WELCOME Interfaith Hospitality
The Ascension is a part of the Family Promise Interfaith Hospitality Network program in the Montgomery area. This program brings shelter, meals, and support services to families without homes. Each month The Ascension houses one or more families for one week. We provide evening shelter and dinner to all present. Volunteers coordinate the meals, spend the night and arrange certain entertaining activities for children and youth spending the night. We house and feed everyone in the Joshua House. If you would like to help with this ministry, please sign-up through the Ministries Summary & Sign-Up page on this web site.
A little more about the Interfaith Hospitality Network program:
IHNs are a cost-efficient, effective, and replicable community response to family homelessness. Because they make use of existing community resources, they can be implemented quickly, without major start-up costs.
IHN programs vary from community to community, reflecting local needs and resources. However, there are five basic components to an IHN program.
1. Hosts
Hosting rotates weekly among the 10 to 12 host congregations in a Network. In turn, each host congregation provides lodging, three meals daily, and welcoming care.
2. Day Center
Guests use a local day center from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, where the IHN director, a professional social worker, provides case management services. There, guests pursue employment, tend pre-school children, shower, and do laundry. The day center provides guests with a mailing address and a base for housing and employment searches. Many guests are employed during the day, while older children attend school.
3. Volunteers
Volunteers provide various services:
- Cooking and serving meals
- Playing with children or helping them with homework
- Interacting with guests, with respect and compassion
4. Social Service Agencies
Local social service agencies refer families to the Network. The agencies may also help guests find housing, jobs, and benefits.
5. Transportation
An IHN van transports guests to and from the day center. The van also carries bedding and luggage to the next host congregation.
You may find out even more information at their web site - http://www.nihn.org.
