Des Moines Area Interfaith Hospitality Network - Des Moines Area Interfaith Hospitality Network

2011 Garden Party a Huge Success

DMIHN's fifth annual garden party raised a record amount this year, which will help us to continue to provide support to help our guests find housing and jobs.

The popular event, held on June 24 at the backyard gardens of Drs. Bob and Becky Shaw, raised $14,449 - the most ever raised by this event.

DMIHN director Jim Cain said he is continually humbled by the generous financial support generated by the garden party.

"I want to thank everyone for purchasing tickets, giving donations and purchasing silent auction items," Cain said. "And I especially would like to thank our corporate sponsors who worked so hard to create such a wonderful event."

"With the ongoing economic challenges, the demands for DMIHN's services continue to grow. The generous support will enable us to continue to serve and help more families."

DMIHN Celebrates 5-Year Anniversary in 2009

Five years has passed since the Des Moines Area Interfaith Hospitality Network (DMIHN) started hosting homeless families in area churches. While the number of families served has remained steady since the beginning, many key events have transpired to make the network the vital organization that it is today.

The following timeline is a recap of some of the key events that have occurred in the life of the organization:

• 2002-2004 – A Board is formed and network development activities begin
• August 2004 – Kelsey Parker, the first DMIHN director, is hired
• October 2004 – The first guests are hosted by the Grimes United Methodist Church
• Fall 2005 – The Day Center is relocated to Westminster Presbyterian Church, saving the network approximately $15,000 per year
• October 2006 – Jim Cain is hired as director and Cassie Johnson, becomes the first former guest to become an employee in a network
• January 2008 – The first case manager for the Des Moines Network is hired
• 2009-  The average stay for a family increases to 55 days due to economic conditions and the challenges of finding permanent employment

Undoubtedly, the DMIHN experience has touched the lives of many guests and volunteers and positively impacted many congregations during the five years of active hosting. But here’s a few statistics from the first five years that demonstrate a true community response to homelessness:

• Guests served: 190 adults and 246 children; 105 of the children under the age of 5
• Nights lodging: 14,388
• Meals served: 43,044
• Volunteer hours: 50,188

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Volunteers put the "Hospitality" in Interfaith Hospitality Network!

Volunteers put the “hospitality” in Interfaith Hospitality Network by creating a home-like atmosphere where guests can receive what they need: rest, hope, respect, confidence boosting and a sense of control in their lives. During the host week, volunteers prepare meals, play with children, help out with homework and offer a listening ear for parents after a long day.

• Annually, more than 1,000 volunteers (adults, youth and children) donate their time to provide hospitality to IHN guest families.
• In 2010, our host and support congregations:
  • Amassed 10,000 volunteer hours
  • Provided more than 3,000 nights of lodging and more than 9,000 meals!
• The monetary value of these volunteers’ time, and resulting savings to DMIHN:  $167,700!!*

* Monetary value calculated at the average dollar value of volunteer time for the state of Iowa of 16.77 per hour as determined by the Independent Sector (http://indpendentsector.org).