On Sunday, August 9, Church of the Redeemer will celebrate an important milestone in one of our longest-standing community partnerships. During our 9:00 and 11:00 a.m. worship services, we will present a $200,000 commitment to Found House, reaffirming our shared commitment to housing stability for families throughout Greater Cincinnati.
For many, the first question may be, “Why are we making this commitment?”
The answer begins long before August 9.
A Long-Standing Commitment
For decades, Church of the Redeemer has sought to respond faithfully to the needs of our community through partnerships. We believe that lasting change happens when organizations and communities work together, learning from one another and building relationships rooted in trust, mutual respect, and shared purpose.
One of those enduring relationships has been with Found House, formerly Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN).
Many members of our congregation remember serving families through IHN’s congregation-based shelter model. Churches throughout the region opened their buildings to provide hospitality, meals, and temporary shelter for families experiencing homelessness. Those ministries reflected extraordinary generosity and met urgent needs during moments of crisis.
That work remains an important part of our shared history.
Growing Together
Over the years, however, the housing crisis has changed.
Communities across the country have learned that while emergency shelter remains an essential response, it is only one part of helping families achieve lasting stability. Families also need permanent housing opportunities, housing retention services, prevention programs, and wraparound support that help them remain safely housed over time.
Organizations like Found House have evolved to meet those changing realities.
Today, Found House’s work includes permanent supportive housing, intensive housing retention programs, diversion and prevention services, and comprehensive support for families working toward long-term stability.
As Found House has grown, Church of the Redeemer’s understanding has grown as well.
Rather than asking only how we respond to immediate need, we have increasingly asked how we can help create lasting solutions that strengthen families and communities for generations to come.
Housing Is Family Ministry
As Church of the Redeemer discerned a renewed focus on Service, Justice, and Community, some wondered whether our commitment to housing had changed.
The answer is no.
If anything, it has deepened.
We have come to recognize that housing stability is one of the most significant ways we can support children and families. Stable housing creates the foundation upon which children learn, parents find security, and families build hopeful futures.
Found House’s work illustrates this every day.
In 2025 alone, Found House served 544 children through its shelter and housing programs. Twenty-seven percent of those children were ages 0–4, forty-eight percent were ages 5–12, and twenty-five percent were ages 13–18. The organization also served thirty households led by pregnant or parenting young adults.
These numbers remind us that housing ministry is, at its heart, family ministry.
Why This Commitment?
The Vestry’s decision reflects years of discernment about how Church of the Redeemer can most faithfully steward the resources entrusted to it.
The funds for this commitment come from the sale of the former Eastminster property that housed the Madisonville Education and Assistance Center (MEAC), itself a long-standing community partnership. The Vestry believed these resources should continue serving the community through another trusted partnership dedicated to strengthening families and advancing housing stability.
The $200,000 commitment will support Found House’s long-term vision for expanding housing stability in our community through its capital campaign while also strengthening the organization during a period of uncertainty surrounding federal housing funding. More importantly, it reflects Church of the Redeemer’s belief that investing in trusted partnerships creates opportunities for lasting community impact.
This is not simply support for another organization.
It is a renewed commitment to the future of housing stability in Greater Cincinnati.
Looking Ahead
Our relationship with Found House is one expression of Church of the Redeemer’s broader commitment to living out our faith through enduring partnerships.
Whether through our work with Found House, MEAC, St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, Becoming Beloved Community, or the many organizations with whom we serve, we continue to believe that lasting transformation happens when we walk together.
On August 9, we will welcome Stacey Burge, Executive Director of Found House, to both our 9:00 and 11:00 a.m. services. Stacey will share about Found House’s ministry and the future of housing stability in our community as we celebrate this important milestone in our partnership.
We invite you to join us as we give thanks for the relationships that continue to shape our ministry and renew our shared commitment to helping families experience the dignity, hope, and opportunity that begin with a safe and stable place to call home.
