Jackson Interfaith Shelter

Jackson Interfaith Shelter was founded in 1974 as an emergency place of respite for alcoholic men struggling with homelessness and hunger. Over the past several decades, we have expanded from offering roughly ten beds for men to a current capacity of 76 beds for men, women and children. Additionally, we own 14 rental units which offer the opportunity for transitional and permanent housing. Each year we provide shelter to over 600 individuals and families. In addition to emergency shelter for men, women and children, we serve community meals three times a day, 365 days a year. We currently serve roughly 8,000 meals each month. We host dozens of services on site every week, some hosted by in-house staff and others hosted by community partners, to provide resources and education around housing, healthcare, financial wellness, and others. Every person staying at the shelter meets weekly with a team member to make sure they are working toward their personal goals. Providing case management, conducting personal progress plans, and continuing community partnerships are for the purpose of intentionally enhancing the equitable support of all we serve. We are currently undergoing a capital project to build a separate space just for families. With currently unoccupied property owned by JIS, we will construct a shelter that is utilized solely by family units, whether that be two parents or single parents with their children. This update will allow our current facility to transition into a shelter just for single adults, will enhance the number of beds available to single individuals seeking emergency shelter and will allow for more targeted care for the unique challenges each individual or family may be facing. This project has been in the planning stages for the last few years, as our staff and board have regularly conversed about our expanding needs, the best way to meet those needs, and proactively acquired property to allow for necessary programmatic expansion.