The Interfaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington (IFCMW) has a website (www.ifcmw.org ) one can visit to obtain free food from soup kitchens and pantries, as well as shelter, clothing, hotlines and medical services. These services are available in D.C., Maryland and northern Virginia.
Some of the services provided by the IFCMW apply to anyone in need, while others are available only to certain populations.
How to Access the Directory
- Visit ww.ifcmw.org.
- On the left side of the screen, below the “Donate to IFC” button, click on Emergency Directory.
- A sub-menu will appear. Click on Search It Online.
- Six labeled folders will appear. Click on any folder and you will see a listing of all the service providers in this category for the D.C. Metropolitan area, such as day shelters, emergency food, medical services, shelters, soup kitchens and additional resources.
- Click on any entry and you will see a summary of contact information for the organization, its name, website address, a phone number, e-mail and street address.
- Just below the summary information is an icon for more details. Click on the “More Details” icon and you will see services, contact person, hours, population served, specialized services and restrictions.
- If this resource is helpful, to the right of the add/hide button you will see the icon titled, “Add to My Brochure”. Click on this icon and you can continue to add or subtract resources until you are ready to build your brochure and print the listings you have selected for the person or family that you are assisting.
- If a resource requires a referral before you may receive services, call or e-mail the resource and ask for the name of the place(s) that provide the referral, along with the referral’s address, e-mail and phone number.
- Contact the referral. Ask what you should bring with you to obtain a referral(s) to the service(s) you need. Also ask for an appointment to present your documents to a caseworker.
- Call Metro at 202-637-7000 to determine which subway(s) or bus(s) you should take to and from the referral point and the service provider(s). If you will receive food or clothing, you may bring a small, folding wheeled cart.
- If you don’t need these services now, clip this article and keep it in a safe place in case you, a friend or relative ever need these services in the future.
