating model (food distribution, donations, grants) and beneficiary population, though at much larger scale.
• Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York: An existing People's Place partner for the Farm Stand program. Large regional food bank with the same community-food-services mission, donor/recipient model, and service to Capital Region/Hudson Valley.
• Food Bank of the Hudson Valley: Regional food bank serving the Hudson Valley counties including Ulster. Directly comparable in mission (food security for low-income residents), donor-model mix, and geography.
• City Harvest: NYC food-rescue non-profit distributing food to pantries, soup kitchens, and mobile markets. Comparable in food-insecurity mission, donor-revenue mix, and supermarket/produce partnerships similar to People's Place's Farm Stand.

Regional players

• United Way of Ulster County: Regional non-profit umbrella that funnels donations to community programs in the same Ulster County geography. Comparable in community-led fundraising, donor pipeline, and partnership leverage, though operating as a funder/intermediary rather than direct service provider.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/PeoplesPlaceUC
• Facebookfacebook.com/PeoplesPlaceUC
• Instagraminstagram.com/peoplesplaceuc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 People’s Place