News - Interfaith Housing & Community Services, Inc.

More Blessings into a NEW Decade

Thu, 30 Dec 2021 19:19:00 GMT

As during the previous two decades, Interfaith Housing Services went through many changes from 2011 through 2020. One of those changes was an extensive transition in leadership development, incorporating a new business model for management and growth. We were introduced to the principles taught by Leadership Reno County, the Kansas Leadership Center, and NeighborWorks America Achieving Excellence Program. As we applied and practiced these principles, our vocabulary and way of thinking began to change. We transitioned to responding to issues adaptively, looking at an issue from all angles and embracing the challenge to include unusual voices and different perspectives. This has had a reformative impact on hiring staff, selecting board members and forming our committees, all of which are such a big part of the growth here at Interfaith.

Another piece of this transition was the creation of the Leadership Team, which was made up of all program and department directors. With this in place, responsibility for the success of the organization no longer rested solely on one person’s shoulders. It was a collaborative effort that saw several years of growth and expansion for Interfaith and for individual team members.

By the mid to late 2010’s, the face of Interfaith was changing. John Scott, CEO of Interfaith, retired. While everyone wished him well, the impact was felt. His knowledge and devotion to Interfaith were irreplaceable. We were so blessed that our Board of Directors at the time devoted themselves to guide the organization through the difficult transition. As these changes were taking place, several valued employees moved on to other pursuits, while the roles and responsibilities changed for many of those who remained. However, with the continued support of our Board and faithful donors, together with much prayer, Interfaith continued moving forward.

In 2018, in light of the expansion of services provided by Interfaith, and in order to more accurately convey the full scope of everything Interfaith offers, Interfaith changed its name…just slightly…to Interfaith Housing and Community Services, Inc., modified the logo…just slightly… and revised the Mission and Vision Statements to:

Interfaith Housing and Community Services seeks to alleviate poverty and build community through housing assistance, financial education and individual empowerment. We envision communities where people have achieved financial self-sufficiency and housing that is affordable in their level of income, accessible to their level of need and where they can live safely with dignity.

While the name and look were different, nothing about Interfaith’s core beliefs changed. We remained mindful of our mission and were steadfast in our desire to be good stewards of what we were given. As we continued to grow and adapt to the changing circumstances, above all else, we remained Christ centered. Our founders strongly believed that Christ calls us to be servants to our neighbors, and it was imperative that foundational piece remain the cornerstone of everything we do.

Our programs and services continued to grow, and in 2019, Interfaith was blessed by being selected for participation in the Capital Builders Program sponsored by the Hutchinson Community Foundation and facilitated by Generous Change of Lawrence. The tools we acquired during those eight months of training reaffirmed the vital connection we treasure with our faithful supporters. You are the Housing Heroes who are responsible for the home repairs made each year and the rental properties built and rehabilitated across our community. You are the reason families who never thought they could buy a home are now homeowners, students are college graduates, and people who dreamed of owning their own business realized that dream. You made that difference in Hutchinson, Reno County, and across our state. Your support has been tremendous. Thank you for caring!

During the final two years of Interfaith’s third decade, it has been my honor and privilege to serve as Interfaith’s CEO. Working for an exceptional Board of Directors and with an outstanding team has made this a tremendous experience. Together we overcame the transition, worked primarily from our homes through a pandemic, and are now nearly through the first year of Interfaith’s fourth decade.

Though there have been challenges, we have experienced far more blessings, those totally unexpected moments when you cannot help but look up, smile and know that God is at work. I cannot list all the times we have seen God’s hand in our projects and programs, from an unexpected call that resulted in the development of four new units of debt free senior housing to our most recent blessing, the LightHouse project.

After hearing there are homeless high school students in our community, I was shaken. I had no idea there were young people living homeless on their own and yet still attending school every day. When I took what I had learned to our Leadership Team, they agreed Interfaith needed to consider how we could meet this newly discovered housing need.

The LightHouse, property we are currently renovating into eight individual apartments, will provide transitional housing for youth, ages 18 to 21, who are homeless or in need of a safe place to live. This renovation project, a huge undertaking for Interfaith, has been made easier because God is in the midst of it. Literally hundreds of volunteers have spent thousands of hours demolishing the interior of 1005 North Washington. A new non-profit, Safe Harbor, is organizing to provide case management and support services for the youth living in those apartments. And it doesn’t stop there. Windows we did not ask for and never could have afforded were suddenly donated. Electrical work that would have been extremely costly is being donated.

