IHN-LOGO

Metrowest Interfaith Hospitality Network

IHN Update

It’s finally happening! After four long years of planning, meeting and hoping, our Metrowest Interfaith Hospitality Network will open its doors to temporarily shelter homeless families in September, 2008.

- Our network now includes 13 host congregations and 5 support congregations

- Day Center renovations (adding a bathroom facility with showers) at the First Baptist Church in Natick site will begin shortly

- We have hired a Network Director and will soon hire an Assistant Director and a van driver

- Lutheran Social Services’ Good News Garage donated a 15-passenger van to us which we will use to transport the guests

- We have half of our first-year budget in the bank

- In March, we held a preliminary training session for volunteer coordinators; another training session, provided by the national organization, is scheduled for the week of June 16^th.

Here are the Metrowest member congregations:

Host Congregations
Christ Lutheran Church , Natick
Wellesley Congregational (Village) Church
First Parish Church , Wayland
UU Society of Wellesley Hills
First Congregational Church, Natick
UU Area Church , Sherborn
Christ the King Lutheran Church , Holliston
The Dover Church
Pilgrim Church , Sherborn
St. Paul ’s Episcopal Church, Natick
Wellesley Hills Congregational Church
Federated Church of Ashland
First Parish Church , Framingham

Support Congregations
St. Theresa’s Catholic Church, Sherborn
Fisk United Methodist Church , Natick
Temple Beth Elohim, Wellesley
Holy Spirit Ecumenical Catholic Community, Wellesley
St. Andrews Episcopal Church, Wellesley

Since its founding in 1988, the National Interfaith Hospitality organization has helped establish 130 interfaith affiliates in 38 states involving upwards of 5,000 congregations of all denominations who have worked together to provide services to more than 130,000 guests.

Here’s how it works. In our Metrowest area, the 13 host congregations and five support congregations will work together to provide overnight lodging and meals for three to five needy families. The hosting responsibility will rotate among the participating congregations so that each church or temple hosts families for one week, three to four times per year. During their hosting week, the congregation’s volunteers set up the accommodations in appropriate sections of the church facility, prepare and serve dinner and breakfast, visit with the families, and then spend the night with the families at the church.

Our Natick Day Center , operated by the Network Director, will be available for guest families to use during the day to make phone calls, take showers, do laundry, and get organized.

The families served by the Interfaith Hospitality Network are the working poor. These are typically families in transition, who have suffered a major illness or setback, or low income families who do not qualify for homeless shelters or public assistance but can not find affordable housing. In addition to food and shelter, families are also helped to find suitable housing. In a typical Interfaith Hospitality Network, half of the guests are children, most of whom are under age six.

For further information about the Interfaith Hospitality Network you can visit their web site: http://www.nihn.org/. For more information on the Metrowest Network please contact Candace Sutcliffe, Metrowest IHN President and Board Chair.

To volunteer at the Federated Church of Ashland please contact Cheri Vallone.

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