I have always loved autumn. As a kid, it meant going back to school, meeting new friends, reconnecting with old pals, and starting new projects. As a grown up, I have never shaken that sense of excitement that accompanies the cooling temperatures and the changing colors of the leaves. It feels like back to school at IHNGC. The IHNGC kids started back, of course, but it is more than that. IHNGC is bustling with that fall, new school year feel. legged members. They are doing everything from donating pet food, to transporting guest pets to the vet, to providing new sources of funds to operate the project. Georgine Getty is our class President and graduating senior—with honors, of course! Having filled the IHNGC halls with laughter, passion and dedication to see that all families not only have access to basic needs, but to a secondchance to dream and plan and contribute to their communities, has moved on to do the same thing for other families. We will miss her, but are better for her years spent with us. We dedicate a double-page spread in the year book to her and will tout her as one of our most famous alumnus. Throughout this autumn and beyond, we will continue to welcome new families, volunteers, and supporters who will each make their own unique mark on the IHNGC experience, who will continue the IHNGC spirit of being there to Lars Mundin, the new Shelter Services keep families in need together and who Assistant from the Brethren Volunteer Ser- will walk with them as they find housing vice, traveled from Germany to join the and graduate back into the lives they IHNGC team. He is our campus freshman deserve. taking on the challenge of a new job, new country, and all the possibilities that come Go Team IHNGC! with meeting new families every day. The popular, after-school extra-curricular is the PetSmart Promise project. New volunteers, interns and community partners are signing up to assist IHNGC in helping families stay together, even the four- — IHNGC makes a promise to keep homeless families together, and that promise just became complete. October 9th, Vice Mayor David Mann and Representative Denise Driehaus helped us commemorate the grand opening of our PetSmart Promise facility located on the lower level of our Walnut Hills Day Center. With the generous support of PetSmart and in partnership with National Family Promise, we installed a kennel space that can house up to four dogs and four cats at one time. Pet owners in shelter, along with a cadre of pet volunteers, will care for these dear four-legged friends while they are at IHNGC. Other generous partners for this program include Pets In Need, who will provide veterinary care at a reduced cost, Dessie Cook of the Scratching Post, who has provided materials and time to the project, and Woodforest National Bank, who has committed to joining our pet advisory committee. No family should ever have to choose between losing a beloved pet and finding a safe emergency shelter for their children. With the creation of this space, pets can continue to walk sideby-side with the families who love them as they journey out of homelessness. If you would like to become a pet volunteer, foster, or learn more about this program, please contact Randy Nickum at [email protected] or (513) 471-1100 ext 10. I was asked to write a goodbye to you for this newsletter and I don’t know how to even start. As many of you have heard, I am leaving IHN after nearly 6 years to begin a new position as executive director of GLAD House – a local nonprofit that provides mental health counseling for the children of addicted parents. I am excited to begin my new work, but also sad to say farewell to the IHN family that I love – the board, the staff, the volunteers, and most importantly, the guests. As I was cleaning off my computer for the new director, I came across my remarks from our volunteer appreciation event not so long ago. I meant them when I said them, and my admiration for IHN volunteers has only grown since this time. You are the one who gave a 15 year old boy, with all of his terror and all of his rage, the space and the privacy he needed when the kids at school made fun of him for wearing the same clothes two days in a row. You kept him with his family. To this day, he is with his mother, in school, where he belongs. And when he becomes a statistic, when his mother cries out with tears running down her face, “that’s my baby!” it will because he is receiving his diploma. You are the one who gave back a father's dignity by talking about the Bengals for a few minutes instead of the job market. You talked to him, like men do, when they are in the backyard at a cookout. You are the one who warmed bellies with the same chicken casserole recipe that has been a hit for 20 years. You are the one who went to work the next day after an overnight with your eyes sleepy and your heart full and told me, “it's really not so bad, not so bad at all.” And you were the one who went back the next night and the next because everyone else was on vacation. You are the one who gave back a voice and heard “Amazing Grace” like you've never heard it sung before. table for angels, disguised as strangers, and you are the ones who aren't the least surprised when one shows up. You are the one performing a mission, a mitzvah, a ministry, a hasanat, across faith. And lest you think you’re having too much fun, rest assured that you are decent, and in order. You are the ones who keep coming back. And when I ask you why you do what you You are the one who taught your children do, you always seem surprised because the meaning of hospitality. You were the isn’t it obvious? That’s what Catholics do. That’s what Muslims do. That’s what Mensame one who nearly burst with pride nonites do. That’s what Presbyterians, and when those same children made blanLutherans and Jews and Episcopalians and kets, donated Girl Scout cookies, had a UCCers and Baptists and Unitarians and lemonade stand or dedicated their bar mitzvah or bat mitzvah to homeless kids. Methodists do. That’s what children of God We burst with pride right along with you. do. You are the one who had your last nerve stamped on, never saw a child so out of control, locked yourself out of the building in your pajamas, got trapped in an elevator, faced an angry Community Council, forgot that stupid med bag and had to call your volunteers because they might have been exposed to a Center for Disease Control nightmare. And you are the one, I hope, who laugh about that now. I’ve seen over 500 families come and go through the doors of IHN and I’ve watched them grow, begin to smile, and leave – straight into a new future. Today, I am one more leaving through these doors, but, like