Chapter 2 - Interfaith Hospitality Network
Interfaith Hospitality Network of Cleveland works to "inspire and empower homeless families to transform their lives, become self-sufficient, and fulfill their promise." They help over one hundred homeless families to secure independent housing and the means to sustain it per year. Different Churches and Synagogues are assigned weeks to host the families overnight. Interfaith Hospitably members are in charge of transporting kids to their schools or adults to look for work and during the daytime drive families to one of their two home base locations in Shaker Heights or Tremont. There are showers, laundry, private rooms, and work space for guests to seek housing and employment in both homes. Case management services continue for at least four months after families leave shelter to help prevent returning to homelessness. The agency keeps families together through the trauma of homelessness and beyond as they strive to achieve long-term stability.
Interfaith Hospitality Network is an all-star philanthropy organization in Cleveland because it is successfully working on solving the problem of poverty one family at a time. The people work with both Christian and Jewish congregations to help families get off the streets all throughout Greater Cleveland, regardless of their religious affiliation. In an era where tensions run high between religious sects, this Cleveland-based organization sets a good example for the community and illustrates the power of ecumenical thinking.
