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SEACOAST IHN BUILDS STRONG FAMILIES BY PROVIDING:
♥ Overnight family-oriented shelter at host congregations ♥ Three healthy meals a day ♥ Intensive case management ♥ Access to support services ♥ Employment and housing assistance ♥ Day Center access (Monday–Friday 7:00 A.M.–5:00 P.M.) ♥ Transportation (to and from host facilities) ♥ Community support in a caring and nurturing family-friendly environment. |
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Are you and your children in need of shelter? Know a family that is? |
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Seacoast IHN services are provided only to families (singles or couples) with children under 18 years of age. Individuals with substance abuse problems or untreated mental illness or those fleeing domestic violence situations are not accepted into this program. Seacoast IHN is the local affiliate of Family Promise, a national organization with more than 114 IHNs nationwide (www.nihn.org). |
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Seacoast Interfaith Hospitality Network |
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About Us |
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ANY FAMILY CAN MEET WITH HARDSHIPS CAUSING loss of income, health, and home. When these crises present themselves, a community shares hospitality and transitional assistance with families facing temporary homelessness. The Seacoast Interfaith Hospitality Network (SIHN) provides a structured path toward self-sufficiency, consistent income, and stable housing. Seacoast IHN relies on hundreds of community volunteers from different faiths. Our mission is to meet the food and shelter needs of guest families while preserving their dignity and privacy. Families with children under 18 years old are admitted to the Seacoast IHN program following an interview process. A family counselor designs a custom goal-oriented plan with the family that defines steps to regain self-sufficiency and secure housing. Until that plan is fully executed, usually 8-12 weeks, guest families receive compassion and encouragement from our volunteers.
Local faith-based institutions open their facilities to serve meals, provide private sleeping arrangements, and distribute personal necessities to up to 14 guests at a time. Professional staff operate the Day Center by day where families receive information and advocacy to services including public housing, employment, training, and education. The Center also provides a kitchen, children’s play area, computers, and telephones.
A typical day in the network begins early at the host congregation where families pack lunch, have breakfast and board the agency van or drive themselves to the Day Center, school, work, or training programs. In the evening, guest families return to the host congregation for the evening meal, followed by playing, sharing, and doing homework. Each family then retires to private quarters for the night.
The community rallies to empower and encourage families to become independent and to maintain that independence after leaving the network. |
