Housing and Clothing
Alpha House (IHN)
Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN) is a consortium of over 30 local churches of various denominations that volunteer to serve the needs of families living at Alpha House family homeless shelter. Each church serves on a rotating basis, a week at a time. FUMC serves three times a year. Hosting requires that volunteers provide a hot meal each evening, be on hand to serve dinner and eat with the families, and clean up after dinner. In addition, activity volunteers play with the children after dinner which provides time for the parents to do their own chores or attend required meetings. In addition, churches provide food for lunches and supplies needed during their host week. During COVID, FUMC has continued our commitment to the homeless families by delivering meals daily and providing supplies during our Host Weeks, although health precautions have made it inadvisable to visit the families in person. If you would like to help with the cost of supplies, you can do so here.
Contact: Beth Lipton
*Family friendly, youth volunteers welcome
The Good News Group in Partnership with Habitat for Humanity
Our mission is to enable home ownership for Washtenaw County families who would otherwise not have this opportunity. We do this by participating with 14 other local congregations as the Good News Group (GNG). GNG is a community sponsor of Habitat for Humanity of Huron Valley. GNG recruits volunteers to help renovate old homes into energy efficient homes and provides financial support through donations from the GNG congregations. The donation of time and money lowers the sale price of the house which in turn allows the new home owner to have a manageable down payment and lower mortgage payments. Owning a home provides safety, security and financial stability for the family.
Learn about volunteering, the house being refurbished, build schedule donating and more here.
Contact: Mark Wickham
HOUSE by the SIDE of the ROAD
House By the Side of the Road gives out FREE bedding, clothing, small household items and toys to individuals and families in need. We are open five days a week, M-F from 10 a.m. -2 p.m.
We have no paid staff. We need volunteers for sorting, tagging and hanging up clothes, putting out household items, and helping with checking in and out. We accept financial donations in support of our activities at any time here or mailed to us at 2051 South State Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48104.
Contact: Gemaya Griffin
Religious Action for Affordable Housing (RAAH)
The Religious Action for Affordable Housing (RAAH) is a formal coalition of religious congregations, individuals, and nonprofit housing organizations that began in 1999. Its mission is to work for a sustainable increase in permanently affordable housing for rent and purchase in Washtenaw County, especially for families of greatest need. RAAH works collaboratively with existing nonprofit affordable housing organizations, such as Avalon Housing, SOS Community Services, and Michigan Ability Partners.
Contact: Josh Warn