History

Our job is not to judge.
Our job is not to figure out if someone deserves something.
Our job is to lift the fallen,
To restore the broken,
And to heal the hurting.

 

View our Guidestar Gold Seal of Transparency Profile and our GS Charity Check Document

Iron County Care and Share was founded in 1984 by a group of local churches of different denominations to address the issue of hunger in our community. Originally opened as a food bank, the agency soon grew to include an emergency shelter program.

Later, in 1996, the agency added a transitional housing program for single homeless men and women. In 1997 an emergency assistance program for homeless individuals and low-income families in Iron County was added. A homeless outreach program was included in the services offered in 2000.
In September of 2007, the new 5,300 square foot Food Pantry was completed to better handle the needs of the community. Then in 2010, many generous donations helped  Iron County Care and Share to build a new Emergency Shelter that not only safely housed single men and women but also complete families.
 
Care and Share has just eighteen employees that provide assistance daily to our neighbors in Iron County living in poverty. Services, in many cases, are offered twenty-four hours per day and seven days per week. Paired with the  hundreds of generous volunteers that give their time, the small but mighty organization accomplishes vital tasks to create clear pathways for those in crisis.
 
In 2017, Care and Share distributed over 600,000 pounds of food to nearly 1,000 families with food insecurity. The Emergency Temporary Shelter housed over 450 individuals, children and families with over 8,000 nights of secure shelter, daily meals, sack lunches and case management working toward self-sufficiency. In addition, Care and Share offered drop-in day services including laundry, showers, lunch and meals, and supportive services.
 
Working with partners in the community, neighboring counties, and the state, Iron County Care and Share is now able to help homeless and low-income individuals and families work toward self-sufficiency. Addressing the real needs of the individuals and families living in poverty, and providing the basic needs of households that are at risk of falling into severe crisis and homelessness is the core of what Care and Share offers every day to Iron County residents.