Welcome Home
A day in the life…the kids learn to play different instruments with Jenny Gaul , Executive Director of Joy of Music.
In the Hour of Need Family Shelter (IHN), works in partnership with the faith community, groups and individual volunteers to provide shelter and assistance to families with children who are experiencing homelessness. The program’s primary goals are to assist families in increasing their income and to help them secure permanent housing, while providing the critical support services necessary for them to succeed.
Please scroll down to take a virtual tour of the house.
Welcome to IHN, please come in!
What We Do
We house up to six families with children at a time in a large home on the west side of Worcester. We provide each family with a private bedroom, personal necessities, case management, and employment support services. A network of religious congregations from many faith traditions, as well as groups and individual volunteers, support us in our work. Program staff manage the house and provide professional case management services, while congregations and volunteers donate both funding and coverage hours. Our congregations and volunteers cover evening and overnight shifts at the house. Through this unique mix of staff and volunteer contributions, we ensure that our families receive effective and professional care and case management, as well as love and support from the community.
Housing Assistance
Our guests are housed in private bedrooms in our warm home in Worcester. IHN works with each family from the moment they arrive to help them find stable housing.
JOB
TRAINING
Most of our adult guests are employed full or part-time. We do everything we can to promote and support job training and education that will secure a brighter future for their families.
FOOD
Assistance
Although volunteers may provide gift cards or cook a meal at the house, most often, families buy and prepare their own meals for themselves and their children.
CASE
MANAGEMENT
The IHN Case Manager focuses families on education, health care, increasing income, financial literacy and community connections.
IHN supports up to 6 families, or up to 26 people, in the house at any given time.
Over the past 23 years, IHN is proud to have sheltered 420 families, with 75% securing housing, and 90% of those maintaining it for at least 2 years.
Contact Us
If you are looking for shelter, please contact our Program Director, Sheri Linn, directly via the phone number or e-mail address below. If you are interested in volunteering, learning more about how your congregation can become a part of our network, supporting IHN through your foundation or organization, please fill out the contact form below and we will get back to you as quickly as possible.