Just Neighbors Interfaith Homeless

Interfaith Hospitality Network of Greater Fort Wayne, Inc. (dba Just Neighbors Interfaith Homeless Network) is a private, not-for-profit organization. We began providing emergency shelter for families in 2000. Our emergency shelter program is innovative, effective, and cost efficient. Our program is unique because: 1) it is the only local program that services entire families in need of immediate temporary housing and keeps them together as an intact family unit; and 2) there is a significant volunteer component with an opportunity for families to volunteer to serve other families who are Homeless. All evening meals throughout the year are donated, prepared, and served by our dedicated group of church and community volunteers. As a result, we offer home-cooked, sit-down, and nutritious evening meals 365 days a year. The interaction that occurs between volunteers and guests provides lasting impressions and life changing lessons for everyone involved. Populations served: we are the only emergency shelter in our community that provides emergency temporary housing for entire family units (parents and their children). Each year we serve approximately 300 individuals with the help of over 900 volunteers from over 25 local churches. Services provided: as previously mentioned, we provide overnight shelter and meals. Our staff also provides case management including a need assessment to determine medical, educational, and employment needs. We assist guests with applying for services from other social service agencies. The average length of stay in our program is 38 days. 37 families received shelter and supportive services in 2022. 70% of families served in 2022 successfully moved to safe transitional or permanent housing(national average is 55%). 100% of sheltered children stayed in school, and 100% of families received a detailed need assessment with a case management plan that moved them along their way to self-sufficiency. Outreach case management program: outreach case managers serve as advocates for families and are present where families are first requesting assistance at off-site partner locations. We find the right service at the right time and counsel the family the entire way during their time of crisis. We believe that this provides dignity to the entire family and is a data-driven response to ending homelessness. In 2022, our off-site outreach case managers provided referral services to over 423 individuals. We believe we should make the first move in identifying those in need instead of waiting for them to come to us. Same city food truck program: with the pandemic, street outreach teams had to switch how they operated and distributed food. As result, same city food truck was launched in june 2021. By giving our street team partners a licensed, mobile kitchen in which to serve, we are providing tools needed to continue their efforts. In addition, a Just Neighbors on-site case manager gathers guest information. This provides resource information to connect individuals to appropriate programs within the community. During 2022, 2,541 free meals were served to the unsheltered. Eviction intervention program: in june 2021, a new program was added to provide support to those facing the possibility of homelessness. We assign a program case manager and housing navigator to work alongside Indiana legal services during hearings to assist in reviewing client files and to actively support families that are facing the possibility of eviction. We also work with local property owners and rent and utility programs to help families in need before evictions are filed. During 2022, 2,579 households were served (approximately 8,250 individuals). This program would not be possible without the collaboration between Just Neighbors, the city of Fort Wayne, and united way of allen county. Program executive summary: while it is important to be able to list achievements such as more than doubling the number of individuals sheltered and decreasing the average in-shelter stay from over 60 days to 38, we believe that our biggest achievement has been our developing story of collaboration and advocacy outside our shelter walls. We now actively strive to provide crisis intervention for families before they need shelter. Our culture of advocacy puts us at the forefront for top community concerns. As an active contributor to the consolidated plan and annual reviews, we address needs in the city with responses informed by the city itself, our partners, our volunteers, our donors, and those we are serving. We work hand in hand with other non-profits and government agencies to develop strategies to efficiently serve clients. We have identified collaborating partners as a key to client success, leading us to spearhead the newest and most innovative community-wide initiatives. Our executive director is the chairperson of our region's planning council on homelessness for the state of Indiana, collaborating with each agency on projects for a better coordination of services. We participate in the coordinated entry system through hud and hear from partners each day to better coordinate response, not Just to the broad issue of poverty, but on individual cases to ensure every response is sound and contextualized. Resources alone will not solve the need faced by the social service sector in combating poverty. Only advocacy and person to person support can do that. Many options exist for help; we believe our value is in our ability to inspire hope, make connections and serve as a support system for families in crisis.