Mission Statement
The need exists for our program.
In Manitowoc County we do have homeless families, yet there is no shelter, except for those who are victims of domestic abuse. Existing social service agencies such as: Lakeshore CAP, St. Vincent DePaul and the Salvation Army, do a tremendous job in trying to help those in need, but they are unable to help everyone. Currently, if government regulations or budget constraints prevent agencies from helping some of the homeless, they are given a bus voucher to a shelter in a neighboring community. Last year some of those shelters were full, so we were not able to take care of our own. Children without homes can be forced to leave their neighborhood schools and sometimes are unable to attend school at all due to the constant moving.
Some people in Manitowoc County have asked, “Shouldn’t we be caring for our own right here?”
These concerned individuals have evolved into a volunteer-driven group called the Lakeshore Interfaith Hospitality Network of Manitowoc County, (LIHN.) LIHN is modeled after and affiliated with a national program that has a proven track record of successfully helping homeless families across the nation.
What makes this program unique?
Unlike most emergency shelters, the families in our program do not sleep together in a 24-hour central facility. Instead, LIHN’s overnight “guests” are accommodated in churches which act as hosts to a maximum of 14 guests about five weeks per year. Guest families move from church to church each week for four to twelve weeks. Everything that each family needs for the week is provided by the volunteers from the congregation: food, beds, and fellowship. During the day, the families in our program are transported in our LIHN bus to our Day Center. The Day Center becomes the guests’ daytime home base, for job hunting, getting to and from school or jobs, and help with housing with the assistance of our Social worker/Network Director. The LIHN volunteer staff is also available to provide support, resources and guidance. All of our services are supported by donations. LIHN of Manitowoc County works in collaboration with other agencies county-wide.
LIHN depends on the generosity of individuals, corporations, companies, congregations, and foundations to continue its work. Please help us empower homeless families by giving them hope and encouragement to succeed.