I have no doubt that God will continue blessing this project and many future projects, as I continue looking up, smiling and thanking Him. The greatest blessing He has given me, though, has not come from a single project or program, it has been the opportunity to work with such an outstanding organization and such amazing people

How the Mission Grew EST. 1991

Thu, 30 Dec 2021 19:15:00 GMT

“IHS (Interfaith) supporters come from all walks of life and often come as an answer to our prayers” - quote from Interfaith’s 2011 Annual Report, as Interfaith celebrated its 20th year of operation. This is just as true today as it was ten years ago and the ten years before that.

The decade between 2001 and 2011 brought many new and exciting partnerships for Interfaith, some of which are stronger today than ever. These new partnerships and programs expanded the area in which Interfaith could serve, as well as provided ground breaking opportunities for families and communities across the state. Here is a brief summary outlining several of the high impact initiatives Interfaith helped to make a reality during our second decade of operation.

In 2006, with grant funding provided by the Kansas Housing Resources Corporation, Interfaith was able to provide both emergency repairs and accessibility modifications to owner occupied houses in not only Reno, but also Kingman, McPherson, Pratt, Rice and Stafford Counties. Before funding ended for these programs in 2009, Interfaith was able to complete up to 55 projects per year, spending on average between $10,000 and $15,000 on each home.

Hutchinson was not the only community in Reno County that needed affordable housing to rent and to purchase. In 2004, through a partnership with the Hutchinson Correctional Facility and funding available to Community Housing Development Organizations (CHDOs), Interfaith was able to provide homebuyer opportunities and quality rental units in Nickerson, Pretty Prairie and Arlington, Kansas. Several of the homes were constructed by inmates at the correctional facility and moved to various locations, others were built by Interfaith staff and volunteers onsite. By the close of 2010, Interfaith owned and managed a total of seventy-one rental units.

In 2008, another new partnership was formed with the State of Kansas through the Department of Commerce to provide a savings match program funded through state tax credit donations. The program was designed to help low to moderate income individuals save toward the purchase of one of four assets - post-secondary education, small business capitalization, first time home purchase, and home repair, all while receiving financial education/coaching and credit counseling. Through the program, participants’ savings would be matched 2:1 to go toward their purchase.

The program was initially marketed in Reno County exclusively. The first class was held in June of 2008, and only six people attended. Of those six, five completed the program; three of them did home repair, one purchased a home, and one started a small business. Word about this program spread quickly, and enrollment expanded to Kingman, Harper and Ford Counties. By 2009, impressed with the success of the program, the Department of Commerce approached Interfaith about expanding the program to all 105 counties, and the Kansas IDA Program was born! In the first 24 months, the program had increased its participants by 800% and continues to flourish today.

Along with the IDA Program, the existing Home Repair and Rehabilitation Program and the Affordable Rental Program, Interfaith (in partnership with Kansas Housing Resources Corporation), also began offering the Kansas Weatherization Program throughout southwestern Kansas. As nearby counties learned of the work Interfaith was doing, they began reaching out asking for help in their communities. Interfaith opened an office in Dodge City in 2009 to administer the Kansas Weatherization Assistance Program in southwest Kansas. We were immediately approached by the Dodge City officials to help with their severe housing shortage. This was the beginning of what would eventually become Santa Fe I, an eighteen unit project in southeast Dodge City.

In addition to the Dodge City expansion, in 2008, Interfaith opened an office in Anthony, Kansas. The first project was the construction of Sunrise Ridge, a twelve unit senior housing complex consisting of six duplexes. This was completed in 2009.

During that same time period, at the request of the Anthony Housing Authority, Interfaith assumed ownership of West Acres Apartments. This twenty unit complex was in various stages of disrepair. Immediately after taking ownership, Interfaith spent over $1.5 million on renovations, repairs and upgrades. Rental subsidies were available on thirteen units, creating affordable housing for low income families or individuals living in Harper County.

This decade was another building block in the foundation of Interfaith’s mission. There were partnerships that only lasted a few years, and some that have weathered the test of time. However, each program, each endeavor, and each venture are all important pieces of who Interfaith is today.

Mission Founded on Faith John Scott

Thu, 06 May 2021 18:27:00 GMT

Any structure, regardless how grand and beautiful, is nothing without a solid foundation. The Empire State Building, Notre Dame Cathedral, White House, Westminster Abby, and the Pantheon have all survived the ages because they were built on a solid foundation. The exposed part of the buildings goes through maintenance, upgrades, changes, renovations, but the foundation stands firm. IHS is a universal symbol for the name of Christ. Go into any Christian establishment in the world and you will most likely notice this IHS symbol. The founders of Interfaith Housing Services, Jack Mace, Helen Rosenblad, Steve Showalter, Randy Miller and others knew that Christ had to be the foundation of this new organization. As the story goes, they took the IHS, this symbol that unifies Christians everywhere, and came up with the name Interfaith Housing Services. Having just left 13 years of missionary service in Congo (Zaire) this foundation is what drew me to IHS in 1991 and the thing I appreciated most during my 25 years as President. An organization with the simple mandate to use our talents, resources, and faith to share our love for Christ through simple acts of service to our neighbors by improving living conditions.

