Families affected by or recovering from homelessness often need more than shelter to achieve self-sufficiency.  Over our 20-year history, we have expanded our supportive services to address the issues that commonly affect homeless and formerly homeless individuals as they rebuild.  Our supportive services include:

- Career Development and Education Planning

- Family Therapeutic Services

- Financial Literacy Training

- Housing Support

- Material Support

- Parenting Education

- Tax Credit Assistance

Education Planning and Career Development

Heads of household and teens who are ready to work receive individualized assistance from our Career Developer and Youth Engagement Counselor, Geoffrey T. Woodland. Geoffrey works with each individual to identify marketable skills. With his guidance, participants formulate short- and long-term goals in areas including:

• Obtaining a GED
• SAT and College preparation
• Associate’s and Bachelor’s Degree programs
• Résumé building
• The job application and interview process

Family Therapeutic Services

NPIHN’s Family Therapeutic Services Program, facilitated by Mental Health Consultant Kellie Lyons M.S., provides on-site individual and group therapy coupled with parenting education for our families.  During these sessions, children and teens participate in art and music therapy sessions facilitated by BuildABridge. The goal of the therapy program is to help participants work through emotional issues that have created obstacles to their achievement of financial independence, self-sufficiency, and positive self-image.

Financial Literacy Training

Our Director of Family Services, Keyonnee Thalia,  works with our current and former families on meeting and maintaining their financial goals.  Through individual counseling, weekly workshops, and collaboration with community resources, tutors, and mentors, heads of household work towards:

• Establishing a bank account
• Restoring credit
• Creating a savings plan
• Negotiating debts
• Securing benefits (including WIC, Food Stamps, SCHIP, Adult Basic, TANF, Section 8, CCIS, etc.)
  
  

We partner with Consumer Credit Counseling Center of Delaware Valley (CCCDV) for financial literacy education.  (To learn more about NPIHN’s partner organizations, click here).

Housing Support

Our Director of Family Services, Cathy Smith, works with families in our temporary congregational housing to find appropriate housing solutions. Some of the housing support we provide includes:

• Reviewing credit reports and making recommendations for credit restoration
• Facilitating families’ participation in WORC IDA savings plan
• Assisting families in completing and submitting housing applications (to PHA, transitional housing programs, and private landlords)
• Providing rental assistance
• Providing referrals and resources to potential First Time Home Buyers
• Coordinating workshops designed to educate families in Home Ownership

Material Support

Through generous donations and grants provided by community neighbors and partnering businesses and foundations, NPIHN is able to provide material support to current and former families, for as long as is needed.  These materials include school supplies for youth, school clothes and uniforms, sports equipment, musical instruments, computers, furniture, vehicles and more.

Parenting Education

NPIHN’s Parenting Educator, Inez Bruce, provided through Neighborhood Interfaith Movement,  facilitates weekly workshops for families in the comfort of their congregational shelter.  The goal of the workshops is to facilitate positive interaction between the parent and the child.  

Tax/Tax Credit Assistance

Tax Credit Assistance is offered though the Benefit Bank from January to April by one of our trained volunteers.