A Delicate Time - Letter from the CEO

Dear Friend:

We are hearing it from many corners of Interfaith Works programs: pressures are mounting. The neighbors we serve are feeling more vulnerable as the challenges they face become less manageable.

Why? Many pandemic programs have sunsetted. This includes emergency Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) payments that provided families with more assistance each month to buy food during the pandemic. While the pandemic may have subsided, inflated costs of food and other staples are very present and are increasing the burdens on already-struggling families. Similarly, moratoriums on eviction have expired while rents continue to escalate.

Our IW Connections program provides financial assistance to help those who are behind on their rent. We are seeing a big spike in requests for emergency rental assistance to keep families in their homes. In fact, demand has almost doubled relative to the beginning of the year, a troubling trend.

We are using a variety of strategies to address this growing problem. One of those is to focus public attention on the need (get more information about our upcoming March 30 Community Conversation on the “hunger cliff” here). We also are working to increase the amount of emergency financial aid available through our Connections program, which can have an immediate impact on the lives of our neighbors.

In April, we will launch a campaign for financial donations to help the growing number of neighbors who need emergency rental assistance. In addition, we continue to engage with policymakers and elected officials to respond to this precarious situation. Our neighbors need emergency assistance. But they also need long-term solutions to fix these systemic problems.

We believe the ability to remain stably and safely housed -- without these threats -- is a basic human right. We hope you do too.

Thank you for all you do to support our neighbors when they need it most.

With gratitude –

Courtney Hall

CEO