ABOUT CHHOP

In the winter of 1988, a man who had nowhere to go suffered severe frostbite in Peekskill from living outside. That tragedy galvanized members of the Peekskill Community, who met weekly in Dr. Janet Foy’s office to brainstorm about immediate housing solutions. 

Members of the committee donated what they could and solicited financial support from others in the area, including the Peekskill Area Pastors Association (PAPA) and committed community members to create a safe place for those without a home. Although many of those early pioneers who founded CHHOP, including the indomitable Dr. Foy are no longer with us, their spirit, passion and compassion live on in Jan Peek House, a 24-hour 365-day a year shelter for adult men and women. 

In 2007 we added Jan Peek Drop-In services providing shelter, food and supportive services. Over the years, CHHOP has added in new programs, including Fred’s Pantry, our food pantry. In 2014, CHHOP started a program to assist VA eligible veterans access housing and healthcare. The Turning Point program was launched to assist with the varied and complex issues faced by people with disabilities. CHHOP partnered with My Sisters' Place and Lifting Up Westchester, in 2019, to create, RISE, a program geared to providing holistic services to survivors of domestic violence so that they can rebuild their lives with compassion and dignity. 

CHHOP’s ethos is that every person is entitled to safe, affordable housing and healthy, nutritious food. Our work focuses on housing and food equity in Peekskill and the surrounding communities and supports people living with domestic violence, veterans experiencing homelessness, immigrants, people with mental health issues, and other lower-income households.