A Day in the Life of RAIHN is comprised of three
main components:
- The guests
- The volunteers
from the Faith Communities
- The
RAIHN management
and Day Center
Homelessness is a HOUSING crisis. Families are referred to
RAIHN from a number of social service agencies in our area ( Monroe County). A family coming into the RAIHN
program is pre-screened and they sign a pledge to abide by the rules of the program before they are accepted into
the IHN program.
In a typical "Day in the Life" of a guest of the RAIHN program, the family moves weekly from one host faith
community to the next; typically spending four to six weeks in the IHN program while they seek new housing through
the professional counseling the guest families receive from RAIHN and other agencies.
Each day starts with breakfast at the host facility,
provided by the volunteers from each hosting or support organization. The guests are then transported to the
Day Center (established by the RAIHN board) where they can receive their mail, meet the school buses, do their
laundry, bathe/shower, and most importantly, receive counseling on jobs and housing.
At the end of their busy day, the guests return to the
host faith community (a different hosting congregation each week), where they are provided with dinner and support
(if needed) from the host volunteers. The evening hours are relaxation times, as they would be for any family. The
day ends with a private place to lay their heads together as a family, under one roof.
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The RAIHN Day Center at
34 Meigs St.,
Rochester, NY 14607
Office phone: 585-506-9050
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Families do not
"choose" to be displaced. The RAIHN program provides temporary shelter and keeps families
TOGETHER while they seek housing and employment
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Each day, the guests
from the host church go to a Day Center, where they receive counseling, housing assistance,
and can take care of their personal needs such as laundry, mail, showers, school bus
pickup.
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Each evening, the RAIHN
van brings the families to a host congregation. One congregation acts as a host for
one week at a time approximately 4 times per year.
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Once at the host
location, the families are greeted by volunteers from the host and other supporting
congregations. The guests receive dinner, fellowship, networking, and comfort. The guests then
pack-up a lunch for the next day before retiring for the evening.
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Each Day in the Life of
a RAIHN guest ends with quiet time and much-needed sleep for each family. Thanks to the RAIHN
program, they're all sleeping in a safe, private place together
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The families are referred into the RAIHN program by a
variety of social service agencies in the Rochester area. They are pre-screened by the referring agency and then
again by the Director of the RAIHN organization. There are strict policies for accepting
FAMILIES.
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