Interfaith Community Services

Self-Sufficiency Program - ICS self-sufficiency programs offer more than short-term help. These programs work with clients to build long-range solutions that take individuals and families from crisis to sustainability. The single mom scholars program assists low-income single mothers who are pursuing a college education, while providing wrap-around financial support for their children. ICS workforce development centers assist clients in their self-sufficiency goals through services, financial literacy, workshops, and professional development. Reset is a long-term support commitment with the goal of providing individuals and their families with guidance, crucial life skills, and support for 1-2 years. During 2023-24, ICS provided long-term services to 430 participants.

Senior & Caregiving Services - ICS provides services which help seniors and disabled individuals to live independently in their own homes without the need for institutional care. ICS volunteers provide essential support services such as meal delivery, transportation for medical appointments and shopping, vaccine scheduling support, friendly phoning, friendly visiting, small home repairs, yard work, and business help. During 2023-24, ICS provided services to 920 seniors and disabled individuals. The mobile meals program provides delivery of fresh nutritious meals each weekday to physically challenged or convalescing adults who are unable to cook for themselves and are supplied on a sliding-scale-fee basis based on ability to pay. More than 60% of mobile meals recipients receive fully or partially subsidized meals. During 2023-24, ICS served 17,681 meals to 122 seniors and disabled individuals.

Community Engagement - ICS partners with many agencies and diverse faith communities in order to serve low-income, senior, and disabled individuals in the greater Tucson area. These partners are also essential points of contact for announcing volunteer opportunities since over 550 volunteers are integral to all programs. Volunteers are the community connection point for ICS, and the majority of the agency's direct services to clients are carried out by volunteers. ICS volunteers donated over 60,000 hours of volunteer time during the year.

Centralized Intake - The Organization's Centralized Intake program acts as the single point of entry for all clients. Centralized Intake staff and volunteers make initial contact with prospective clients by phone, performing an intake screening to assess client needs. Once the intake screening is complete, Resource and Intake Specialists make referrals to all ICS programs for which the client is eligible, and meet additional needs by providing external referrals to resources within the community. ICS services for which Centralized Intake makes referrals include: rental or utility assistance, workforce development and job seeker services, food banks, self-sufficiency programs, mobile meals, transportation to medical appointments, and food box deliveries for older adults. In 2023-24 over 39,000 calls for help were answered.

Community Health Outreach - ICS brings together health facilities, faith communities, and social services to enable individuals to lead healthier lives and help vulnerable individuals in our community stay healthy at home. The program includes a broad range of community-based health education and outreach programs to support well-being. The health educations workshops include mental health first aid, honoring our lives advanced care planning, compassionate care with healthy boundaries, and depression & anxiety in the elderly. 2023-24 was the last year of this program offering due to funding constraints and duplication of services by other agencies.