Congregational Shelter Hosts Create Spaces of Life Saving Shelter

I am getting so excited about a new season of Winter Shelter for our guests. This has been a difficult two years for all of us but it has been especially difficult for those who find themselves without safe housing.

First, thank you to our current Host Congregations who made it possible for us to provide a limited amount of shelter last winter, there is no doubt it saved lives.

We will once again shelter men, women and families. This year I expect that we will be seeing more people seeking shelter than in past years due to the economy and evictions. I cannot express the urgency for safe places of hospitality for our community enough.

More children are experiencing homelessness than before, and as the housing crisis reaches tragic levels we need your help more than ever!

The Inn Crowd has provided shelter that is both life changing and life saving for 13 years. Prior to the pandemic, our network of host congregations had grown to over 50 faith communities. Will you help us add to that network this winter?

I know with your help this will be our most successful year ever offering shelter and holy hospitality.

If your congregation or a small group of dedicated volunteers are interested in becoming a Room in the Inn host, we would love to meet with you. Find out more. 

Peace,
Rev. Lisa Anderson
Executive Director

VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT: GIRL SCOUTS TROOP #13367

Saileela Sathiyanarayanan, Kaamil Majeed, and Kobie Majeed are Girl Scouts in Troop #13367. They have been hard at work on their Girl Scout Silver Award project – designing, installing, and stocking TWO Little Free Libraries at RITI! These Little Libraries will benefit RITI guests and our surrounding neighborhood. The scouts will occasionally check on the libraries for any maintenance needs and to restock books. They’ve also contributed books to our indoor Children’s Library. Special attention was given to finding and stocking books with diverse themes and characters. The troop held a special reception and installation ceremony in August, inviting friends, family, and RITI staff and guests to attend.

“After doing some research about literacy in Shelby County, we found out that most Shelby County students are not reading at grade level. We felt like this is a place where we can make an impact and involve the community in making an impact. We donated two little free libraries to Room in the Inn, which is a temporary shelter for families with housing needs. This little library will not only serve Room in the Inn but the community around it. One of our main goals was to involve as many people and businesses from the community as we could. Although we worked hard on this project, we had a lot of people who helped us with research, finding resources, and labor. This project means a lot because not many people around Memphis have access to libraries, whether it is transportation or knowing how to get a library card. The libraries are free for everyone and allow others to contribute by donating a book, which increases the number of people who have access to books.”

– Saileela Sathiyanarayanan, Kaamil Majeed, Kobie Majeed