INTERFAITH EMERGENCY SERVICES INC

What INTERFAITH EMERGENCY SERVICES INC does

Interfaith Emergency Services Inc is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1983 in Ocala, Florida, delivering a portfolio of emergency and social-service programs to Marion County residents in need. Its core offerings include a 36-bed homeless shelter (Lovell Hall, Clover Hall, Elizabeth House) for women, single parents, and families; a Food Distribution Center serving 80+ individuals and families daily; the Food 4 Kids Backpack Program reaching nearly 40 schools and 200,000+ meals per school year; a Center for Life providing prescription assistance, mental health counseling, and free medical/dental/vision care via partner clinics; supportive and low-income housing through Grace Way Apartments and the Interfaith Duplex; a retail Thrift Store whose proceeds fund the Emergency Prescription Program; and an Engagement Center plus Essential Services hub for IDs, gas cards, work boots, and case management. Services are delivered free of charge, and the organization operates with roughly 25 staff supported by 250+ volunteers across five Ocala locations.

The business model is donor- and grant-funded rather than revenue-generating. Funding streams include individual monetary donations (one-time, recurring, planned), thrift store sales, signature fundraising events (Legacies of Love, Ladies High Tea, Florida Feast, Brick City Beer and Wine Festival, Give4Marion), grants from foundations such as the Marion County Community Foundation, and institutional support from Marion County Hospital District (prescription program) and Marion County Commissioners (housing). The organization is governed by a Board of Directors with clergy, social-services, business, and civic representation, and its endowment is managed by Morgan Stanley. There are no proprietary technology products, AI capabilities, or paid customer relationships; operations rely on human case management, a Wix-hosted website, Constant Contact newsletters, and Facebook/Instagram for outreach. Geographic scope is strictly Marion County with no stated expansion plans outside the region.

Name

INTERFAITH EMERGENCY SERVICES INC

Legal name

Interfaith Emergency Services Inc

Website

https://iesmarion.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Interfaith Emergency Services is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1983 in Ocala, Florida, providing free emergency assistance — including shelter, food, clothing, healthcare, prescription support, and housing — to Marion County residents in need through five facilities and 250+ volunteers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Services / Emergency Assistance

NAICS

Emergency and Other Relief Services (62423), Temporary Shelters (624221), Community Food Services (624210)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Food Assistance & Nutrition Relief (Emergency Feeding) (BPAGAAAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Evacuation, Shelter, Mass Care & Family Reunification (HLAJAGAG), Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGACAD)

Keywords

• Emergency social services
• Homeless shelter programs
• Food assistance distribution
• Faith-based nonprofit
• Basic needs support

Headquarters

HQ city

Ocala

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Monetary Donations: One-time gifts, monthly recurring support, and planned gifts from individuals, churches, businesses, and organizations. All monetary donations are tax-deductible.
2. Thrift Store Sales: Thrift store generates funds for the Emergency Prescription Program at the Center for Life. Proceeds support prescription medications for clients with heart disease, cancer, and other serious conditions.
3. Fundraising Events: Multiple signature events including Legacies of Love luncheon, Ladies High Tea (raised over $96,000 in 2026), Florida Feast fundraiser, and Brick City Beer and Wine Festival.
4. Grant Funding: Special events held throughout the year raise additional financial support. Marion County Hospital District provides funding for prescription assistance program.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Interfaith Emergency Services provides a full range of emergency assistance and humanitarian programs to residents of Marion County, including food, clothing, shelter, housing, medication assistance, mental health counseling, and other basic human needs. The organization operates multiple facilities — administration/shelter, food distribution center, clothing boutique, thrift store, engagement center, and Center for Life — to deliver these free services directly to individuals and families in crisis.

Product overview

Interfaith Emergency Services is a nonprofit social services organization, not a technology company. It does not offer a software product or platform. Instead, it provides emergency assistance and humanitarian programs to Marion County residents in need. The organization operates a portfolio of social service programs including Essential Services (food, hygiene, ID assistance), Shelter Program (homeless shelter for women/families), Food 4 Kids Backpack Program (childhood hunger relief), Thrift Store (fundraising for prescriptions), Center for Life Services (healthcare/mental health), Housing Programs (supportive and low-income housing), Engagement Center (homeless services hub), and Free Clothing Boutique/Shower Ministry. These programs work together to address food insecurity, homelessness, healthcare access, and basic human needs for Marion County residents.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Interfaith Thrift Store: Second Chances for All - A thrift store located at 718 N Pine Ave in Ocala, selling furniture, household goods, clothing and more. Proceeds fund the Emergency Prescription Program.
• Food 4 Kids
• Center for Life
• Engagement Center

