Interfaith Housing Invites Community into Mission
Founded in 1989 by citizens concerned for their neighbors, Interfaith Housing & Community Services “seeks to alleviate poverty and build community through housing assistance, financial education and individual empowerment.” This legacy continues today, as Interfaith engages in programs and efforts to help people “achieve financial self-sufficiency, access to housing that is affordable to their level of income, accessible to their level of need, and where they can live in safety with dignity.”
Through funding made possible by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), Interfaith has been able to expand its reach, not only helping more community members, but also bringing more community members in to help their neighbors.
“Annually, we have operated in overseeing up to 10,000 hours of skilled volunteer labor. We offer opportunities for local groups, businesses, churches, and youth groups to come out to our project houses and have a chance to get their hands dirty and really be part of the overall improvement to the community,” said Clint Nelson, President and CEO, Interfaith Ministries.
One recent project that involved volunteer work was the demolition of an unsafe house on east Third Street in Hutchinson.
“This specific demolition project was the third that we've partnered with One Gas and Prairie Land Works. These valuable partners prefer to do demolition projects--they're big equipment operators. When we have one of these blighted structures that needs to be removed, we're able to call on these gentlemen. They made very short work of that project, and we thank them for their partnership. They’ve voiced that they want to have community impact and be active in our programs, and it’s just an opportunity for them to come out on a Saturday and give back to the community.”
Whether it’s home repairs, painting, or even demolition, volunteers play a crucial role in making the mission of Interfaith Housing happen. And with ARPA dollars fueling more projects, more partnerships are happening as well.
“I can see a byproduct of this ARPA funding. I feel after 20 years in this community and this industry, the right conversations are happening. The shared energy, the shared vision, through the city, the county, a number of agencies and nonprofits--everyone is getting together to visualize not only what are the benefits of the ARPA funding, but how do we continue this, even after ARPA.”