Salem Interfaith Hospitality Network

There are many individual reasons for a family’s homelessness, but the root cause is poverty and an inadequate supply of decent affordable housing. Since 1976, federal funding for low-income housing has declined by 51%. As housing prices skyrocket and take a greater and greater share of family income, increasingly large numbers of people simply cannot afford a place to live. Low-income renters are often one paycheck or one calamity away from homelessness. The loss of a job, an increase in rent, sudden illness, the gentrification of a neighborhood, the baseness of family support – any one of these can thrust a family into homelessness.

WHAT?

The Salem Interfaith Hospitality Network (SIHN) is a collaboration of faith communities and social service organizations to alleviate homelessness by providing shelter, meals and assistance for homeless families in Salem and to increase community involvement in direct service and advocacy for the homeless.

Hosting Communities of Faith

Calvary Baptist, First Congregational, First Presbyterian, First United Methodist, Holy Cross Lutheran, Our Savior’s Lutheran, Queen of Peace Catholic, St. Edward’s Catholic, St. Joseph Catholic, St. Paul’s Episcopal, St. Vincent de Paul Catholic, Trinity Covenant, Unitarian Universalist.

Supporting Communities of Faith

Christ the Good Shepherd Lutheran, College Park Christian, Morningside United Methodist, Peace Lutheran, Salem Alliance, Salem Central SDA, Salem Friends Meeting, Salem Mennonite, St. John Lutheran, St. Mark Lutheran, St. Phillip Catholic, St. Timothy’s Episcopal, Temple Beth Sholom, Trinity Methodist, Westminster Presbyterian.

WHERE?

Hosting faith communities provide overnight accommodations for up to 14 individuals (typically 3-5 families) for one week, three or four times a year on a rotating basis. Hosting and Supporting faith communities work together to provide all meals for the guest families during their stay. During the day, guest families are at the SIHN Day Center where a full-time director, employed by SIHN, helps the families to connect with available social services, information about job opportunities and attend Parenting, Life Skills and Rent classes.

WHO?

The SIHN program is provided for families only. Social service agencies refer families to the Network. Single persons and those with active substance abuse or psychiatric problems are not accepted into the SIHN Network. The average stay in the Network for guest families is 6-8 weeks with permanent housing secured for approximately 70% of the families by the end of the stay. In 2004, SIHN served 32 families, consisting of 47 adults and 65 children. 76% of the 2004 SIHN families found permanent housing and 15% found a long-term shelter situation.

HOW?

Dinner Preparers

	Two people are needed each evening to prepare and serve dinner and clean up the dinner dishes and the church kitchen.
	Dinner is a hot meal prepared in the church kitchen. Some SIHN volunteers donate the full meal; others prepare food purchased by SIHN Coordinators. Plan on eating with other volunteers and the guest families.
	Volunteers should arrive at 5:00pm and may leave after dinner and after cleaning up the dinner dishes and the church kitchen.
	The names of all guest families, Guest Guidelines and Emergency Procedures will be posted on the wall just outside the door to the church kitchen.
	A Queen of Peace SIHN Coordinator will call you the day before you volunteer to update you on any special needs of guest families and review with you any questions you have.

Evening Hosts (Greeters)

	Two people are needed each evening to welcome and socialize with guest families; assist parents with their children’s needs; conduct children’s activities; or help with homework. Family movies (no R rated) are reserved for Friday and Saturday nights.
	Volunteers should arrive at 5:00pm, eat with guest families and other Queen of Peace volunteers and stay until the overnight hosts arrive at 8:30pm.
	The names of all guest families, Guest Guidelines and Emergency Procedures will be posted on the wall just outside the door to the church kitchen.
	A Queen of Peace SIHN Coordinator will call you the day before you volunteer to update you on any special needs of guest families and review with you any questions you have.

Overnight Hosts

	Two people (one male, one female) are needed each evening to spend the night at the church with the guest families. Overnight hosts bring their own sleeping bag or blankets and sleep on SIHN cots or the couches in the Youth Center (Old Hall).
	Volunteers should arrive no later than 8:30pm to facilitate lights out (9:00pm/children; 10:00pm/teens; 11:00pm/adults). A SIHN Coordinator will lock the church doors at 9:00pm when they leave for the evening.
	Overnight hosts wake up the guest families at 6:00am (7:00am on weekends) and stay until Breakfast Preparers arrive.
	The names of all guest families, Guest Guidelines and Emergency Procedures will be posted on the wall just outside the door to the church kitchen.
	A Queen of Peace SIHN Coordinator will call you the day before you volunteer to update you on any special needs of guest families and review with you any questions you have.

Breakfast Preparers

	Two people are needed each morning to prepare and serve breakfast, socialize with guest families and clean-up breakfast dishes and the church kitchen.
	Volunteers should arrive a few minutes early and stay until guest families leave on the SIHN van (weekdays 6:00am – 7:30am; weekends 7:00am – 8:30am).
	On weekdays, breakfast is a quick, simple meal of cold cereal, muffins or toast, juice and coffee. Weekend meals include more substantial meals such as bacon, eggs, pancakes or waffles.
	The names of all guest families, Guest Guidelines and Emergency Procedures will be posted on the wall just outside the door to the church kitchen.
	A Queen of Peace SIHN Coordinator will call you the day before you volunteer to update you on any special needs of guest families and review with you any questions you have.

SIHN Coordinators

Facilitate the SIHN ministry for their community of faith, including working with volunteers, guest families, clergy and the SIHN Director.

Queen of Peace SIHN Coordinators

Charlene Eastman: (503) 363-1443

Yvette Tamamoto: (503) 581-5766

Nancy Vollmer: (503) 316-9836

SAMPLE SIHN DAILY SCHEDULE

4:30pm: Queen of Peace SIHN Coordinator arrives to open up the Youth Center (Old Hall) and make sure that all is ready for the volunteers and guest families.

5:00pm: Dinner Preparers arrive and prepare dinner. Guest families arrive on the SIHN van. Evening Hosts welcome families and help with family needs.

6:00pm: Dinner is served. Volunteers and guest families eat and socialize together.

7:00pm: Family time, homework or planned activities. Volunteers assist with the needs of the guest families. Family movies are shown on Friday and Saturday nights.

8:30pm: Evening Hosts (Greeters) leave; Overnight Hosts arrive. SIHN Coordinator leaves.

11:00pm: Lights out. Children to bed at 9:00pm. Teens to bed at 10:00pm.

6:00am: Breakfast Preparers arrive and make breakfast. One hour later on weekends.

6:30am: Breakfast is served. Volunteers and guest families eat and socialize together. One hour later on weekends.

7:15am: SIHN van arrives to take guest families back to the Day Center for the day. One hour later on weekends.

CHURCH		SCHOOL
Queen of Peace Catholic Church PO Box 3016 Salem, Oregon 97302	Location of Parish Offices: 4170 Pullman Avenue, SE	Queen of Peace Catholic School PO Box 3696 Salem, Oregon 97302	Location of Church & School: 4227 Lone Oak Road, SE (Corner of Lone Oak and Friendship)
Phone: 503-364-7202 Church Hall: 503-581-6165 FAX: 503-364-5882	Office Hours: Monday - Friday, 9:00am - 12:00noon & 1:00pm - 4:30pm	Phone: 503-362-3443 FAX: 503-589-9411	Office Hours: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:00pm
Email: holly@qpsalem.org		Email: school@qpsalem.org