Goodwill Foundation: What's Happening?

July 2006 – Goodwill Foundation announces partnership with Greenville Area Interfaith Hospitality Network.

The Mission of the Greenville Area Interfaith Hospitality Network (GAIHN) is to assist local congregations to share hospitality (in the form of emergency shelter and meals) with homeless families, and to help those families achieve self-sufficiency and selffulfillment. Fifteen dynamic Greenville-area churches generously use their Sunday school classrooms and other church facilities to offer homeless families safe lodging, nourishing meals, and genuine hospitality — right down to the mint on the pillow. Each church hosts the guest families for a week at a time, about four (4) times a year on a rotating schedule. Eleven other congregations provide volunteer services & support resources, including short-term transitional housing in units they own. It’s important to note that GAIHN is the only emergency shelter in Greenville for single mothers with sons who are age 10 and older. Most other local emergency shelters separate family members by gender, and only GAIHN will allow homeless single mothers to reside with their youthful sons in the same family. GAIHN has partnered with the Upstate Homeless Coalition and the Goodwill Foundation to assist five Greenville County families on their journey to self-sufficiency. As a part of this partnership, GAIHN was able to hire Rev. Cornell Richardson as a full time case manager. Rev. Richardson is a seasoned veteran in providing high quality case management services to homeless persons. His position is funded through a grant from the “Strengthening Families and Neighborhoods” Community Impact Council of United Way of Greenville County. To learn more about GAIHN visit their website.

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