FAQS on our Programs:
Q. Do you only take families?
A. Our focus is on families; however if there is room enough for one more person but not one more family (2 or more) then we will accept single women.
Q. Where do your families come from?
A. They are referred from the community, our congregations, other agencies, and current or past families. They are all Morris County residents or people moving from another county to Morris County because of family or friends, a job, etc.
Q. How do you pre-qualify families for the program?
A. We complete an initial contact with them on the phone and discuss the shelter program, guidelines, and make sure the program is appropriate for them. We ask questions about mental health status, substance use status, legal concerns and make a determination if they are appropriate for the shelter and communal living. Then we put them on the waiting list and at the same time, have them come in for much more detailed assessment, including a role play about living in the shelter. If both Interfaith Council and the family decide the program is a match, they come in for an intake on the day they move in with us.
Q. What is the average length of a family stay?
A. 3 months is typical but we’ve had families stay as little as 1 week and as long as a year+. The length of time they stay is dependent upon how much support they need (e.g. education, work skills, language skills, etc) to move them into self –sufficiency.
Q. Do you normally have a waiting list?
A. Yes, we normally have a few families on our list as well as a few single women.
Q. How long does a family have before they must leave your Emergency Shelter Program?
A. Unlike other shelter programs, our families may stay with us as long as they continue to work toward independence. Our motto is quality not quantity and we want to ensure that each family that stays with us succeeds.
Q. What was your success rate for 2009?
A. This program had a 93.5% success rate in 2009 meaning that 13 families and 1 single woman moved out of shelter into permanent housing during the year and were still there at year end.
Q. What does PSH stand for?
A. PSH is our Permanent Supportive Housing Program that began in 2003 and provides a minimum of 2 years of comprehensive case management support to families who have moved out of our Emergency Shelter Program into stable housing and have elected to enroll in the program. We are currently working with 12 families and several single women in this program for a total of about 35 people.
| FAQS on other stuff:
Q. How much of Interfaith Council’s budget is spent on fundraising?
A. Very little! We write our own letters and newsletters; we do not buy mailing lists, and we have a new contact management system that allows us to focus on targeted mailings. We do not pay a development staff person. Our web site was created and is maintained by volunteers.
Q. Will you take gift cards as donations?
A. Absolutely, they are a perfect donation and we use them for a variety of great purposes; from giving one to a mother so she can buy a Halloween costume for her child to buying ink for our printers. If the operation of Interfaith Council ceases to exist because donations dry up, our families SUFFER!
Q. Why aren’t you on Charity Navigator?
A. Because they only rate not-for-profits with public support of more than $500,000. We do not fit into that category.
Q. Why should I give to you and not other charities?
A. There are many excellent charities in our community so choosing is difficult. Interfaith Council performs an extremely important community need on a very small budget. You can be sure that your donation is impacting the families. We also have a great success rate! Call us or visit us to learn more.
Q. Can I volunteer and if so, how?
A. Yes! Contact us to discuss how!
Q. Where can I find Volunteer Opportunities for this organization?
A. Just click on the following link to view updated opportunities: http://www.volunteermatch.org/
Q. How do I contact you if I have items to drop off?
A. Please call (973-998-0820) us or email
us (info@ICHFMC.org) if you have items to drop off.
Q. Which items are most needed by your clients?
A. Our most welcome items are:
Gas Station Cards (any gas station)
Wal-Mart Cards
Food Store Cards (anywhere in Morris County)
|