Our Mission

To support our neighbors in need by providing vital services and a pathway to greater stability. 

Interfaith Works (IW) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides emergency shelter, supportive housing, essential needs, and employment programs to over 35,000 residents of Montgomery County, MD, every year. IW was founded in 1972 by local faith communities who saw Montgomery County residents in need and felt collaborative action was the best way to help them. Initially launched as “Community Ministry of Montgomery County”, Interfaith Works began as a coordinating body to help the congregation members provide temporary shelter that circulated to various locations around the county, including basements and meeting halls, supported by faithful volunteers who donated meals. Over time, with the support of Montgomery County, we opened the first dedicated women’s emergency shelter. 

Interfaith Works is not a religious organization, but we remain grounded in the ethos that launched our organization - a collective commitment to ensuring that all our neighbors have an opportunity to find stability and thrive. Our clients are Montgomery County residents. Many of them are or live at risk of experiencing homelessness and earn less than 200% of the Federal Poverty Line. Since our inception, our programs have grown and adapted to meet the needs of our neighbors as we walk alongside them on their individual path to stability. Our evolution as an organization has reflected and continues to reflect the needs of our community members. Over the past half-century, we have gained insight into how we can best carry out our mission and we have redefined our approach to pursuing this mission. 

FAQs

  • No – Interfaith Works was founded by faith communities with a common goal, but IW is a non-sectarian organization and there is no religious component to any of IW’s services.

  • Despite affluence in some parts of our community, more than 76,100 residents live on incomes that are below the Federal Poverty Line. “It costs about $135,500 for a family with two working parents and two children to afford the necessities without subsidies.” - (Source: Glasmeier, Amy K. Living Wage Calculator. 2024. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Rounded.) 

    There are also significant racial disparities among people living in poverty in Montgomery County. In our county, Black men and women account for 60% of individual adults experiencing homelessness even though only 19% of the population in Montgomery County is Black.” - American Community Survey (2016-2020) In addition “9.7% of Hispanic or Latino Montgomery County residents live in poverty.” - Montgomery County Community Action Board (2020) 

  • In FY 24 we provided assistance to 35,000 neighbors throughout our various programming. 

    Our clients and residents are served by 200 trained, professional full- and part-time staff members and 7,000 volunteers annually. 

  • Interfaith Works is funded by a variety of sources, like federal, state, and local grants, private donations, and other sources. For an in-depth look at our funding sources click here. 

  • IW provides short-term, emergency shelter; longer-term, community-based supportive housing programs; free clothing, free household goods, and free food distribution; referrals for families and individuals to vital services like legal assistance, healthcare, and English classes and financial help with rent and utilities; and vocational services to help people find and maintain sustainable employment. 

  • There are many ways to get involved in our work. Click the options to learn more.