Accepting the Director’s position for an organization that was little more than a concept, with no resources, no equipment, tools, or even an office, with the promise of a salary, if I could raise money, was an act of faith in itself. However, it was the best decision I ever made. The fact that IHS survived those early years is a testament to faith in our community and its commitment to support our impactful cause. The list of “miracles” that secured our survival are too numerous to list. Steve and Peggy Showalter donated office space. Roberts Hutch-line donated paper and churches let us use their copy machines to make brochures and print newsletters. Joe Placazo employed me part-time at the City, and the connections and resources that job opened proved to be invaluable. Linda Laird, Assistant City Planner, helped me write my first federal grant. Coming from Africa, I learned how the City operates, and was able to make the contacts and get to know people at both the local and State level.

It’s unlikely we would have survived those early years without the help of volunteers through the Mennonite Voluntary Service Program. They helped with office support, volunteer coordination, new construction, renovations, and so much more. In addition, several local volunteers played critical roles. Among those, two who served faithfully over the first decade of our growth were Walter Reineck, who helped with accounting, and Sylvia Griggs, who helped in the office, recorded donations and wrote countless thank you notes to donors. Money was always a concern. After we purchased the building and started growing, Bob Hodgkinson, our Board Treasure, suggested we establish a line of credit.To say I was little apprehensive of that when we met with Ed Johnson at First National Bank for the first time would be an understatement. Little did I know that meeting would turn into many years of financial support from First National, and with Ed’s leadership, we developed one of the most aggressive and innovative First-time Homeownership Programs in the State. With their faith in us, patience and support, the organization grew continuously as we added staff, projects, and programs. Many times, we would come to the end of the month not knowing how we would pay the bill only to have a donation show up unexpectedly. At one point, we had support from thirty-four local churches who contributed a major part of our budget. In addition, we consistently logged over 10,000 hours of volunteer service annually for many years. As a result, in the first ten years, we launched the Homeowner Repair Program, the First-time Homeownership Program, Youth Build, and our Special Needs Rental Program. Except for Youth Build, these programs became the heart of the organization. There is no doubt that the IHS foundation was key to our viability in those growing years. IHS always had the most amazing, creative and talented staff who were committed to our mission and values. The volunteer support we received from across America, Canada and even Germany and Japan made our work possible. The consistent financial support from the community through private donations, United Way, Community Foundation and many others always kept us alive and growing. All this combined with grants through the City, County, State and Federal Government was nothing short of a miracle, clearly showing that the foundational Hand of IHS was guiding us.

How the Mission Started est. 1991

Thu, 06 May 2021 18:20:00 GMT

In the 1980s, while working with the Mother to Mother Ministry through her church, Helen Rosenblad, realized there was a growing number of young mothers in our community who needed help with minor home repairs. On a mission to ease the burden for these mothers, Helen began to organize volunteers from the community to tackle the much needed repairs. And tackle them they did! These dedicaticated individuals gave up their Saturdays, paid for their own supplies and went out into the community to help these young families.

Steve Showalter still remembers their first project. Helen sent Steve, with Jack Mace and Randy Miller to a house on Faircrest, where a back door needed repairs to keep the cold north wind out. Two of them each contributed $10 to purchase a closer, weather stripping and a latch. The third individual did the repair. That simple act of fixing a door was the beginning of what eventually became Interfaith Housing & Community Services. It was the beginning of a service that has impacted the lives of many in Hutchinson and across the state throughout the last 30 years.

In response to the increasing needs of the community, a group of Founders came together in 1991 and created Interfaith Housing Services. They are recognized and applauded for their

leadership and vision, which laid a solid foundation for growth and community service. The list of founders included Jack Mace, Helen Rosenblad, Steve Showalter, Wayne Hochstetler and Randy Miller. Along with the Founders, also recognized for their hard work and dedication which exemplified volunteer service, moral support and sound guidance, as well as contributed greatly to the advancement of Interfaith’s mission, are Virginia Fesler, Harv Gehring, Sylvia Griggs, Bob Hodgkinson, Ed Johnson, Linda Laird, Ed Linberg and Walter Reineck.

