For 25 years The Interfaith Shelter Network has coordinated shelter for single adults and families in San Diego County. I have coordinated the effort at my church for 24 of those years. We typically house 12 guests for 14 nights at each church in the rotation. Last year, through the cooperative efforts of 100 congregations, 245 guests were sheltered for more than 8,900 nights. This required the participation of 3,500 volunteers. The guests receive guidance from case management agencies and attend budget and career planning workshops offered at the shelters. Fifty-seven percent of the guests found more permanent housing after being in the network. Twenty-eight percent of the adults were employed when they left and fifty-eight percent exited with either a job or income to which they were entitled.

The Interfaith Shelter Network has been in existence for 24 years, providing shelter and food to hundreds of homeless families and single adults. The network involves churches all over San Diego County that take in a dozen people for two weeks, housing them in the church and providing three meals a day. I have been coordinating this effort at my church for 23 years and our whole church reaps the blessing from helping the homeless.