CHRISTIAN SOCIAL SERVICES INC

What CHRISTIAN SOCIAL SERVICES INC does

Christian Social Services, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Morehead, Kentucky, that has delivered emergency assistance and poverty-relief services to residents of Eastern Kentucky since 1973. Founded by the Glenmary Sisters (specifically Sister Teresa Marie Tretter) as an outreach of the War on Poverty era, the organization transitioned to full community ownership by 1991, when the founding order donated the land and governance passed to a 10-member Board of Directors (formed in 1986–1987). The current operating model is led by Executive Director Beverly Gilliam and a small team of approximately 14 employees.

The organization's service portfolio spans several direct-delivery programs rather than a technology platform. Core programs include a Thrift Store selling donated clothing, shoes, housewares, and furniture at reduced prices; food assistance boxes distributed via partnerships with God's Food Pantry, Kroger, and FEMA; utility-bill payment assistance to prevent electric disconnection; Salvation Army fund distribution; disaster assistance; work-site and training placements for participants from Ky. Works, Ready to Work, the Senior Volunteer Program, and Morehead State University practicum students; and the coordination of annual mission groups (notably St. Denis Parish from Versailles, Ohio) that build handicapped ramps and perform home repairs. No proprietary technology, digital platform, mobile app, or API is disclosed; service delivery is walk-in at the Morehead facility Monday–Friday 10:00–4:30.

Revenue is generated through two streams: (1) donations and grants from individuals, foundations, and government/private sources, and (2) Thrift Store sales of donated merchandise. All client-facing assistance is provided free of charge, with eligibility determined case-by-case based on available funding. The go-to-market motion is community-led — clients are reached through word-of-mouth referrals, local church networks, and partnerships with state and county referral agencies (Doves, Gateway Homeless Shelter, Ky. Works, Ready to Work, Senior Volunteer Program, Morehead State University).

Name

CHRISTIAN SOCIAL SERVICES INC

Legal name

Christian Social Services, Inc.

Website

https://christiansocialservices.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Christian Social Services Inc is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Morehead, Kentucky, founded in 1973, that provides emergency assistance — food, utility-bill help, thrift-store goods, disaster relief, and mission-group home repairs — to low-income individuals and families in Eastern Kentucky's Rowan County region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Social Services

NAICS

Community Food Services (62421), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), 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 industries

Faith-Based Humanitarian Aid & Relief Ministries (BPAGAJAF), Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB)

Keywords

• Emergency assistance services
• Community social services
• Food pantry distribution
• Thrift store operations
• Utility bill assistance

Headquarters

HQ city

Morehead

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: The organization relies on monetary donations from individuals, foundations, and grants from government and private sources to fund operations and client assistance programs.
2. Thrift Store Revenue: Revenue generated from the operation of a Thrift Store selling reduced-priced clothing, shoes, personal items, housewares, and furniture. All merchandise is donated and revenue supports the organization's mission.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Christian Social Services is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization providing emergency assistance to individuals and families experiencing poverty or crisis in Eastern Kentucky. Services include food boxes, electric bill payment assistance, clothing, furniture, medical equipment, gas cards, baby formula, handicapped ramps, wireless Internet access, faxing, form completion, and prayer. The organization also operates a Thrift Store offering reduced-priced donated clothing, shoes, personal items, housewares, and furniture.

Product overview

Christian Social Services is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that operates multiple social service programs including a Thrift Store offering affordable clothing and household goods, a Food Assistance Program in partnership with God's Food Pantry, Kroger, and FEMA, Utility Bill Assistance to prevent service disconnections, Disaster Assistance, Salvation Army Fund Distribution, Work-Site and Training Placement Services for various programs, and Handicapped Ramp Construction through mission groups. The organization serves individuals and families experiencing poverty or crisis situations in Eastern Kentucky.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Thrift Store Retail operation offering reduced-priced clothing, shoes, personal items, housewares, and furniture to community members in need. All merchandise is donated and revenue supports the organization's mission.
• Food Assistance Program

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• God's Food PantrycoreOthersFood pantry partnership for distributing food boxes to community members in need. Christian Social Services works with God's Food Pantry as part of their food assistance program.
• KrogerminorOthersGrocery retailer partnership for food sourcing to support the organization's food pantry operations.
• FEMAcoreOthersPartnership with Federal Emergency Management Agency for disaster assistance when needed by community members.
• DovescoreOthersLocal organization collaborating with Christian Social Services to support those in need in the community.
• Gateway Homeless SheltercoreOthersHomeless shelter partnership for collaborative service delivery to individuals and families experiencing housing instability.
• Ky. WorkscoreOthersState workforce program providing work-site and training placements for participants served by Christian Social Services.
• Ready to WorkcoreOthersWorkforce readiness program offering training placements for individuals seeking employment assistance.
• Senior Volunteer ProgramminorOthersVolunteer program providing senior citizens opportunities to contribute their skills and time to the organization's mission.
• Morehead State UniversityminorOthersHigher education institution providing practicum students who gain field experience through placements at Christian Social Services.
• Local ChurchescoreOthersPartnership with local churches in Eastern Kentucky for collaborative community outreach and support of those in need.
• St. Denis Parish (Versailles, OH)coreOthersCatholic parish from Versailles, Ohio that brings annual mission groups to assist Christian Social Services clients with home repairs, painting, yard work, and handicap ramp construction.
• Salvation ArmycoreOthersPartnership to distribute Salvation Army funds to eligible individuals and families referred through Christian Social Services.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Salvation Army: National faith-based non-profit providing emergency assistance, utility help, food, and disaster relief. CSS explicitly partners with and distributes Salvation Army funds, operating a similar mission at vastly larger scale.
• Goodwill Industries International: Operates thrift stores that fund workforce and community programs. CSS runs a comparable thrift-store-as-mission-engine model, though at a single rural site rather than a national footprint.
• Catholic Charities USA: National Catholic social services network. CSS originated under the Glenmary Sisters, sharing the same faith-based social services model across food, housing, and emergency assistance.
• Feeding America: National hunger-relief network supporting food pantries and meal programs. CSS's food assistance program operates within the broader Feeding America-affiliated ecosystem served via partners like Kroger and FEMA.
• Habitat for Humanity: Faith-rooted non-profit addressing housing and home-repair needs, including handicap accessibility. Overlaps with CSS's ramp-construction mission work done via St. Denis Parish.
• St. Vincent de Paul: Catholic faith-based organization providing emergency aid, food, and utility assistance. Mirrors CSS's faith-rooted emergency assistance model with home visit and case-by-case support.

Regional players

• Gateway Homeless Shelter: Local Morehead/Rowan County homeless services partner explicitly named in CSS's partner ecosystem. Addresses housing instability for the same Eastern Kentucky client base.
• Kentucky Mountain Bible Mission: Faith-based Appalachian ministry serving Eastern Kentucky. Shares CSS's Christian outreach mission and rural Appalachian client focus, though with a more evangelism-oriented model.
• God's Pantry Food Bank: Regional food bank serving Central and Eastern Kentucky. Operates in overlapping Eastern Kentucky geography and shares the food-distribution mission that CSS supports through its own food program.

Direct peers

• God's Food Pantry: Local food pantry explicitly partnered with CSS to distribute food boxes. Direct operational peer serving the same Rowan County client base through food assistance.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/christian-social-services-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 →

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