Room in the Inn is a very simple winter shelter program where congregations open their doors one night at a time to a small group of persons who are experiencing homelessness. Participating congregations offer a warm, safe place to sleep and share an evening meal and a light breakfast the following morning. This program originated in Nashville and has been operating since 1986. They now have over 180 area congregations participating in the program and it has been replicated in many cities and towns throughout the country with great success. In Franklin, Kentucky, 11 churches and organizations participated as host sites during the 2015 pilot winter season, including FPC.  In 2016, three more host sites joined this community effort to extend radical hospitality to our sisters and brothers without homes.

 

We do not have a shelter for folks in our area. Rural homelessness is hard to track because it often means that folks are living in cars, on friends’ couches, in hotels, or on the outskirts of town. However, we do know that homelessness in our community is real. You may know of someone who has struggled with no housing or inadequate housing, which can be especially dangerous during winter months. We also know that in the first 7 months of 2014, HOTEL INC reported that they served more than 400 homeless individuals in their programs. This is the closest shelter to the Franklin area; it cannot possibly serve everyone who needs shelter. During the pilot winter season, over 30 individuals registered for RITI Franklin.  In the 2015-2016 winter season (second season), 34 individuals registered with RITI.