The 20th annual Interfaith Homeless Outreach Council (IHOC) mall walk will be held at the Moorestown Mall’s HomeSense Court on Sunday, Feb. 22.
“This is an opportunity for us (IHOC) to showcase what we’ve been doing, but it’s also just a fun day for the family,” said IHOC board member Pat Kalinowski. “We’re excited that we have what we have and hopefully we’ll continue to grow.”
IHOC has been serving the Camden homeless population for 34 years, providing emergency shelter and/or transitional housing for men. Its Transitional Housing Program, launched in 1999, was located in Lawnside, at a former parish house provided by the Chapel of the Annunciation. It accommodated up to six men who had completed IHOC’s support program.
Upon the sale of the property six years ago, St. Michael’s Lutheran Church in Cherry Hill offered IHOC the use of a parish house to accommodate up to three guests.
The challenges of COVID undeniably caused homelessness in Camden County to grow, and the need for transitional housing has never been greater. IHOC began an intensive five-year search for a second property that could expand the organization’s impact, culminating in the 2024 purchase of a former rooming house at 802 Station Ave. in Haddon Heights. Called the Serenity House, it can accommodate up to nine guests.
Purchasing Serenity House was just the beginning. Renovating it to meet IHOC’s standards, securing sustainable funding and ensuring its long-term operation will require more effort and support, thus the mall walk, IHOC’s annual fundraiser. All donations go directly toward IHOC’s programs to help men transition to stable and independent lives.
“It’s not permanent housing; it’s housing that hopefully we can give them the resources to get on their feet and become independent,” Kalinowski explained. “That’s what’s really exciting to us, is that we’re hoping that we can help these men to have a new life.”
Registration for the rain-or-shine walk begins at 1 p.m. with live entertainment. The walk will start at 2:30. Register online as an individual or create your own team with family, friends or co-workers. Early registration is $15 through Saturday, Jan. 31, or $25 after that.
For more information, visit www.ihocsj.org.
