Capital Interfaith Hospitality

CIHN provides temporary shelter and support services for families with young children in a home-like setting. Capital Interfaith Hospitality Network (CIHN) is non-profit coalition of religious and community organizations serving homeless families in Washington, DC. Since 1996, the members of our network have offered shelter and meals to families in need. For our guest families, CIHN is a way-station of support and companionship on their journey toward self-sufficiency and for our volunteers it is an opportunity to serve and to achieve a better understanding of poverty and homelessness.

Faith through Acts CIHN was established in 1996 by Washington, D.C. faith communities in response to the crisis of homelessness in our city. Our work is strictly nonreligious community service. CIHN uses generous donations of volunteer time and resources from member congregations to safely and sensitively provide emergency shelter for families. In serving homeless families,

Small is Beautiful CIHN believes that “small is beautiful.” Our program makes an intensive investment in up to three families at a time, providing integrated services that help families break generational cycles of poverty. Families stay in a home-like setting donated by member congregation St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Rock Creek. Professional Staff and Volunteer Assistance CIHN’s qualified staff and trained volunteers manage daily overnight shelter operations as well as providing encouragement and support to parents. CIHN works with other social service organizations to provide family support services, including individual case management and group workshops. CIHN’s programs and services are designed to help parents develop as individuals, learn to identify and meet the needs of their children, and successfully transfer to individual housing or to a longer-term transitional housing program. Volunteers from member congregations and the local community help provide the comforts of home—shared meals, a listening ear, an extra hand with the children—humanizing the shelter experience and drawing homeless families into the larger community. These human connections are not only important to shelter residents—they are also cherished by volunteers. Members Capital Interfaith Hospitality Network (CIHN) is a nondenominational coalition of NW Washington, DC, and suburban Maryland congregations and associations providing food and shelter to homeless families from our area. Ours is a cost-efficient, effective community response to family homelessness.