Mt. Auburn Presbyterian Church - Interfaith Hospitality Network

What Is IHN?

Interfaith Hospitality Network of Cincinnati teams homeless families with volunteers from 50 area churches, 16 host congregations like Mt. Auburn Presbyterian and 34 support congregations like Clifton United Methodist, to provide needed food and shelter.

Why is IHN Needed?

Families with children are the fastest growing segment of the homeless population in Greater Cincinnati. IHN is one of only 3 shelters (of more than 30 shelters in Cincinnati) that will house two parent families and families with teenage boys. Most of our guests are single parent mothers with children of all ages.

How Long Do the Families Stay at Mt. Auburn Presbyterian Church (MAPC)?

Our guests stay for one week at a time, Sunday evening through Sunday morning of the following week. They arrive at about 5:30 each evening and leave at about 6:30 each morning. We provide dinner and a light breakfast and help them pack bag lunches. MAPC hosts 4 weeks each year. The families stay at a different church each week until they exit the program. We can house up to 4 families in our education wing with a maximum of 16 guests. We typically host around 10- 12 people, although it can change from night to night.

Where Do the Families Go During the Day?

Guests are bused to the IHN Day Center in Lower Price Hill each morning. The children attend their current school or nearby Oyler Elementary School. Adults look for housing and employment with the assistance of professional staff. The Day Center provides kitchen and laundry facilities, showers, free telephone and temporary mailing address.

What Can I Do To Help?

We need volunteers for the following jobs each evening during host week. We like to have two volunteers or a family for each job.

Job	Shift	Responsibilities
Meal Hosts	5:00 to 7:00 P.M.	Prepare and serve dinner for about 15 people.
Dinner Hosts	5:30 to 7:30 P.M.	Share dinner, help clean up, visit with adults, play with kids.
Children's Hosts	7:00 to 9:00 P.M.	Supervise activities with children, help with homework.
Evening Hosts	7:30 to 9:30 P.M.	Help pack bag lunches, visit with parents.
Overnight Hosts	9:00 P.M. to 7:00 A.M.	Help serve breakfast, emergency contact.

Help a worthy cause, meet new people and have fun!

Related Reference: Making room at the inn, an article from the 12/13/1999 Cincinnati Post about the local IHN program in Cincinnati and one of the families being helped by it.

National IHN Web page: http://www.nihn.org/