Products and services

• Essential Services Program
• Shelter Program
• Food 4 Kids Backpack Program
• Interfaith Thrift Store
• Center for Life Services
• Housing Programs
• Engagement Center
• Free Clothing Boutique and Shower Ministry
• Food Distribution Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 200,000+ meals provided per school year through Food 4 Kids program
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Marion County Building Industry AssociationcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerHosts the annual Florida Feast fundraiser benefiting Interfaith's Food Distribution program. Event held at Southeastern Livestock Pavilion with BBQ, silent auction, and raffles.
• Marion County Community FoundationcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsors Give4Marion online giving event held annually in September. Provides platform and coordination for community charitable giving.
• Silver Springs and Ocala Sunset Rotary ClubscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerHost annual Brick City Beer and Wine Festival benefiting Interfaith, Kimberly's Center for Child Protection, and Marion Literacy Council. Each charity received $45,000 in 2023.
• Hope CliniccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to provide free medical services to clients through Hope Clinic appointments at Center for Life.
• FreeDOM CliniccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing free dental and vision services to clients. Appointments made through www.freedomclinicusa.org.
• Career SourcecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmployment services partnership at Engagement Center helping homeless individuals find jobs.
• Marion County Literacy CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLiteracy and GED services partnership for homeless individuals at Engagement Center.
• Howard AcademyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLiteracy services partnership for homeless individuals at Engagement Center.
• Lions ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing reading glasses to clients upon availability through Essential Services.
• Tax Collector's OfficecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to provide identification cards for those recently moved to the area from out of state or county.
• United WaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferral system partnership. Clients encouraged to dial 2-1-1 to access United Way's free information and referral service linking people to organizations meeting their needs, available 24 hours a day in any language.
• Marion County Community ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Grace Way Apartments housing program providing 5 units for chronic homelessness and 8 units for low-income families.
• Vitas HealthcareminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent Sponsor for 2026 Legacies of Love luncheon honoring Dr. Tina Chandra and Dr. Casius Pealer.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Catholic Charities USA: Catholic Charities USA is a national faith-based network offering emergency assistance, food, housing, and case management services through local agencies. Comparable to IES for its integrated social services model and faith-based foundation, though it operates through a federated national structure rather than as a single local nonprofit.
• Feeding America: Feeding America is a national hunger-relief network coordinating food banks and pantries. Comparable to IES for its food distribution operations (Food Distribution Center and Food 4 Kids), but operates at massive national scale through member food banks rather than direct service.
• United Way Worldwide: United Way operates local chapters that fund and refer to social services nonprofits, including IES via the 2-1-1 system. Comparable as a social services ecosystem coordinator and partner, though it primarily operates as a fundraising and grant-making umbrella rather than direct service provider.
• The Salvation Army: The Salvation Army is a large faith-based nonprofit providing emergency assistance including food, shelter, clothing, and disaster relief across the U.S. It is comparable to IES as a multi-program faith-rooted emergency services provider, but operates at national scale with broader geographic reach and a much larger organizational footprint.
• Goodwill Industries International: Goodwill operates retail thrift stores whose proceeds fund job training and community programs. Comparable to IES in the thrift-store-funds-mission model and employment-services offering, though much larger in scale and focused on workforce development rather than emergency relief.

Direct peers

• Volunteers of America: Volunteers of America is a faith-inspired nonprofit providing housing, homeless services, food assistance, and recovery programs across the U.S. Comparable to IES for its faith-rooted integrated services model and volunteer-driven operations, but operates nationally with broader program verticals.
• St. Vincent de Paul Society: St. Vincent de Paul is a faith-based Catholic nonprofit operating local conferences that provide emergency rent/utility assistance, food, clothing, and shelter referrals. Directly comparable to IES in mission and service mix, though typically organized as parish-based volunteer thrift and direct-aid operations.
• Habitat for Humanity International: Habitat for Humanity operates local affiliates that build affordable housing and provide homeownership support. Comparable to IES as a faith-rooted, locally-organized nonprofit addressing housing needs for low-income families, though focused on home-building rather than emergency shelter services.

Emerging players

• Hope CommUnity Center: Hope CommUnity Center is a faith-based nonprofit in Central Florida providing food, clothing, healthcare, and emergency assistance to low-income residents. Comparable to IES for its faith-rooted multi-program community services model and target population, though operating in a different Florida region with a different program mix.

Regional players

• Marion County Homeless Council (OCALA): The Marion County Homeless Council coordinates homeless services in the same Marion County, FL market as IES. Directly comparable as a regional peer operating in the same geography addressing overlapping homelessness and housing needs, though focused on coordination rather than direct service delivery.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/iesmarion
• Instagraminstagram.com/interfaithocala
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/interfaith-emergency-services-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles31 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about INTERFAITH EMERGENCY SERVICES INC