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Interfaith Hospitality Network of Greater Cleveland |
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Mission Interfaith Hospitality Network of Greater Cleveland is in its twelfth year helping homeless families on their journey to sustainable independence. We bring the faith and civic communities together to help families regain their housing, their independence, and their dignity. IHN quickly stabilizes guest families in our family-friendly shelter network, works to rapidly re-house the family, and provides intensive case management and supportive services during and after the guest family’s stay to address the causes of their homelessness and empower the family for long-term success. IHN also offers an opportunity for volunteers to reduce homelessness and transform lives. Click here to watch 6-minute introduction to IHN: http://www.familypromise.org/ihn-video Our Network IHN’s evening and overnight shelter network is 80+ congregations strong! Churches, synagogues, and community organizations open their doors to up to four families at a time, for a week at a time. Most host IHN families 2-4 weeks each year. Classrooms or fellowship halls are transformed into private sleeping quarters and families have meals, evening activities, and receive companionship and support from trained volunteers. IHN provides all transportation to and from the host sites. The network enables IHN to provide family-friendly shelter in a caring, dignified environment where homeless families are welcomed as guests. The IHN shelter model is economical, as well, and relies on the in-kind time and donations of volunteers. It also provides Cleveland’s caring community with a way to help homeless families in a direct and meaningful way. Our History IHN is a part of Family Promise, a national organization with 150+ affiliates in over 40 states. Cleveland’s network started in 1998 with just 8 participating congregations and a handful of volunteers. Since then, IHN has grown to over 80 host and support congregations and over 2,000 volunteers from the faith and civic community. Our capacity has doubled over the years and we now serve up to 8 families at a time. The IHN Family Shelter and Stabilization program is 60 days, but many guests are able to move onto stable housing within 6 weeks. Service Model IHN has an innovative and economical model of care. Each evening congregations and their volunteers welcome homeless families as guests into their church or synagogue buildings, providing meals and overnight shelter. Each day guest families use the Family Resource and Day Center where they care for young children and work with a social worker to regain housing and self-sufficiency. The value of volunteer in-kind donations is over $500,000, more than IHN’s cash expense budget. IHN Programs 1. Family Crisis Shelter & Stabilization – Through IHN congregations become temporary homes in which families are treated as guests and are able to maintain their dignity. IHN guests are sheltered each night in church and synagogue facilities throughout Greater Cleveland and are supported by congregation volunteers. Guests stay for a week at each host congregation, arriving at 5:30 p.m. and leaving at 7:00 a.m on IHN-provided transportation. Most congregations provide hospitality 4 weeks a year. Host congregations convert classrooms or a social hall into bedrooms for their host week (beds and room dividers are provided). Volunteers serve home-cooked dinners, lunch and breakfast, spend time with guests in the evening and stay with guests overnight. Most volunteer shifts are 2 to 3 hours. Some congregations act as support congregations, providing volunteer support to a nearby hosting congregation. 2. Neighborhood Schools Project - IHN transports guest children to and from the school they attended before becoming homeless, and transports families between the hosting congregations and the Family Day Center. Through this program guest children are able to maintain a stable and consistent “school life” while their “home life” is disrupted. IHN also provides bus tickets for guests to use while seeking employment, housing and other services. 3. The Family Resource and Day Center – The Family Center is the hub of the network, and serves as the guests' daytime home base. The Family Center includes: showers, laundry; nursery; private nap room and lounge area; kitchen; computer room and workspace used to seek housing and employment. Up to 8 families are in each Family Center at a time. 4. Homeward Bound - IHN guests work one-on-one with a social work professional to find housing, employment, link to community resources, and address other barriers to permanent independent housing. 5. IHN 360 – This project marshals the time and talent of IHN’s volunteers to provide specialized support to provide a circle of support to IHN families to allow them to make a 360° turnaround from homelessness.
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