In 1991, a group of local activists involved with Shepherd's Table concerned about the growing number of homeless people in Silver Spring joined together to form SSHIC.  They formed a coalition of local congregations because they saw these faith-based organizations as a source of financial and grassroots support.  Committed to ending homelessness by providing housing and support services, our founders designed a program where volunteer mentors would work with families and individuals located in housing within congregation neighborhoods.  In this way, they could help residents recover from the chaos of homelessness by building stronger community connections.

Beginning with a handful of volunteers and one home, SSIHC has grown to a professional staff of seven, one consultant and now has fourteen transitional housing units and six permanent housing units for formerly homeless, disabled men.  In 2008 we served 16 families including 33 children and 4 individual residents under our housing programs in homes located in Silver Spring,Takoma Park, Wheaton, and North Bethesda, Maryland. 

No other housing program in our area provides our uniquely successful combination of professional case management and volunteer mentoring support to families with less than 30% of the median income.  We end homelessness permanently for our residents, with over 71% continuing to live full and independent lives after they leave our housing.  These achievements are remarkable considering the fact that most of our families enter our housing with little or no income, bad credit and poor work histories. 

Volunteer mentoring support is offered to all families in our programs.  Mentors are recruited, oriented and trained before a family moves in to their new home and they commit to work with the family for the duration of their stay in the program. The role of a mentor is to provide support in many forms to their family such as a ride to an interview or the grocery store, tutoring, helping with a resume, childcare, or taking them on fun family outings. Mentors also support the work and goals in collaboration with the client and the case manager.  This approach is designed to fill in the gaps not able to be provided by a formal structure that are needed for a familly's success.