| Background |
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| The Interfaith Hospitality Network of Greater Cleveland is in its twelfth year helping low-income and homeless families on their journey to sustainable independence. It is one of over 150 networks across the country affiliated with Family Promise, a national nonprofit organization committed to helping families move beyond the crisis of homelessness. |
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| Each year, Interfaith Hospitality Network of Greater Cleveland provides crisis shelter and support for 50+ families with the goal of rapidly re-housing each family and providing them with the tools and resources they need to sustain it. There are 80+ diverse faith congregations that make up the network |
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| St. Rita has been part of the Greater Cleveland Network since November, 1999. Since that date, our parish has hosted over 100 families that have included more than 200 children from ages 2 weeks to teenagers. Adult guests have included single mothers, single fathers, grandmothers and couples – all with children. |
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| All guests are screened thoroughly by the Network. There are no drug, alcohol, criminal, mental or abuse issues. Guests are only allowed to stay for 60 days in the Network. More than 89% of the guests find permanent or transitional housing. |
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| St. Rita’s Commitment |
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| Our commitment to the Network is to house guests for one week at a time, four times a year. We accept no more than 14 guests each week. |
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| Guests’ Schedule |
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| At St. Rita, the guests are housed in the Resource Center. Bedrooms are set up in the second floor meeting rooms Hotel-style cots are brought in and made up with sheets, pillows and blankets – all donated by our parishioners. |
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| They are with us only in the evening from 5:30 pm until 7:00 am each day during the host week. The guests are at the IHN Day Center housed at Pilgrim Congregational Church in Tremont from 8:00 am till 5:00 pm. |
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| The guests arrive at 5:30 pm Sunday night of the host week by a van and driver provided through the Network. They are greeted by one of St. Rita’s coordinators and a host family from the parish. Assigned parishioners cook a meal and bring it to the Resource Center kitchen for the host family and the guest families to sit down and eat together at 6:00. |
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| At 6:45 activities’ volunteers arrive to entertain the guest children or help with homework if it is during the school year. Activities include reading to the children or playing games in Mazanec Hall or the Primary School building or enjoying the school playground if the weather is good. |
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| At 8:45 two volunteers arrive to spend the night with the guests and help serve a continental breakfast in the morning. The guests leave at 7:00 am to return to the IHN Day Center in Tremont where they go to work, school or take the time to look for housing. They work through a social worker provided by the Network. The children are taken to the school that they were attending before they lost their home. |
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| This schedule is repeated daily through Saturday of the host week. The guests leave us the following Sunday morning to start their next week at another congregation in the network. |
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| Mission Workers Needed |
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| To help the host week move smoothly, approximately 35-50 volunteers are needed to help set up beds, cook part of the meals served, act as hosts for an evening meal, spend time entertaining the guest children or stay overnight to make the guests comfortable and welcome. Volunteers are not asked for more than 2 hours for one day during the host week, except for the overnight hosts. But they have the easiest job, they get to sleep (cots and sleeping quarters are provided). |
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| Committee Information |
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- Kathy Lamancusa, coordinator – 440-248-1058
- Mary and Dick Breitenstein, food coordinators
- Karen Bartels, meal host coordinator
- Maria and Rick Santangelo, activities coordinators
- Peggy and Jim Rallo, activities coordinators
- Deacon Bob and Elaine Anderson set up and clean up coordinators
- Joe Bova, bed transportation
- Rob Held, bed transportation
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| All of us on the committee believe in this program and have been with it from the very start. We feel truly blessed to have the experience of interacting with the families and their children. When the guests leave on the Sunday morning at the end of our host week, we feel a heavy heart to see them go – some tears are shed by hosts and guests.
Guests love staying at our parish. Our facilities are more home-like than some of the other congregations. We love when they put on slippers to walk around, just like at home.
Our main goal is to make our guests feel welcome and not judged because of their circumstances. We are not expected to solve their problems, just make them feel comfortable and safe. For the past 10 years, we have done just that. We have some of the most loving and compassionate parishioners working with us on this mission.
There are many thank yous from the guests during the week for the food and clean accommodations. We have even received some sweet thank you notes – one written by one of the children on the dry erase board in their room. “We love you, St. Rita friends.” It makes your heart soar. |
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| Next Host Week |
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May 16 -23, 2010
August 1 – 8, 2010
October 17-24, 2010
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| We encourage families with children to participate. It is a wonderful experience for all involved. We will have a volunteer sign up before each of the four host weeks. Watch the Church bulletin for details or call Kathy Lamancusa, 440-248-1058 for more information. We hope that you will join us in our mission helping homeless families. |
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| Learn More About IHN |
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| IHN offers many several other programs for parishioners to be involved – Friends of IHN, H.O.P.E, Jump Start, Just Neighbors, Mentoring, Advocacy and Welcome Wagon. These programs assist the families once they have found housing.
To learn more about the Interfaith Hospitality Network visit the following web sites: www.ihncleveland.org and www.familypromise.org
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| Please continue to pray for our guests to find safe, affordable housing and jobs that offer a living wage. |
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