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Just Neighbors: An Interactive Poverty Awareness Program

Family Promise. Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN) Our networks of congregations and volunteers meet homeless families' immediate needs for shelter, meals, and comprehensive support services.

bruce-moreno
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Just Neighbors: An Interactive Poverty Awareness Program

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  1. Family Promise Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN)Our networks of congregations and volunteers meet homeless families' immediate needs for shelter, meals, and comprehensive support services. Family MentoringTo prevent homelessness, we train volunteers to help at-risk families achieve goals and maintain self-sufficiency. Just Neighbors: An Interactive Poverty Awareness Program Our interactive educational program raises awareness of poverty and homelessness as the first step in establishing community-based responses Community InitiativesWe foster local IHN outgrowth programs, such as transitional housing, housing renovation, job training, health care services, childcare and literacy. Voices UnitingVolunteers work together to promote policies that alleviate poverty and improve the well-being of low-income families.

  2. Interfaith Hospitality Network • Serves homeless families with children • Partners with Communities of Faith • Strengths Based Case Management • Family Promise Mentoring Program • Just Neighbors Program

  3. Family Mentoring Program Goal: • The goal of the mentors is to build committed relationships with families and individuals, to help them define and meet goals in order to achieve and maintain self-reliance and independence.

  4. Program Topics: Relationships - Life Skills - Resources • Comprehensive Training Materials • Study of Poverty • Communication Skills • Values Exploration • Diversity Training • Life Skills • Goal Setting/Action Planning/Problem Solving • Financial Planning/Budgeting • Resources

  5. Additional Resources Relationships - Life Skills - Resources • Just Neighbors – An Interactive Poverty Awareness Program • Videos • Poverty Simulations • Large and Small Group Discussion Topics • Role-Playing Activities

  6. Statistics • There are currently 35 IHN affiliates with Mentoring Programs • Agencies reported that they remained connected to 100% of mentored families versus a range of 20% - 65% of those not mentored. • Agencies saw significant increases in families sustaining their housing for more than one year when mentored

  7. Mentoring Statistics

  8. Community Partnerships • Faith Community • IHN or other shelter programs • Fatherhood Initiative Mentoring Program (“Be a Man!”) • Faith Community Service Fund • Building Healthy Marriages • Agency Partnerships • Champions Program • Collaborative program among multiple agencies partnering Case Management and Mentoring • Family Treatment Court Mentoring • Bridges Out of Poverty • Getting Ahead in a Just Getting By World

  9. The Next Step – Ending Poverty • “Bridges Out of Poverty” by Ruby K. Payne • “Getting Ahead in a Just Getting By World” by Phil DeVolwww.ahaprocess.com • Circles Campaignwww.movethemountain.org

  10. Family Mentoring Changes Lives • www.familypromise.org

  11. The Road Home Dane CountyMadison, WI Kristin Rucinski

  12. Second Chance Apartment Project • 2 year transitional housing • Partner with YWCA and local sponsors • Sponsors pay rent for 2 years • Families pay 30% of their income as “rent” • Their “rent” actually is used to repair credit (pay past bills, landlords, etc.) • Mentoring component as well • Obviously, a HUGE commitment, so how do we recruit congregations to participate?

  13. 1. Faith in Action • Speak their language • They preach and talk about feeding the hungry, housing the homeless, etc. • They’ll want to participate because you’re offering them an opportunity to act upon the teachings of their faith

  14. 2. Make it easy and accessible • Tasks should be concrete, manageable and structured • Have reasonable expectations • Offer a variety of ways for the members to be involved • Have the answers to their questions • Don’t ask volunteers/congregations to handle discipline, crisis management, etc. • Don’t ask clergy to take the lead

  15. 3. Find a Champion • Find lay leadership to help navigate the congregation • Or a member who can help open the doors to them • Expect slow timelines • Follow the lead of your champion

  16. 4. Address the fear factor • Let people acknowledge what they fear • Bring examples of success • Clarify safety procedures and other protective mechanisms

  17. 5. Definition of success • Be clear of what “success” means so you can avoid setting them up for disappointment • Their efforts won’t end poverty, end homelessness, etc.

  18. 6. Relationships and Trust • Like all recruitments and partnerships, this is all about building relationships and trust • Don’t beg, thank them, etc.

  19. 7. Why your program? • Be convincing and respectful of the congregations’ right to choose • They have many things on their plate • Explain why they should choose your project over others when resources are limited

  20. Housing and Hope • Permanent housing • Affordable and supported • On-site case management • $4.25 million capital campaign • Buy and rehab buildings • Forever Fund

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