HOW IHN WORKS
The overall goal and purpose of Family Promise is to provide children and their families with shelter, basic needs and assistance as they seek permanent housing. Family Promise is unique in that it does not split up families during their crisis. Dads and boys over the age of 10 are allowed to remain with their families, keeping the family unit strong.
IHN is also unique in that it is able to meet the emergency needs of the families we serve through the hard work of a small staff and over 1,600 volunteers. The majority of the work is provided through 14 Host Congregations and additional Support Congregations who house families in their facilities every night. All the evening activities of housing, feeding, encouraging and interacting with the children and families are conducted by volunteers. We are able to utilize existing community resources of the congregations to make every dollar count. The IHN program operates at less than 1/3 the average cost of most shelters!
During the day, families come to a “home base” which is our on-site Day Center, where they are busy taking care of family business. Through the use of our computer center, case managers, and mentors, they are able to access community resources to search for employment and housing. Key to their success is the fact that every family is connected to the community through volunteers at the congregations as well as through mentors in our Family Mentoring Program. Families are able to build a new community network that helps them achieve their goals of independence.
We are excited to report that 93% of the families served last year found permanent housing Furthermore, 91% of the families placed in 2009 have remained independently housed for one year or more!
HOW TO HELP FAMILIES LIKE YOURS
There are so many ways for you, your family, your church and your organization to help families through Family Promise-IHN. We depend on the generosity of volunteers and donors to keep our ministry alive. Whatever way you can help, big or small, makes a difference in the lives of homeless children and their parents.
To help families facing a housing crisis, please consider making a financial gift to Family Promise. Visit www.FamilyPromiseGR.org/Donate to donate online or mail your gift to Family Promise of Grand Rapids, 906 S. Division, Suite 205 Grand Rapids, MI 49507.
Volunteer
- Make a meal
- Sleep overnight at a church
- Play with kids
- Read books to children
- Do laundry
- Help families move
- Edit résumés
Donate
- Hygiene products: soap, shampoo, deodorant, toothbrushes, toothpaste, etc.
- Baby products: formula, bottles, pacifiers, diapers, wipes, etc.
- Clothing: socks, undergarments, t-shirts
- Bus tickets or gas cards
- Gift cards for essentials: Walmart, Meijer, Family Dollar
- Medicine and first aid supplies
- New or gently used furniture and household products
Click here to view our IHN Brochure
Beyond the Facts
Monica --- “If you are trying to help yourself; they will help you.”
Sandra --- “I felt so safe on my first night. The dinner was wonderful and the volunteers made me feel so welcomed and respected. It was the first time I felt like I was safe and could sleep and feel rested.”
Tyeisha --- “I didn't know what to expect but IHN really feels like my home. You all really care.”
Katelyn, Tim & Kayden --- “When we didn’t have a home, you all made yours ours.”
Beth --- “Family Promise was our last hope. Now we have a new home to move into."
Kassondra age 15, - -- “Homeless, I am, yes indeed, Hopeless? That I will never be.”
Courtney --- “You not only helped me find a place to live, but put me in a position I had always wanted...to attend college.”
Whitney --- “You make me feel like somebody. I feel good about myself again.”
Denise --- "The volunteers don’t have any idea the impact they have had on my family. They have opened up a new world we didn’t even know existed! "
Wendy --- "We came to IHN with the clothes on our backs and a small box of things. IHN was a listening ear and a shoulder to cry on. They put a roof over our heads and made it feel like home. Even my kids felt safe here. It was easy for my kids to adjust because of the staff and volunteers. IHN is not like any other shelter"