Room In The Inn
WE’VE BEEN PROVIDING DEPENDABLE EMERGENCY SHELTER SINCE 2007!
In the absence of an emergency shelter in West Tennessee, this life-saving program has bridged the gap since 2007 – offering hot food, warm beds, and loving fellowship nightly during the winter months from November through April.
HOW IT ALL BEGAN
The very first “Room In The Inn” originated in the winter of 1985 in Nashville, Tennessee and was founded by the late Father Charles Strobel. He opened the doors of his parish to individuals seeking sanctuary in the church parking lot and the rest is history – growing into a vibrant outreach that continues today.
In 2007, Area Relief Ministries recognized the incredible need for emergency shelter facing our community during the harsh winter months and worked hard to establish their own program in Jackson. Over the last seventeen years, not a single night of shelter has ever been missed!
OPENING HEARTS AND CHURCH DOORS…
Thanks to a continued partnership between ARM and local churches, this program is still going strong today! ARM coordinates the program – providing training, learning resources, and the basic essentials (such as sheets, blankets, towels, pillows, and cots). Acting as a safe haven from the harsh weather conditions for homeless men with no where else to go, participating local congregations open their doors from 6 PM to 6 AM and also offer dinner and a light breakfast. The regular fellowship between the unhoused guests and church volunteers have created life-changing bonds. We really are better together!
Want your church to be involved?
- Churches of any size may participate in Room in the Inn. As long as you have the space to set up at least 10 cots (which doesn’t require much space at all), you’ll be fine. You do not need to have a gym or large facility to accommodate guests for Room in the Inn.
- Every church varies. You have the freedom to set your max limit of guests. Some participating churches can only accommodate 10 guests while others take a max of 25. Though some churches have to take more, it is ARM’s goal never to send more than 14 individuals to a single church so that the purpose of the program, fellowship, does not get overshadowed by large numbers.
- Transportation to and from ARM, a warm meal for the night, an atmosphere of hospitality and fellowship, a place to sleep, and breakfast in the morning. We will provide all cots and linens.
- From 6pm to 6am. We ask for your assistance in transporting the guests to and from ARM’s Day Center located in downtown Jackson. We’re here to help coordinate the logistics every step of the way!
- We always encourage churches to get as many people in their congregations involved as possible. We believe you will be blessed more as a result of serving than the blessing you give to those you serve. Room in the Inn will give your congregants the chance to break down stereotypes of homelessness and get to know people on an individual level, all while you faithfully obey Jesus’ command to welcome strangers (cf. Matt. 25:30-41). Though some larger churches may have 40 people come out to volunteer, most have about 10-15, and others are even able to do everything with only 5 people. If you have transportation, food, and two adult men to stay the night, you’re covered.
- Thankfully, we have never had a major incident take place at any church hosting site! As a preventative measure, ARM staff requires our guests to complete alcohol and substance abuse screenings at our facility prior to their arrival at your church. The guests that you serve will be extremely gracious for what they receive and do not want to hurt the integrity of the program. We’ve even found that the guests who participate in Room in the Inn keep a close check on one another since one guest doesn’t want to risk letting another guest ruin their opportunity for shelter. As for insurance, your standard liability insurance for normal church meetings should be fine. Though the men stay the night, Room in the Inn is just considered a church event like any other. ARM also provides standard safety protocols during each congregation’s orientation.
- No. This is often a concern for many churches thinking about getting involved in Room in the Inn. Showers are not required. ARM runs a day center that opens when you drop your guests off in the morning. There the men are provided with showers, lockers, and laundry facilities.