Wake Interface Hospitality Network (WIHN)
The Wake Interfaith Hospitality Network (WIHN) is a private, non-profit coalition of individuals and religious organizations united to provide short-term shelter, meals, and other assistance to homeless families of Wake County, with the objective of seeing them return to independent living. WIHN responds to the needs of homeless families who have a great desire to combat their predicament and formulate a preventative strategy for future hardships. WIHN clients consist of couples with children, single parents, and single pregnant women who are in danger of impending homelessness, and who are either employed or job ready, and independent from drug and alcohol abuse.
Since opening its doors in July of 1995, WIHN has helped 610 families. Almost 90% of these families have successfully made the transition to independent living. Approximately 50 congregations and more than 2200 volunteers, acting in either a hosting or other supporting capacity, commit their time and energy to WIHN.
WIHN congregations, such as Good Shepherd, provide the families with overnight shelter, meals, and fellowship. A network-owned Day Center provides the families with daytime shelter, laundry, and bathing facilities, as well as a base for phone and mail contacts that can be used for job and housing searches. The professional day center staff provides counseling and assistance to the families in obtaining help from local agencies, searching for affordable housing, day care, transportation, and jobs, as well as providing them with money management, healthy living, and proper nutrition skills.
In addition to providing assistance and support to the homeless families of Wake County, WIHN acts as an avenue to promote awareness of homelessness in the community in which we live and action to overcome it. In Wake County there are over 2100 people homeless on any given night and approximately 800 are members of families. The average age of a homeless person in Wake County has dropped from 34 to 9 years old. In the state of North Carolina the average age is 6! 13,000 Wake County households are currently at risk of becoming homeless.
Through the Wake County Interfaith Hospitality Network and the volunteers who support it, homeless families are able to find the support, assistance, and encouragement that they need to move to independent living and self-sufficiency. WIHN volunteers play a vital and active role in changing the lives of the people who share their community.
Good Shepherd will be hosting the WIHN families again on December 4-11, 2005. This is a great outreach activity for the whole family and only requires a two hour commitment. Training is provided. If you would like to be a part of this vital ministry, please call Art Pfefferle at 919-676-7849. Make a difference in someone’s life be a part of WIHN! You’ll be glad you did!