our guests, I will never forget what you taught me about hospitality. This lesson will live forever in my bones, and in my hands, and in my heart. And for that, I thank you more than words ever could. You are the one who reached across class and race, dogma and history, across despair and poverty. You reached across divides so massive, so frightening, so deep, that most people choose to do nothing rather than face them. You reached across homelessness and you grabbed the hand of a stranger, with a grace that made it seem easy. You are the ones who hold a seat at the Each year, with the help of many generous IHN supporters, we sponsor families who have recently left shelter, who are currently in shelter and who are a part of our Permanent Supportive Housing Program. It's simple - we provide you with names and ages, you purchase gift cards and wrapping paper (moms & dads purchase gifts for their kids). Or, you could do it the traditional way, you provide unwrapped, new gifts and wrapping paper (so that moms and dads can wrap gifts for their kids on their own). Drop everything off at IHN on December 5th or 6th (between 10am and 2pm) and presto! A family has a happy happy holiday! This is a great activity to do as a family or with a group (choir, book club, neighborhood, etc.). Please contact Randy at [email protected] or 513-471-1100 ext 10 to sign up! Please join us in welcoming our newest staff member, Lars Mundin. Lars is spending the next year with us as part of the Brethren Volunteer Service. Lars is 18 years old and from Emmelshausen, which is near Koblenz in the western part of Germany. His parents are Henning and Nicole, and he has a brother Jan and a sister Maren. Lars’ role at IHN is Shelter Services Assistant. This role encompasses both child enrichment and helping welcome and serve our families while they are in shelter. He will be in charge of developing activities for our kids that are both fun and educational. He works with several volunteers and other agencies to provide activities most days after school, and then larger projects for the summer months next year. This is not Lars’ first visit to the U.S. He spent the summer of 2013 staying with family friends on a farm outside Denver. He chose IHN as his yearlong volunteer mission because, having had the good fortune of growing up in a middle-class home, he wanted to give back, and liked the idea of helping underprivileged kids. He chose Cincinnati because he wanted to be in a city with a variety of experiences and things to do. In his free time, Lars likes sports, including swimming, beach volleyball, and soccer. When he finishes his year of service at IHN, he plans to return to Germany to attend university, probably majoring in engineering. Our programs are improved with a little help from our friends. We are so humbled by the support we continuously receive from everyone that contributes to our wish list requests. Right now, we could use your help with: Toiletries: toothpaste/toothbrushes, body wash, shampoo/conditioner, body lotion, deodorant, combs/brushes, hair gel/ mousse, for kids and adults. Old Blankets: to use for dog beds in our pet facility. Baby Supplies: diapers (size 4,5,6), wipes, bottles, nipples, formula, and children’s cold/fever medicine. This December my term as board president will come to a close. It has been a marvelous ride. I hope I have made a positive impact for IHN’s future. I would like to thank all of the great staff at IHN for putting up with my out-loud thinking, bopping into your offices unannounced and for explaining the non-profit social work world lingo to me over again when I did not grasp it the first time. You are an amazing, professional bunch and IHN is so fortunate to have each of you! For the board, I thank you for digging deep and helping support our new initiatives for a stronger board and its development. I have especially enjoyed working so closely with Georgine and learning so much from her both personally and professionally. You certainly wear the white hat!! I am in awe of you and it’s an honor to call you my friend. It truly is making a difference in changing the lives of the families who come through its doors and shortly after into their own. I would be remiss if I did not make a plea for financial support. It has been a part of every board chair’s role! Please, please consider a donation of $100 or more. We just had a successful fundraising breakfast in October with UC President Santa Ono as our guest speaker. We educated new groups of people about our mission and reacquainted longtime supporters to hear what’s new at the Day Center. Join us as we wrap up the year with your contribution! There is no doubt our paths will cross in the future. I look forward to it! “No one is more cherished in this world than someone who lightens the burden of another.” ~Author Unknown IHN will always be a big part of my volunteer All the best, world and I encourage you to make it a part of yours. This agency is THE best in Cincinnati for helping with family homelessness. Linda Berger, President Liz McOsker, Treasurer Beth Gottfried, Secretary David Annett Michael Davis Jerry Eddins, Jr David Knoll David Wade Peck Helen Rhoad Gloria Samuel Jay Shatz Beatrice Stringer Helene Ohren, Chair Larry Annett Ann Blemker Philip Breen, Jr. Lee Bulger Jane Caccamo Lauren Chesley Cohen Carole Donnelly Toni Grate Martha Highsmith Penny Huber Janice Lubin Bob Moore Sue Richmond Chuck Schlegel Ivan Tamarkin Adath Israel Anderson Hills UMC Armstrong Chapel UMC Church of the Redeemer Christ Church Cathedral Christ Church Glendale College Hill Presbyterian Corinthian Baptist First Unitarian First United Church of Christ Forest Chapel UMC Friendship UMC Hyde Park Community UMC Indian Hill Church Isaac M. Wise Temple Knox Presbyterian Milford First UMC Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Pleasant Ridge Presbyterian Sharonville UMC St. Monica-St. George Catholic St. Paul UMC St. Timothy Episcopal St. William Catholic Walnut Hills Baptist Westwood UMC The Interfaith Hospitality Network of Greater Cincinnati provides shelter, meals, and assistance to homeless families. The program mobilizes existing community resources: churches and synagogues for overnight lodging, congregations for volunteers, social service agencies for screening and referrals, and existing facilities for day programs. Each host congregation furnishes overnight lodging for one week every two to three months, on a rotating schedule. IHN of Greater Cincinnati 990 Nassau Street Cincinnati, OH 45206 Phone: 513-471-1100 Fax: 513-471-0100 e-Mail: [email protected] Stacey R. Hall, Interim Exec. Dir
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