A LETTER FROM OUR CEO
Dear Friends,
As we enter the colder months, we are reminded that life is filled with changing seasons. For our neighbors facing financial hardship, an unexpected bill, a rent increase, or a loss of income can quickly turn a difficult season into a crisis. When the cost of keeping a home becomes overwhelming, the stability of a family—and their ability to stay warm, safe, and secure—can be at risk.
At Interfaith Works, our Connections program helps bridge the gap between financial hardship and housing stability. When funding is available, we can provide clients with up to $500 in assistance toward overdue rent and utility bills. This support can offer a critical lifeline, helping a neighbor remain in their home, keep the lights and heat on, and regain their footing during an uncertain time.
THIS MONTH IN IW NEWS
No one chooses their hardest season. A job loss, a medical bill, a divorce: any one of those challenges can knock a family out of fragile stability and into crisis, often with no warning.
When that happens, Interfaith Works is there, for as long as it takes, because you are there with us.
Your gift helps strengthen the safety net that supports someone through the lean seasons of their life – programs that provide supportive housing, emergency shelters, essential needs, and workforce development.
Give today to help a neighbor start the next season of their lives.
Navigating the Seasons of Change: Are You Up for the Challenge?
Thanksgiving brings friends and family together. Why not turn that togetherness into something meaningful for our neighbors?
This holiday season, Interfaith Works invites you to take on our Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Challenge! From November through December, rally your friends, family, and coworkers, spread the word, and raise funds to support neighbors facing difficult seasons of change.
Who can you bring together? How far can your network go? Whether you rally a handful of friends or involve your whole community, every effort helps our neighbors find support and take the next steps toward stability.
Ready to rally your team? Email Allenteena Bernard at abernard@iworksmc.org to join the challenge and find out how to get started.
This holiday season let’s put our gratitude into action. Together, we can help our neighbors navigate life’s toughest seasons and remind them they are not alone.
IW PROGRAM SPOTLIGHT
At Interfaith Works, we continually adapt our programs to better meet the needs of our neighbors. As part of this commitment, our Vocational Services Program is transitioning to IW Workforce Development, a name that better reflects our evolving approach to employment support.
IW Workforce Development provides vocational services to Montgomery County neighbors experiencing or at risk of homelessness, with a focus on individuals residing in IW shelters and guests referred through the IW Progress Place Drop-In Center. Our bilingual vocational counselors work one-on-one with clients to build skills, connect them with trainings and classes, and access opportunities that support their employment goals.
Through partnerships with community organizations and workforce providers, we help clients participate in trainings, gain experience, attend job fairs, and overcome barriers such as transportation. By expanding access to these resources and addressing challenges along the way, we aim to help more of our neighbors take meaningful steps toward employment and greater stability.
With the support of our donors and community partners, we are building pathways to opportunity that meet our neighbors where they are and help them move forward.
IW IN THE COMMUNITY
This month four IW staff members from the Essential Needs Center, Community Supportive Housing Program, and Progress Place graduated from the Montgomery County Lead for Impact Program. Lead for Impact (LFI) is a six‑month, interactive peer leadership program run by the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services to strengthen leaders working to end homelessness in the county. Congratulations graduates, we are so proud of you all for your hard work and dedication to our clients and community!
After the completion of another “Stitches That Transform” class, graduates hosted another successful Artisan Market! Graduates were able to share and sell their handmade designs to the community.
This free event, open to the public, allowed our neighbors to shop local and support IW’s workforce development and entrepreneurial efforts.
Thank you to all those who came out and shopped. We hope to see you at the next Market!
Thanks to our partners at Rebuilding Together Montgomery County for bringing together members of our community earlier this month for a workday at Becky’s House!
Team members from Rebuilding Montgomery, Women of Color in Community Development, WAHN, and Whiting Turner all came out to work on several important maintenance and beautification projects around the property. Volunteers helped with landscaping, repaired parts of the exterior ramp and deck, refigured closet and storage spaces, built shelving, painted several rooms, and helped to set up the kitchen for easier function.
We are so grateful for their continued support and work to assist our residents. Thank you volunteers - you help to ensure our clients can live safely and comfortably!
BY THE NUMBERS
In FY26:
Over 9,700
Clients Served
In FY26 the IW Food Pantry served over 9,700 client and over 4,000 households.
WAYS TO GET INVOLVED
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Your support makes our work possible—and your time can make an even greater impact. Every day, volunteers help welcome community members at our Essential Needs Center, prepare and serve meals to clients at our Emergency Shelters and Shared Supportive Housing locations, organize donation drives, and bring hope to neighbors on their path to stability. Whether you have a few hours each month on your own or want to volunteer with a group, there's a meaningful way to get involved.
Join fellow volunteers and help create brighter futures for Montgomery County neighbors.
UPCOMING EVENTS
PICKLEBALL + PURPOSE: Play, connect & give back! Join fellow Community Association Managers for pickleball, Halloween fun, costumes, prizes & purpose.
This event supports the Interfaith Works Essential Food Pantry, helping provide food and essential items to local families.
Thursday, October 29, 2026
3:00–6:00 PM
Dill Dinkers Pickleball: 4942 Boiling Brook Parkway North Bethesda, MD 20852
WAYS TO GIVE
Build a Legacy That Strengthens Our Community
As we reflect on the people and causes that matter most to us, November is a meaningful time to consider how our values can shape the future.
By including Interfaith Works in your will, you can help ensure that future generations have access to food, shelter, and the support they need to build a more stable future.
A gift in your will is a meaningful way to put your values into action and extend your commitment to a community where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. Together, we can help our neighbors navigate life’s many seasons of change and build a more hopeful tomorrow.
To learn more about including Interfaith Works in your estate plans, please see our legacy giving information page or contact Allenteena Bernard at Abernard@iworksmc.org.