Interfaith Hospitality Network of Ocean County is a non-profit, interfaith ministry committed to providing shelter, meals and assistance to homeless families. Area churches and synagogues provide overnight accommodations on their premises, as well as a place for dinner and breakfast. Volunteers from host and support congregations provide a family-style evening meal as well as breakfast.
IHN’s trained volunteers can assist families with: preparing food; hosting guest families at the agency’s host sites in the evenings or overnight; helping children with homework; teaching life skills like parenting, home management, budgeting and nutrition; becoming a volunteer coordinator; helping with clerical and administrative jobs at the IHN office; becoming a mentor to families; joining the board of trustees.
A volunteer coordinator’s duties include: maintaining a list of volunteers and assigning schedules; recruiting volunteers; communicating with the congregation about host weeks and other requests for help from volunteers, and attending regular IHN coordinator meetings; communicating regularly with support congregations.
For more information, contact Kristen Dougherty at 908-783-5087 or kferrante720@msn.com.
Faith in Action • Is your parish, school or charitable agency in need of volunteers? Put out a call through The Monitor’s Faith In Action posting. Send all requests to Monitor-News@dioceseoftrenton.org. Type FAITH IN ACTION into the subject line.