WORCESTER, Mass., Nov. 16, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via PRWEB - The Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN) of Greater Worcester today announced the launch of a capital campaign to raise $300,000 for its homeless shelter at 91 June Street, Worcester, MA. The campaign, Building a Stronger Foundation Together, coincides with National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week beginning on November 16th.
The goal of the campaign is to strengthen IHN financially and strategically to meet the community's demand for emergency shelter and services for its most vulnerable members: families with children. Congressman Jim McGovern and Bishop Daniel Reilly are serving as honorary co-chairs of the capital campaign.
Key Campaign elements include:
- a fundraising initiative to raise $300,000 and pay off the June Street shelter mortgage, make critical structural repairs and renovations, and establish a capital expense fund
- an opportunity to increase community awareness about IHN and invite new congregations, schools, community groups and individuals to partner with us and our families as we help them move toward self-sufficiency
- a strategic positioning process that helps IHN plan for the future
Said Joanne Alley, Director, IHN, "Family homelessness is a growing problem in our community, and by paying off the mortgage on the June Street property, we will be able to develop and deliver additional support programs for families and children to help them with the transition to permanent housing."
"IHN is a very important ministry, not only because it serves people who are in such great need with excellent services that are grounded in hospitality – but because it also changes the lives of the volunteers who serve," said Bishop Reilly.
Congressman Jim McGovern stayed overnight at the IHN shelter in 2014. "After spending the evening at the IHN Shelter, I came away with great admiration for the courage that the families have as they worked to overcome many obstacles and are rebuilding their lives" Congressman McGovern said. "Many of our neighbors who have fallen on hard times find they don't have a place to raise their families. The Interfaith Hospitality Network offers them not just a place, but a home."
IHN will host two open houses at the 91 June Street shelter from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. on November 22 and December 6 to answer questions and provide tours of the property. RSVP by calling 508.755.2212.
To learn more and to donate, visit: http://ihnworcester.org/campaign .
To view a video about IHN's work helping homeless families with children, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoNa7kma1Mo .
About the Interfaith Hospitality Network of Greater Worcester
The Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN) is a non-profit organization that works in partnership with religious congregations to provide shelter, support and assistance to families with children who are homeless, regardless of income and family structure. Friendly House is the fiscal agency for the IHN of Greater Worcester. IHN seeks to promote self-sufficiency through the provision of meals and beds, intensive case management, housing advocacy, caring support and encouragement of responsible decisions. IHN further seeks to build public awareness of homelessness and the affordable housing crisis that exists in our communities. Since its inception in 1997, the IHN of Greater Worcester and its volunteer network of interfaith congregations has sheltered 350 families; 70% of those families secured housing and 90% of those that secured housing maintained it for at least two years. For more information, please visit http://www.ihnworcester.org .
This article was originally distributed on PRWeb. For the original version including any supplementary images or video, visit http://www.prweb.com/releases/2015/11/prweb13084015.htm
Interfaith Hospitality Network Shellie Rapson James +1 508-713-1837
