It’s Our Turn to Put Faith into Action — Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN)

smiling IHNOur next week to host is Sunday, January 28 through Saturday, February 3. Look for the sign- up sheet in the narthex soon and PLEASE sign up. If you have any questions please call our church office.

IHN is a national organization that provides housing and support programs for homeless families. While searching for permanent housing, families stay in participating churches for a week at a time.

Our church hosts families from IHN four times a year. Host churches have opportunities to minister to the families in a variety of ways and often times those doing the serving (us) find themselves being blessed in return.

There are several ways in which to become involved with IHN. If many people would step up and do one part, the ministry would not seem overwhelming and more people would take ownership of this ministry. Here are some of the responsibilities needing to be done each time:

COOKS: An evening meal needs to be cooked each night the families are with us. Each cook is notified ahead of time as to the number of families staying that week and if there are any dietary restrictions.

HOSTS: Hosts are those who come and spend time with the families in the evening to make them feel welcome. Some hosts may help kids with homework and play with the children to give the parent(s) a break.

OVERNIGHTERS: Each night two people from PPPC are needed to stay overnight. This is for safely as well as hospitality reasons. This is not a hard job. Overnighters may sleep on the bunks upstairs in the fellowship area of the annex or on cots in one of the Sunday school rooms downstairs. Why not find a “bunk buddy” and give this a try? Those who stay overnight come around 9 pm and leave early the next morning.

SHOPPERS: This person or persons shop for lunch and breakfast items for the guest. There is money for this.

ADDITIONAL NEEDS: In addition to these ministries, we need people to do laundry once the families have left. That involves taking a pillow case full of dirty sheets home to wash; returning them clean and folded.

Do you have a trailer hitch? We need one or more persons with a trailer hitch on a truck/van to move the IHN trailer to the next host church. Sometimes it is just across the street to St. Mary’s.