DIMH HISTORY

MISSION STATEMENT
We are an interfaith community organization addressing the physical,emotional, and spiritual needs of homeless men in the Greater Dover,Delaware area. We provide shelter and sustenance while fosteringself-reliance and offering a vision of hope for their lives.
HISTORY
► 2008: Faith community leaders form emergency shelter for homeless men. During the winter of 2008, a group of faith community leaders agreed to work with four churches to host emergency shelter for homeless men who had no other place to go. Ten weeks of shelter and assistance were provided. Several of the 49 men housed changed their lives, securing jobs and housing in the community. Bonds of friendship and cooperation were established among the diverse group of volunteers and faith communities.

► Dover Interfaith Mission for Housing (DIMH ) established as nonprofit, 501(c)3.

A follow-up meeting of those involved led to the creation of the Dover Interfaith Mission for Housing, Inc. (DIMH) as a nonprofit, 501(c)3 corporation with a board drawn primarily from the participating faith communities. It was agreed that a program of shelter and assistance would be initiated later that year, with no commitment of funding beyond the provision of meals and volunteer assistance from the growing number of volunteers. Since then, DIMH has never failed to provide shelter, meals, and guidance to the homeless men in our community.

► 2010: 36-bed shelter opens with kitchen and offices.

► 2015: daytime center provides case management services.
In 2010, a leased site was obtained and renovated for use as a more permanent shelter. A 36-bed shelter opened in September 2010 with its own kitchen, bathing facilities, and office space. (See photo in paragraph above.) Due to the demand for daytime resources for other homeless adults who continued to live on the street, a daytime center opened in January 2015 (see photo on left) to provide access to mail, personal hygiene needs, case management, and assistance with obtaining employment, housing, and public benefits.

► Diverse groups, organizations, and volunteers supply 12,000 plates of dinner annually on a food budget of zero.

The DIMH board continues to reflect the diversity of Greater Dover’s faith traditions, including representatives from varied Christian churches as well as Jewish, Muslim, and Baha’i members. These faith communities along with the Unitarian/Universalists, Hindu, and Buddhist groups and volunteers from numerous local organizations support the shelter with donations and meals. More than 12,000 plates of dinner are served to shelter residents annually on a food budget of zero.

► Highly-affordable rental housing made available for shelter residents once a steady income established

DIMH has endeavored to respond to the housing needs of the homeless community, creating opportunities for highly-affordable rental housing to which shelter residents may move once they have a steady income. Two buildings are owned by DIMH. Walt Bagley Hall (see the photo in the paragraph above) is a former office building with room for 25 men, while Interfaith Crossing (see the photo here) is a former motel that houses 18. Four single-family houses are leased to provide additional accommodation to groups of three to five men.

► DIMH assists 200+ homeless annually with housing & employment;400+ supported at resource center, keeping case managers & volunteers busy.
DIMH shelters and assists 200 or more men annually, with the great majority securing employment, housing, and stability. 400 or more homeless adults are assisted each year in the daytime resource center, where a team of three case managers and dedicated volunteers make it possible for those experiencing homelessness to transform their lives.