Responding to the Needs of Our Neighbors

A Letter from the CEO

At Interfaith Works, we pride ourselves on responding to the individual needs of our neighbors. These needs are often complex, as is vividly highlighted by a new report on homelessness in our community. Responding effectively to complex needs requires a creative array of tools and resources. We are committed to pursuing the needed resources so we can help our neighbors find a pathway to stability. 

The Point-in-Time (PIT) Count is a census of people living outside and in shelters on a single night in January. The 2024 results were recently published, and this year’s count shows a 28% increase, continuing the trend in 2023 when the number of people experiencing homelessness in Montgomery County increased by 53%. Unfortunately, we are not surprised by these results as we have seen the growing number of our neighbors needing assistance across all our programs.  

We must respond by seeking the resources needed to meet their needs. 

I joined other members of the IW staff to advocate on behalf of these neighbors before the Montgomery County Council, seeking financial support from the County. We were able to successfully educate elected officials on our neighbors’ increasing needs, resulting in “just-in-time” funding for our four emergency shelters.  

In addition, Interfaith Works won a Health Equity Resource Communities (HERC) grant from the State of Maryland. This multi-year grant represents a partnership with Pathways to Housing DC & Kelly Collaborative Medicine and will give us the ability to demonstrate what we have intrinsically known – addressing Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) results in positive outcomes for our neighbors. The grant program seeks to combat health disparities, particularly affecting people of color, by supporting programs that address SDOH such as housing, transportation, employment, and food security. With this major grant, we will not only continue to shelter individuals, but also will be able to provide more holistic care and better address all our clients’ needs. Our partners at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore will evaluate the progress and outcomes of this grant. I would like to thank Delegate Lorig Charkoudian for connecting us with the Maryland Department of Health Community Health Resources Commission team, who informed us of this competitive grant opportunity. 

This month, we began another effort to address challenges in people’s lives that can lead to financial instability and homelessness. Our “Support Our Neighbors in Crisis” campaign is collecting funds to support our Connections program. This program links families and individuals to essential resources like emergency financial and utilities assistance. Thanks to your generosity, we raised $70,500 in one month, far over our targeted goal, which will help 150-175 families stay in their homes and keep their utilities on. 

We are proud to develop creative responses to help our neighbors address complex challenges. We are grateful to our elected officials for prioritizing these needs, helping IW, and partnering agencies respond to emergency needs. It is my fervent hope we can also dedicate more resources to prevention strategies, using tools such as the HERC grant to get at root causes. We have a long way to go, but I hope our continued collaboration will get us closer to our goal – creating a community where all neighbors have access to vital services and a pathway to greater stability.   

Courtney Hall, CEO