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RAIHN
Rochester
Area Interfaith Hospitality Network
34
Meigs Street
-- Rochester, NY 14607
Phone: 585-506-9050 or Fax: 585-271-6910
E-mail: see addresses at bottom of screen
A Day in the Life of the RAIHN is
comprised of three main components:
The National IHN has provided
a very good overview brochure of what a "Day in the Life" of the guest
families looks like. You can VIEW
that brochure or DOWNLOAD
a copy of it in MS-Word.
Homelessness
is a HOUSING crisis. Families are referred to RAIHN
from a number of social service agencies in our area
(Monroe County). A family coming into the RAIHN program
is pre-screened and they sign a pledge to abide by
the rules of the program before they are accepted
into the IHN program.
In a typical "Day in the Life" of a guest
of the RAIHN program, the family moves weekly from
one host faith community to the next; typically spending
four to six weeks in the IHN program while they seek
new housing through the professional counseling the
guest families receive from RAIHN and other agencies.
Each day starts
with breakfast at the host facility, provided by the
volunteers from each hosting or support organization.
The guests then transported to a Day Center (established
by he RAIHN board) where they can receive their mail,meet
the school buses,do their laundry, bathe/shower, and
most importantly, receive counseling on jobs and housing.
At the end
of their busy day, the guests return to the host faith
community (a different hosting congregation each week),
where they are provided with dinner and support (if
needed) from the host volunteers. The evening hours
are relaxation times, as they would be for any family.
The day ends with a private place to lay their heads
together as a family, under one roof.
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| Karen
Olsen is the managing director of the National IHN
and the "genesis" behind this important
cause |
Families do not "choose" to be displaced.
The IHN program provides temporary shelter and keeps families TOGETHER while they
seek housing and employment |
Each day, the guests from the host church
go to a Day Center, where they receive counseling, housing assistance, and can take
care of their personal needs such as laundry, mail, school pick-up |
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| Each evening, the RAIHN van brings the families
to the host churches. One church acts as a host for one week, four times per year. |
Once at the host church, the families are
greeted by volunteers from the host church and other supporting churches. The guests
receive dinner, fellowship, networking, and comfort. The guests then pack-up a lunch
for the next day before retiring for the evening. |
Each
Day in the Life of a RAIHN guest ends with quiet
time and much-needed sleep for each family. Thanks
to the RAIHN program, they're all sleeping in a
safe, private place together |
The families are referred into the RAIHN
program by a variety of social service agencies in the Rochester area. They are pre-screened
by the referring agency and then again by the Director of the RAIHN organization.
There are strict policies for accepting FAMILIES including no alcohol, no
drugs, etc.
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