INTERFAITH HOSPITALITY NETWORK OF OCEAN COUNTY
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BOARD OF TRUSTEES Mary
Cranwell Anne
Macaluso, RN Patricia
Downing Rita Kearney Eugene Mulvaney, ESQ James Rogers C. John Thompson-Quartey Connie Pascale, ESQ. Susan Andrews Marian Muoio
Send Donations to:
IHNOC, Inc. Toms River, N.J. 08753
For more information: Please contact our office at 732-736-1550 or email officeihn@aol.com.
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NJ Craig's
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OC Dept of Human Services
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Who does IHNOC serve? The people that we serve here at IHN of Ocean County are people just like you or I who may have fallen on hard times. Many people believe that only alcoholics or people with severe mental illness can become homeless. These stereotypes have never accurately portrayed people without homes, and they surely do not describe the homeless population today. Most of our guests at IHN of Ocean County are ordinary, hard-working people with jobs. The sad truth is that families with children are the fastest growing segment of the homeless population. Most homeless families are headed by a single parent, usually a mother with two or three children. These parents must struggle to meet their children’s needs and maintain their sense of security in spite of the tremendous stress and disruption caused by homelessness. How long has IHNOC been in operation? The National Interfaith Hospitality Network was formed in 1988 in response to the growing number of people without homes. The Ocean County Network began meeting in the summer of 1995.The Board was formed in the Fall of 1996 and we hosted our first guest in May of 1997. How many congregations are involved? The IHN of Ocean County Network currently consists of 12 host / support congregations. IHN Of Ocean County would like to continue to add support congregations. We eagerly seek support from other congregations in the form of volunteers, funds, committee members, and / or special projects. What families qualify for the IHNOC Network? IHN of Ocean County
recognizes the extreme need for housing in Ocean County and we would
like to serve as many people as possible. However our facilities are
limited to 14 people and were designed for families with children.
We do however; give a broad definition of the word family – a
minimum of 1 parent or guardian with a child under the age of 18.
Who refers the families to the IHNOC network? Interfaith Hospitality is now well known throughout the Ocean County community. Referrals come from many different sources: social service agencies; other faith based agencies; private individuals; schools; police; etc. How do I refer someone to IHNOC? We request that before an
agency refers a family to IHN Of Ocean County they call the network
to see if there is space available. We do not operate with a waiting
list because of the uncertainty of our guests finding affordable
housing. IHN staff must speak directly with the head of the family.
An interview is then scheduled. The interview process can take
approximately 3 hours to complete. Our Network is not equipped to
accept “walk-ins.” SUPPORT What is a "HOST " Congregation? Host Congregations are the backbone of the Interfaith Hospitality Network. Host congregations provide dinner in the evening, sleeping accommodations for the night, and breakfast and a bag lunch in the morning. Our host congregations also provide volunteers from their congregation for the evening, night, and morning sessions. Most important, they offer their guests friendly support, help with day-to-day needs, and a listening ear if needed. How does my congregation become a host congregation? The first step towards becoming a host congregation is to contact our network director. The director will then tell you the steps you must take to become a part of our network. We here at IHN will be happy to send a representative to any place or event to give information about our service, and to speak on the issues of homelessness and poverty that we face here in Ocean County. Just call or e-mail the Network Director who will then make the necessary arrangements to come to your congregation or organization. Just click on the words “contact us”. What is a "SUPPORT" Congregation? Support congregations “back-up” the Host congregations. They provide a wide range of services to the network, and directly aid the host congregation by providing additional food, supplies, and volunteers. For a more thorough explanation of support services click on the words "support levels" How long are the families allowed to stay in the IHNOC Network? Network guidelines are for approximately 90 days. With 12 host congregations this amounts to about 1 complete rotation for each guest stay. However, the needs of families vary and the time needed to prepare for and get permanent housing is different for each family. Families stay an average of 76 days. The shortest stay was 3 days and the longest 8 months. The decision to extend the stay of any guest depends on their obtaining a signed lease or written agreement for housing. All extensions are at the discretion of the network director. How does homelessness affect children? Children who are homeless
must overcome significant barriers in addition to all the other
struggles that children must endure. They suffer not only disruption
in their education, but also serious physical, psychological,
emotional and developmental problems that can persist long after
their families find permanent housing. Children without homes
consistently exhibit more health problems, have higher risk for
infectious diseases, and are at greater risk for asthma and lead
poisoning. This situation is made worse because they generally lack
access to consistent health care. Homeless children suffer stresses
and trauma that can lead to severe emotional distress. Studies show
that the frequent episodes of unacceptable behavior displayed by
children without homes are directly related to their homeless
condition. Again, in most cases these children do not have access to
professional assistance for these problems. Isn't it difficult for the families to move week to week? Entering the network is usually a settling experience for families rather than an unsettling one for many reasons. Families who have been separated and staying in various locations are reunited. Once in the network, people are eating and sleeping regularly at about the same time each day. What causes Homelessness? Folks ask us frequently, what causes homelessness? Just what are the circumstances that that cause people to wind up on the street? Is it physical or mental illness, unemployment, family crisis or death, substance abuse, or even politically caused? The truth is any one or any combination of these factors can cause someone to lose their home. However, the answer that we would give is that in the large majority of cases, housing is just too expensive. Taking all things into account then, one could say that the main reasons for homelessness are an increase in poverty and the lack of affordable housing. Can I get an IHNOC spokesperson to come to my congregation or service organization? We here at IHN Of Ocean County will be happy to send a representative to any place or event to give information about our service, and to speak on the issues of homelessness and poverty that we face here in Ocean County. Just call or e-mail the Network Director who will then make the necessary arrangements to come to your congregation or organization. Just click on the “contact us” . How can I help? You can find out if your
congregation is involved with us as either a support or a host
congregation. If not you can either work with a congregation near
you that is already involved with IHN Of Ocean County, or introduce
us to your mission, outreach, or social justice committee so that we
can create a working relationship with your congregation. You can
make an individual contribution of funds to the network, or a
donation of goods or services to our Day Center in Toms River. You can
also write to your state legislator, governor, or congressman
encouraging them to take action on this extremely important issue.
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