The Des Moines Area Interfaith Hospitality Network is a small non-profit organization providing hospitality, meals, and support to homeless families through a network of congregations. IHN mobilizes Des Moines religious community to respond to the needs of our community’s most vulnerable: homeless families with children.

The mission of the Des Moines Area Interfaith Hospitality Network is to provide hospitality to homeless families. IHN offers compassionate care to homeless families, alleviates the trauma of homelessness and assists families in securing a stable home. IHN provides a caring, dignified environment of overnight hospitality in church and synagogue facilities, and provides an array supportive services to help families become self-sufficient.

History

IHN is part of a national organization of 120 local networks called Family Promise. Des Moines Network opened its doors to homeless families in October 2004 with 14 host congregations and a handful of volunteers. IHN employs an innovative and economical model of care. Each evening congregations and their volunteers welcome homeless families as guests into their church or synagogue buildings, providing meals and overnight shelter. Each day guest families utilize our Day Center where they care for young children and work to regain housing and self-sufficiency.

Food & Shelter – Through IHN, congregations become temporary homes in which families are treated as guests and are able to maintain their dignity. IHN guests are sheltered each night in church and synagogue facilities throughout the Des Moines area and are cared for by congregation volunteers. Guests stay for a week at each host congregation, arriving at 5:30 p.m. and leaving at 7:00 a.m. Most congregations provide hospitality 4 weeks a year.

Host congregations convert classrooms or a social hall into bedrooms for their host week (air mattresses are provided for sleeping). Volunteers serve home-cooked dinners, lunch and breakfast, spend time with guests in the evening and stay with guests overnight. Most volunteer shifts are 2 to 3 hours. Some congregations act as support congregations, providing volunteer support to a nearby hosting congregation.

IHN transports guest families between the hosting congregations and the Day Center. Through this program guest children are able to maintain a stable and consistent “school life” while their “home life” is disrupted. IHN also provides bus tickets for guests to use while seeking employment, housing and other services.

During the day guest families use IHN’s Day Center as their home base. The Day Center includes: showers, laundry; private rooms; kitchen; workspace used to seek housing and employment.