In January of 2001, Chad Smith, Rector at Transfiguration Episcopal Church in San Mateo, brought to his church the Interfaith Hospitality Network model of congregations offering their facilities as shelter for homeless people, thus beginning the history of IHN in California.

Today, with 29 congregations participating, the San Mateo County IHN program offers 5,000 shelter bed nights and 15,000 meals each year, continuing to operate on the simple principle that our homeless families are our “guests” whose needs are primarily met by volunteer “hosts” who welcome them into their congregational homes--- not “clients” whose needs are overseen by case managers in an impersonal, institutional setting offered by most traditional shelters. From its earliest days, the mission of IHN is to provide a safe haven to homeless families, to break the cycle of homelessness, and to help families re-establish long-term self-sufficiency. A testament to our success is that over fifty percent of our families have returned to permanent housing directly from our emergency shelter program, bypassing the transitional shelter step seen in traditional shelter programs.

IHN Mission

The problem of homelessness among families in San Mateo County is a significant though sometimes invisible problem. Each year an estimated 6,000 people in the country become homeless; two-thirds of these homeless people are families with children.

The demand for the emergency shelter, food, critical case management support and successful placement into permanent housing that San Mateo County Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN) provides for families is steadily increasing. As more local families are being displaced into homelessness, shelter waiting list closures throughout the area become an alarming indication of the strain on local resources to meet the most basic food and shelter needs of these community members.

This is the dilemma that IHN unites communities of faith in a collaborative effort to resolve, and the commitment of twenty-nine different congregations, both clergy and volunteers, coupled with the skillful staff members at IHN enables us to produce remarkable results. Not only does IHN dramatically impact the lives of our shelter guests, the relationships that develop between the congregations are also creating a rich, diverse and inclusive new community.
IHN leverages the annual operating budget of $295,000 with an equivalent value in volunteer time and in-kind support. Using these resources wisely allows IHN to meet the needs of the families being served at an overall cost for shelter bed nights that is not significantly different than that of much larger organizations, while obtaining a high rate of success. Most notably, since first serving families in 2001, IHN has helped to place 57% of our successful graduates into permanent housing, and the remaining 43% into alternative shelter programs. In addition, in order to ensure that the families being served are able to retain housing once they are placed, IHN continues to provide them with a full range of case management services that support their independence and stability. Since 2007, as other programs in San Mateo County reached capacity, IHN has extended case management services to families who, although not guests in the IHN shelter program, were able to obtain and retain permanent housing with the comprehensive assistance and support of IHN’s case management.

Serving homeless families is a special mission to undertake. Nationally, children and single mothers are the fastest growing population of community members who are homeless. San Mateo County estimates reveal that 150 families are without shelter every night. IHN is able to serve up five families, with up to fourteen children and adults. Depending on the number of family members in each family, IHN provides an average of 55 days of emergency shelter to three to five families at any given time. This means that IHN makes 5,110 shelter bed nights available each year.
Fourteen host and fifteen volunteer support congregations collaborate with IHN to provide families with shelter on a rotational basis within their various facilities. By using individual classrooms, or spacious tents erected in the social halls, congregations are able to provide private and personal living space for each family. Families spend one week at each congregation, and each Sunday are relocated to a new site.

Every day of teh week, at 6 pm, families are transported in the IHN van to the host congregation for that week. Once there, a cadre of volunteers with IHN’s specialized training serve a home-cooked  dinner, play or work with the children on their schoolwork, and spend the night. Early the next morning, guests have breakfast, and receive a boxed lunch for later in the day. It is important to note here that the IHN volunteers are preparing and covering the cost of up to15,330 meals each year for our guests.
Once the morning meal is complete, families are transported to the IHN Day Center in the van. The IHN Day Center houses the IHN staff, and also is a spacious home-like site where guests have access to showers, personal storage space, and laundry facilities. The Day Center offers a full kitchen for meals, and a computer lab where guests are able to conduct job and housing searches, and do schoolwork.
The Day Center is where initial guest intakes occur. Each guest is screened for issues such as dependency problems, mental health concerns, violence, and criminal background. Guests are also informed of the IHN rules which they must agree to comply with while they are a guest. The central purpose of the screening process is to ensure a safe experience for the guests, and for the congregational volunteers.
Case management services are provided in the Day Center. Here, permanent housing placement and support, shelter placement and referrals, help for parents in obtaining employment, and any educational or vocational training needed to secure long-term employment are offered. Guests also set up mandatory savings accounts, are assisted in arranging for childcare, can receive appropriate referrals to access mental health, substance abuse, medical, legal and other services through partner agencies, and also through IHN’s volunteer network. Donations are made available in the Day Center for the guests, and include clothing, household goods, furniture, and school supplies.
The service model of IHN is unique in many ways. Because IHN is building a community amongst the volunteers within twenty-nine religious congregations, and also extending a supportive and welcoming community to the families we serve, IHN truly is able to be a values-based provider. It is the desire of the IHN board of directors, staff, congregational partners, and volunteers that we continue to meet the needs of homeless families in this special and caring way.

IHN Plans for the Future--
2009 Program Objectives

Short-term Emergency Shelter and Food
IHN will make available 5,110 shelter bed nights annually.
IHN will make available 15,330 meals annually. 
IHN will maintain full program capacity 90% of the time.  Program capacity is dependent on the number of family members in each guest family.

IHN will provide daily shelter space for up to five guest families at a time, each with up to 14 individual family members, for an average stay of 55 days.

IHN will shelter a minimum of 25 guest families with 80 individual family members.

Intensive Case Management
55% of successful program graduates will move directly into permanent housing.

45% of successful program graduates will move into an alternative shelter program associated with self-sufficiency programs.

60% of guest families will increase their income during their shelter stay.

IHN will support access to education and vocational training for guest families for the purpose of securing long-term employment.

IHN will maintain accurate data in regards to race and ethnicity, disability, family composition, and educational levels for all guest families.

Volunteerism
IHN will actively recruit, train, and support the Congregational Volunteer Coordinators of our 29 participating congregations.

IHN will provide training, development, and recognition to over 1000 active congregational volunteers.

Aftercare to Shelter and Non-Shelter Guests
IHN  will provide intensive case-management and referral services in the areas of: permanent housing placement and support, shelter placement and referrals, employment, education, substance abuse treatment, mental health, donations, including clothing, household goods and furniture, holiday help, school supplies, and legal and medical referrals to both graduate families and any other families who have not been guests in our shelter program.

70% of 2008 program graduates will receive aftercare services.

50% of IHN program graduates between the years of 2001-2007 will receive aftercare services.

IHN will provide case-management and referral services to 200 non-sheltered individuals or families.
IHN Collaborative Partners

How you can help

SMCIHN exists because of the generous support of people like you, who actively participate by volunteering in the office and at host sites, and provide gracious support through cash donations.  Please contact us at 650.652.1100 or by email for more information.