From the very beginning, it has been Interfaith’s mission to provide housing repair and rehabilitation for low-income homeowners in Reno County. Operating on a very limited budget and trusting solely on donations in order to fund that mission, Interfaith relied on volunteers to make this happen. During the 1990s, volunteers were crucial for nearly every Home Repair and Rehabilitation project that was undertaken. To this day, volunteers remain a big part of Interfaith Housing & Community Services and continue to make many projects possible. Fortunately, Interfaith is blessed with not only local volunteers from Reno County, but also from other Kansas communities, other states, and even other countries.

Walk Down Memeory Lane

Tue, 09 Feb 2021 20:05:00 GMT

As Interfaith Housing & Community Services prepares to celebrate its 30th anniversary in March of 2021, staff has been reflecting on where the organization started, where we are now, and where we must be in order to continue with our mission and meet the future housing needs of our communities. In this issue of Blue Prints, we take a trip down memory lane that takes us directly across the street from Interfaith’s office on East Avenue A in Hutchinson.

Interfaith’s vision for this section of East Avenue A began with the renovation of 1227 East Avenue A. As the years passed, opportunities arose to acquire additional homes on this block. These homes were often in a state of disrepair, and renovating them required not only Interfaith’s staff and resources, but much support from the community. We enjoy looking across the street and seeing all of this progress, but mostly we are thankful that these houses were brought back to life and now provide safe, affordable homes for individuals and families. This was not an easy undertaking and could not have happened without your support!

Please enjoy this pictorial journey through the past 29 years and envision what we can accomplish together in the next 30 years. Our goal is to continue the legacy of visionaries like Helen Rosenblad, Jack Mace, and John Scott. We want to thank those who have worked alongside and supported Interfaith and hope others are inspired to join us, as we strive to insure everyone live with dignity in a safe place they can call home.

Breaking Ground

Tue, 26 Nov 2019 19:37:00 GMT

The Southern Pines project has been a tremendous blessing for Interfaith. Over the past two years, we have worked side-by-side with Gene and Kay Schmidt through site selection, design changes and funding structures for this development. Gene has very generously provided not only funding for the project, but also his time and his knowledge of business throughout the process.

Our shared vision seeks to establish new and quality infill housing for seniors while also creating a model for donor investment options and perpetual generative revenues to our overall organizational mission. We will be forever grateful to Gene and Kay Schmidt for their willingness to partner with Interfaith Housing & Community Services and invest in the sustainability of our community.

A letter from the funder himself Gene Schmidt:

My wife, Kay, and I (Gene) are honored to be part of this build. Our history with Interfaith has been relatively brief. We starting giving support to Interfaith 4 or 5 years ago. The more contact we had with the receptionist, other personnel, and Interfaith leaders, the more we appreciated their kindness, expertise, and commitment to all types of construction and repair – all aimed at giving their clients a better way of life. The cap-stone for me was to find that Vicki Caywood and Trice Mott were on the Board at Interfaith. They were both my co-workers at Hutchinson Hospital for two decades!

Kay and I approached Interfaith staff with our dream of a contribution toward housing with the stipulation it should be on the South Side of Hutchinson. The land chosen was already owned by Interfaith and further blessed by being a neighbor to the highly acclaimed Lincoln Elementary School, the Elmdale Center, several houses of Worship, and many hundreds of friends. Maybe this location is PROVIDENTIAL!

Kay and my hopes and prayers are that those who occupy these residences will be good neighbors to you, as I hope you will be to them. God Bless you all, Gene Schmidt.

Lighting the way for Shirley

Tue, 26 Nov 2019 19:04:00 GMT

Shirley loves her collection of lighthouses--statues, pictures, pillows, even lighthouse paper towels. After spending a year on the waiting list for Evergreen Townhomes eleven years ago, it became the “lighthouse” she has called home since then. Shirley was one of the fortunate ones.

For many seniors, finding safe, affordable housing has become a daunting, sometimes impossible, task. There is an increasing shortage of available senior housing in our community to meet the demand, which means some seniors wait years for a place to call home. Sadly, some end up in homelessness.

Shirley’s story, however, is filled with hope. She says she has everything she needs at Evergreen. There is plenty of space, all of her appliances are furnished, and “when something goes wrong, all I do is call IHCS, and a friendly face comes to fix the problem, “ she stated. She recounted that recently, when loose carpeting posed a tripping hazard, IHCS quickly had it stretched and secured for her safety.

Pictures of her family are proudly displayed on her living room walls. One special photo taken many years ago portrays her young children in their home at Christmas time. This year, they will come to visit Shirley in her current Home for the Holidays …Evergreen Townhomes.