Room in the Inn

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PLEASE READ SIGN-UP DESCRIPTIONS ON THE SIGN-UP GENIUS PAGE FOR COVID CHANGES.

 IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS/CONCERNS, PLEASE CONTACT JASON KNIGHT AT OLOLRITI@GMAIL.COM

COVID has altered the way we do things and the winter shelter program is no exception. Room in the Inn does require the men and the church volunteers to wear masks. Due to the need for social distancing as well as the health and safety of our guests and volunteers, we have instituted the following relaxed changes from last season: 

1. Guests have been returned to the 15 as pre Covid. 

2. Vetting of guests is conducted before guests get on the bus which will include mask review, temp scan, & health screening questionnaire. 

3. We will return to eating in Father Bevington Hall. Beds will be placed across 3 classrooms. 

4. Guests and volunteers will wear masks unless they are eating or sleeping. 

5. Inn Keepers will sleep in a separate area. 

6. All food, including dinner & breakfast foods, can be dropped off (you can return to stay and serve if we can still proper distance in the kitchen). 

7. Bathrooms will be sanitized by the church. 

8. Masks, gloves, and sanitizer will be provided as needed.

Click here for Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, & Laundry Sign Ups

Click here for Inn Keeper Sign Ups

Click here for Youth Volunteer Sign Ups

Setting the Table

A shared meal is a primary part of Room In The Inn hospitality. The food that is served is important, but just as important is the way in which it is served. This email includes some ideas we have put together to help make your meals a memorable experience for your guests.

Creative Meal Ideas

A fun theme adds to the experience and makes the meal more enjoyable for volunteers and guests alike. The ideas presented in this resource are simply a starting place for your own imagination!

Stellar Sack Lunches

Many Room In The Inn congregations send their guests with a sack lunch for the day. This is especially helpful for those who are working or who will be away from places where community meals are being served. This resource sheet a few ideas to help take your sack lunches to the next level!

Involving Young People at Mealtime

There are many ways that children and youth in your congregation can be involved in creating a hospitable environment, even if they aren’t able to be present for a Room In The Inn meal

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner & Laundry Sign Ups

This signup is for breakfast, lunch, dinner, & laundry for Room in the Inn-OLOL.  Details for each of the various roles that make up these are listed below under the header Descriptions.  Each week, a hot sit-down dinner is served to our guests & volunteers on Sunday evening.  On Monday morning, the guests are served a hot breakfast before boarding the bus back downtown.  On their way to the bus, they are provided a sack lunch.  Additionally, all linens used for the guests are laundered and returned to the church.  For Youth Volunteer worker signups & Inn Keeper signups, please see the other Room in the Inn-OLOL signup lists.

Thank you on behalf of the many homeless men that we help throughout the year. This is truly a great blessing to them.

Descriptions:

Main Entree– We need two entrees each serving 15-20 people each week.  You can choose to sign up for one entree or both (if you sign up for both, please provide enough entree for 30-40 people).  If you sign up for only one entree, please try to coordinate with the other person to bring compatible foods.  We serve a hot dinner to our guests, so entrees need to be a hot meal (so no cold sandwiches, etc).  Please bring entrees to the Fr. Bevington Hall kitchen and have them ready to serve by 5:30 pm.  Food must be ready at 5:30 pm, so if you need to finish cooking or heat your item at the church, please arrive early enough to do so.

Vegetable/Side– We need a vegetable or side to serve 30 people each week.  May be a hot or cold side.  You may wish to coordinate with the main entree to bring a compatible side.  There is another sign up for a garden salad/soup so please do not bring that type of side.  Please bring side to the Fr. Bevington Hall kitchen and have them ready to serve by 5:30 pm.  Food must be ready at 5:30 pm, so if you need to finish cooking or heat your item at the church, please arrive early enough to do so.

Soup or Salad– We need a soup or garden/veggie salad to serve 30 people each week.  If you choose to bring a salad requiring dressing, please bring dressing.  Please bring soup/side to the Fr. Bevington Hall kitchen and have them ready to serve by 5:30 pm.  Food must be ready at 5:30 pm, so if you need to finish cooking or heat your item at the church, please arrive early enough to do so.

Bread– We need a bread to accompany dinner to serve 30 people each week.  You may wish to coordinate your bread item with the main entree.  For example, if the main entree person signs up to bring taco meat, you may offer to bring tortillas &/or taco chips.  You may drop your items off prior to Sunday evening to the Fr. Bevington Hall (small hall).  Please label them “Room in the Inn”.  Items must be at the Fr. Bevington Hall kitchen ready to serve by 5:30 pm.

Dessert– We need dessert to serve 30 people each week.  You may drop your items off prior to Sunday evening to the Fr. Bevington Hall (small hall).  Please label them “Room in the Inn”.  Items must be at the Fr. Bevington Hall kitchen ready to serve by 5:30 pm.

2 Liter Sodas– We need 4-2 liter sodas each week.  Sodas must be caffeine-free and a variety (diet and non) are much appreciated.  You may drop your items off prior to Sunday evening to the Fr. Bevington Hall (small hall).  Please label them “Room in the Inn”.  Items must be at the Fr. Bevington Hall kitchen ready to serve by 5:30 pm.

