Huntington Interfaith Homeless Initiative
For many years the Huntington Interfaith Homeless Initiative has provided winter shelter for unhoused men in our region through the generous hospitality of religious organizations who have taken turns housing the men for a week at a time. Volunteers provided meals and welcomed their guests each evening while Family Service League provided transportation to and from the various sites around the town so that the men could sleep in a warm place and eat a warm meal.
Because of the pandemic, many changes had to be made to the program to ensure shelter for the unhoused men in our town.
As Peggy Boyd informed us at our Outreach Open Meeting on October 16, 2022, for two years Gloria Dei Lutheran Church hosted the men nightly for the whole HIHI season. It turned out to be a very challenging year, including the deaths of 10 men from illnesses chronic to the unhoused, prompting Family Service League to try a new model to house the men in a hotel with shared rooms for this winter season. There will be opportunities to volunteer to feed the men and details will be forthcoming as they are available in upcoming editions of the At St. John's Newsletter.
Tags: Outreach
