This program is designed to engage the diverse faith community in caring for those in need, with 80% of guests exiting into permanent housing, brings together 30 host and support sites and over 1,000 volunteers for one purpose: to provide a hand up to families and children facing an unexpected crisis: homelessness.
Families with children comprise 58% of the metro Denver homeless population. With the rising costs of basic necessities such as healthcare, childcare and food, many families live paycheck to paycheck, often falling prey to job loss, divorce or medical problems.
The Interfaith Family Shelter offers up to 60 days of shelter and meals with extensive case management for families with children. With encouragement from volunteers and professional case management support and goal setting, families learn to access resources for housing, childcare and other needs. Host and support sites (including almost 30 churches, one synagogue, one university and one non-profit hospital) care for three to five families on a rotating schedule.
Host sites furnish sleeping accommodations and a hospitality room where guests relax, socialize, do homework and sleep overnight. Another group of support sites partner with a specific host site to supply food and volunteers during their host week.
The Growing Home Day Center promotes family success by creating a supportive environment that fosters goal setting and hard work. At the Day Center, families receive mail, access a telephone, fax machine, computers, laundry facilities and showers. A van provides transportation for families to the host site each evening and returns to the Day Center in the morning.
