Our Guests
IHN of Greater Rochester has served more than 179 families since it opened in March 2001. Families stay with IHN for a month on average. More than half of these families found permanent housing and employment and remain in the Rochester area. About 40 percent of families are from Olmsted County, 17 percent from the rest of Minnesota and the remainder (about 45 percent) from outside of Minnesota.Guests must be referred to IHN from a social service agency.
Daily Routine
Families arrive at the churches at 5:00 pm every day. They are served a meal, enjoy some social time then go to sleep on air mattresses. They wake up early in the morning, have breakfast and at 8:00 am, the IHN van takes families to the IHN Day Center.The IHN Day Center is the base of operation for families while they search for jobs and permanent housing. At 5:00 pm, families return to their host church.
Every Sunday, families move to a new host church.
Stories
One Mom said, "I have never had this many people care and love me – in my whole life." This speaks volumes for our volunteers and the mission they serve.We had a dad and mom with teenage boys. The father said, upon leaving our network, “You treated my family with dignity and never looked down on us because we were homeless.”
We had a family with three children, the oldest girl was 12. Someone at school was picking on her because they found out she was homeless. She told them, “I may be homeless – but I’m not helpless!” This family got a house pretty close to the Day Center – and she is now our “paper delivery girl”.