Right up the road in Woodstock, Georgia, Encompass Ministries has spent more than two decades making sure neighbors don't go to bed hungry. The organization started back in 1998 as Papa's Pantry, a community effort to fight hunger, and in 2019 it grew into Encompass Ministries — a name that reflects a bigger idea: that helping a family get back on its feet takes more than a bag of groceries.
At the heart of it all is food. Through a client-choice pantry, families pick out nutritious groceries themselves — fresh produce alongside shelf-stable staples — with the dignity of choosing what works for their own table. But the help doesn't stop at the pantry door.
More Than a Meal
Encompass pairs food assistance with two programs built for the long haul. Their Employment Strategies offer one-on-one coaching, resume help, and interview preparation for folks working toward steady work. Their Life Skills Training covers the practical ground — budgeting, goal setting, home management — that turns a hard season into lasting stability. The aim is to empower people to regain stability and self-reliance, building a stronger community where everyone can thrive and no one goes to bed hungry.
They serve families across Cherokee, Cobb, Bartow, North Fulton, and Pickens counties, and describe their work as Christ-centered support that meets both immediate needs and the deeper goal of self-sufficiency — serving everyone who comes through the door with compassion and dignity.
That's exactly the kind of grounded, neighbor-helping-neighbor work Krause for a Cause is proud to stand behind. When a community takes care of its own, everybody's better for it — and Encompass has been doing just that, one family at a time, for more than 25 years.