IHN Committee - FAQ

The Interfaith Hospitality Network Committee  at Christ The King Lutheran Church has prepared this list of Frequently Asked Questions to help members of the congregation better understand the IHN and what would be involved were the church to join the Metrowest IHN.

What is the Metrowest IHN?  IHN (Interfaith Hospitality Network) is a highly successful, faith-based, volunteer driven program that helps Families who are going through a temporary phase of homelessness. Faiths of all denominations (Buddhist, Muslim, Jewish, Christian, .etc.) are encouraged to join the program.  The Metrowest IHN is our local implementation of this program. It is presently in the development stage. Its goal is to obtain at least 13 host congregations so each Congregation will host the families in the Network no more than 4 times a year. (Non-hosting congregations and volunteers outside congregations are encouraged to help the Network as well.)

What do you mean when you say that IHN is a highly successful program?  "To date, Family Promise (the parent organization) has established 122 networks in 35 states, using the services of more than 100,000 volunteers and 4,000 congregations. The IHNs provide shelter, meals, and housing and job placement support to more than 15,000 homeless family members annually, 58 percent of them children."  See www.familypromise.org for more detail

What are the advantages of an IHN program over a more traditional homeless shelter?

• A Network can be developed quickly and by using existing congregational facilities (that are perhaps underutilized) a cost efficient model is developed.

• A Network program doesn’t institutionalize shelter as a solution to homelessness.

• In Networks, about 70% of the guest families find permanent housing, often with volunteers’ help.

• Men and boys are not allowed in most shelters that take women. Therefore, a single mother with a 12-year old boy must sleep in her car, on the street, or be separated from her child. With the IHN program, the whole family remains together.

• For congregations, the Network is a vital outreach ministry.

• A Network is a catalyst for other community initiatives.  Many active Networks go on to create new programs in areas such as parenting, mentoring, and housing renovation.

• We become personally involved in creating a loving and nurturing environment for our Guests.

How many Families are in the Network at any one time?  The limit is 14 people in the Network at any particular time. These 14 people are almost always Families -- there may be a single woman from time to time.  Typically, half of the people in the Network are young children. The Families are screened by the Network’s Director so that we are not hosting individuals that are beyond our skill set to help.

How long do families typically stay in the Network?  The guest guidelines call for a maximum stay of 30 days.  However, Network Directors often extend the stay as long as families are making good-faith efforts to find housing. Due to the cost of housing in our Metrowest area, typical stays may be much longer than 30 days

Sounds like a major undertaking. What resources does a host congregation need?  Approximately 50 volunteers per week are needed at each hosting site. Those volunteers will prepare the space for occupancy, prepare meals, clean up, meet with the Families, play with the children, help children with homework, help with logistics, and a few will spend the night in the congregational facilities with the Guests. Cost of hosting per week is around $200.  Space to house the Families is required of a host congregation. Cots and bedding will move with the Families and so do not need to be provided by the host congregation.

What are the arrangements for transportation?  The Central Network provides a van to transport the Families to and from the Day Center.  The van also carries bedding and luggage between host congregations.

What is the status of the Metrowest Network?  As of November 2005, there are five formally committed congregations: Wellesley Congregational (Village) Church, Christ Lutheran Congregation in Natick, Unitarian Universalist Society of Wellesley Hills, First Parish Congregation in Wayland, and First Congregational Congregation in Natick. Two other congregations have scheduled votes; one in December and one in January (that's us!). Another has an enthusiastic pastor who is working to engage his Congregation.

If you would like more information, or would like to become involved, please let us know by sending us an email.  

To return to the IHN Committee's main page, click here here.