Carpenter’s House

Can you believe there is only a month left in the season?

Currently the Inn Crowd spans 25 congregations across 8 denominations and 2 non-denominational churches.

We are so thankful for those who are working with us this season and hope you will continue to help us grow so that many more churches in Memphis join us in extending hospitality to our neighbors experiencing homelessness. Even with 25 host congregations, we are still watching dozens leave the doors of the Carpenter’s House each night hoping to find shelter and safety elsewhere.

Please continue reaching out to your friends, neighbors, and churches in your neighborhood and denominations to help us provide a safe and welcoming place for each guest who enters our doors.

January brought the coldest temperatures yet this season along with the threat of winter weather. In the face of those extreme conditions, several congregations stepped up to provide emergency evening shelter and to extend daytime hospitality. A special thanks to Germantown Methodist and Heartsong for going the extra mile to serve our guests.

As you know, The Carpenter’s House is daily buzzing with guests arriving for pick-up each evening. We’re also continuing to work on the building in hopes of having it available for daytime hospitality within the calendar year. We hosted a small group of volunteers for an MLK Day of Service, January 18, and we have a steady flow of work groups scheduled to come during the rest of February and throughout the Spring and Summer. These groups will be organizing the mountains of generous donations we have received and making minor repairs throughout the building.

Beginning in March, each month we will highlight a few items from our wishlist in order to address the needs of our guests as well as help get The Carpenter’s House up and running for daytime hospitality. Our March wishlist items are:

• Large Coffee-makers (40 cup)
• New Underwear (L, XL, XXL)
• Deodorant (men & women)

We celebrate the partnership of the churches and individuals who come together to love and serve through Room in the Inn in many and varied ways. Thank you for sharing your gifts.