Breakfast– We need two people to bring and serve a hot breakfast for 15 people each week on Monday.  Breakfast only needs to serve 15 as some men choose not to eat and others choose to eat cold cereal (provided by RITI).  Whoever brings breakfast needs to serve it and clean up the kitchen as well so you will need to plan to stay.  It is recommended that 2 people sign up to serve and clean up breakfast so this spot often works well signing up with a buddy, but you don’t necessarily need one.  The men will be heading to the bus around 5:30 am so you will probably be able to leave then too or shortly after depending on how much the kitchen was used to prepare your food.  Please bring food to the Fr. Bevington Hall kitchen and have ready to serve by 4:20 am.  Food must be ready at 4:20 am prompt, so if you need to finish cooking or heat your item at the church, please arrive early enough to do so.  The bus arrives by 5 am to take the men back downtown.  The lower level back door will be unlocked for you to come in.  We are often asked for breakfast ideas.  Here are some from over the years:  pancakes and sausage/bacon, breakfast burritos, sausage biscuits, biscuits and gravy, breakfast casseroles, etc.  Things like fresh fruit and yogurt always make great accompaniments.

Milk, Tea, Orange Juice– We need 1 gallon of milk, 1 gallon of sweet tea, & 1 gallon of orange juice weekly.  You may drop your items off prior to Sunday evening to the Fr. Bevington Hall (small hall).  Please label them “Room in the Inn” and place them in the refrigerator.

15 Sack Lunches with drinks– We need 15 sack lunches, along with a drink (caffeine free-water works best), packed & ready to go with our guests.  You may drop the lunches off prior to Sunday evening to the Fr. Bevington Hall (small hall).  Please label them “Room in the Inn” and place them in the refrigerator.

Laundry Service– We need someone to pick up the dirty linens sometime after 6 am on Monday mornings.  The Inn Keepers will make sure all the bed linens get bagged in trash bags and sat outside the downstairs back entrance where they can be picked up any time after 6 am Monday.  Linens should be laundered and returned to the Room in the Inn closet* by Thursday.  *The Room in the Inn closet is located inside the Fr. Bevington Hall (small hall) and to the left of the hall’s entrance (the door is labeled).  Just sit the bags inside the closet.

Inn Keeper Sign Ups

This sign-up is for Support Inn Keepers.  Each week will need two Support Inn Keepers.  Inn Keepers must be male since our guests are male.  Inn Keepers must be 18 years of age or accompanied by a male parent/guardian.  The Support Inn Keepers will stay overnight at the church to help oversee a safe and organized environment for our guests.  There will be a Lead Inn Keeper each weekend as well to guide the Support Inn Keepers.  Lead Inn Keepers are seasoned RITI volunteers and have already been established for the 2018-19 season.

An Inn Keeper’s night at Room in the Inn will look like this:

Arrive around 5:30 pm if they wish to eat with the guests and other volunteers.  If they do not, they need to arrive not later than 7 pm.  Inn Keepers sometimes help with kitchen and social hall cleanup & socialize with the guests.  They will help guests get necessary supplies of clothes or toiletries as needed and oversee them settling in for the night in their sleeping quarters (inside the classrooms near the social hall).  Inn Keepers do stay overnight & sleep in the social hall, separate from the guests, on roll-a-way cots provided by the church.  If Inn Keepers wish, they can bring their own linens, a sleeping bag, etc to make their evening more comfortable.  Inn Keepers rise around 4 am, start the coffee, & wake the guests.  Guests will strip their bed linens & place them in a trash bag provided by Inn Keepers. Guests will then head to the restroom & kitchen for breakfasts.  Inn Keepers are welcome to eat & socialize with the guests.  Inn Keepers are responsible for putting the cots away & making sure the trash bags of linens are sat outside the downstairs entrance for the laundry volunteer(s) to pick up later.  Inn Keepers put all the tables and chairs in the social hall away, sweep if needed, & verify the kitchen is cleaned up (the breakfast volunteer will do most of the kitchen work but the Inn Keepers verify all is restored before leaving).  Guests are on the bus around 5 am to be downtown by 5:30 am.  After the social hall is restored to normal & RITI supplies & cots are put away, Inn Keepers are usually done by 6/630pm.

The Inn Keeper truly answers the call of Jesus to love one another and is a very rewarding position.

Thank you on behalf of the many homeless men that we help throughout the year.  This is truly a great blessing to them.

Please send additional questions to Jason Knight, OLOL-RITI Coordinator at ololriti@gmail.com or 615-710-5204.

Youth Volunteer Sign Ups

This sign up is for Youth Volunteer Signups.  Youth will assist in setup, serving of guests, clean up as needed, and also share in fellowship with our guests.  Please sign up here to help verify there is enough food.  We ask that you do not sign up for more than one time in a single month.  All youth are also required to have a parent or guardian with them per the parish office.  If you have a service hour form you need to be signed, please bring your form with you as we cannot guarantee we will have forms on hand.  The Team Lead for the night can sign it for you.  If you need to reach the OLOL Room in the Inn Coordinator, Jason Knight, please email him at ololriti@gmail.com.

Thank you on behalf of the many homeless men that we help throughout the year.  This is truly a great blessing to them.