Executive Director’s Letter

One year ago, we all thought that this year would be different. We were right–it was more challenging than last year in many ways. There was prolonged uncertainty about our health and the economy. People–particularly our neighbors who are people of color and women–experienced extra difficulties. Schools continued to adjust their practices to accommodate the pandemic. It was not life back to normal as we had hoped one year ago.

But despite all of this, our volunteers, donors, partners, board of directors, and staff all continued to address the injustice of homelessness in our community. We remained optimistic that people could succeed if we all work together–regardless of the unexpected challenges that occur. We adapted, and we thrived.

More importantly, we created opportunities for families experiencing homelessness in Montgomery County–and those whose future housing status was uncertain–to thrive and succeed. We continued to operate our emergency shelter, transitional housing at Hope Gardens, graduate housing at Hope Forest, and food cupboard (although they looked a little different). With help from our intern from Gwynedd Mercy University, we offered a learning lab and summer camp to support the children in our programs as they navigated this pandemic year. We also started a new rental assistance program that helped 44 families remain in their homes.

All of this was possible because of your commitment to our community and to Inter-Faith Housing Alliance. As we look forward to the next year–and the changes in will bring, both here at Inter-Faith and in the world–we are incredibly humbled by the ongoing, tremendous generosity of our community. I invite you to stay connected and continue to be involved. Together, we can offer the community support that families with children in Montgomery County need as they create meaningful changes in their lives.