DMIHN Celebrates 5-Year Anniversary |
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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 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! |
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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, over 1,000 volunteers (adults, youth and children) donate their time to provide hospitality to IHN guest families.
- In 2008, our 13 host congregations and one support congregation:
- Amassed 13,080 volunteer hours
- Provided 4,726 nights of lodging and 14,166 meals!
- The monetary value of these volunteers’ time, and resulting savings to DMIHN: $203,917!!*
* Monetary value calculated at the average dollar value of volunteer time for the state of Iowa of 15.59 per hour as determined by the Independent Sector (http://indpendentsector.org). |
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