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Thank you volunteers!
I am so proud of my St. Edward family! For years they have risen to the occasion of helping the Room In The Inn Winter Shelter Program and the 2024/25 season was no exception. I hesitate to name the volunteers only because I know there are some I will miss.
Many came with those who signed up for dinners, parents came with children who signed up, children came with parents who signed up and I just make mistakes. So I apologize in advance for any omissions or misspelling.
These are the people who make RITI happen at St. Edward; Andy Dunn, John Brunner, Bob Warden, Jay DeGraaw, Kevin Warner, Robert Carroll, MichaelHmura, Ben Oryl, John and Val Stockdale, Jesse Skinner, Nicolas Sipe, Thang Khai, the Ladies Auxiliary, James Metz, Diane Pezo, Ida and Troy Abangan, James and Teresa Creecy, Jane Molteni, Modupe Bamgbose, Jennie Guinn, Joe and Catherine Kutso, Christine Amberg, Pat Valentine and her Godchild Terri and many family members including many beautiful children, Helen Akin, Jennifer and Steve Whalen, Joan Hamrick, Gann and Ross Fur, Lisa Parker her husband and daughter, Mulvale Teklemariam and Aaron, Isabell Lugo and Gloria, Brian Hanranhan, Ida Oudomsouk, Elizabeth Webb and her friend, Teri Horsley and Sam and his friend, Marshall Baney, Rebecca Mims, Francesco Reeves, Lorelee Pearl, Michael Jaskowski, Chris and Susan Blankenship their son and his friend, Tim Jaskowski, Jon Charles and Jennifer Hoschet, Danene Miller, Boy Scout Troop 210, Farwell Hardman, Loke Williams, Kobeay Swafford, Victoria Vung and three family members, Veronica Clare Lian, Anthony and Langston Brown, Ken Spisak, David Williams, Jamie Ferris, Ben Naeger, Larry Harris, Jan Claiborne, Shari Thorne, Cynthia and Ralph Williams.
This list should also include all parishioners who supported our program financially some who are on this list of volunteers and others who were unable to volunteer but participated as they could.
Some of these volunteers helped once or twice, some helped every single night! They all followed our Lord’s words; “And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.’” Matthew 25:40
Our Room In The Inn program helps dozens of homeless men every year and some of them expressed gratitude every night they got to spend in our care off the streets.
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St. Edward Parish Room In The Inn
About Our Ministry (Room in the Inn)
This winter, our parish's Room In The Inn program is once again offering an opportunity for parishioners to help our homeless neighbors. We invite you to join us in this vital ministry by offering your time, talent, or financial support. In addition to volunteering, you can directly contribute to the Room In The Inn Winter Shelter at St. Edward's. Your donations will provide essential winter supplies for our guests, ensuring that their stay with us is as comfortable and blessed as possible. As Jan Claiborne shared:"Donate directly to help Room In The Inn Winter Shelter at St. Edward's. This money will provide much-needed winter supplies for our guests and make their stay with us the most blessed it can be."
Together, we can make a significant impact in our community, providing warmth, comfort, and hope during the coldest months. To contribute, please visit https://www.osvhub.com/stedwards/giving/funds/room-in-the-inn or contact Greg Beem at [email protected].
Room In The Inn began in 1986 when Charles Strobel, then a Catholic priest, offered peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to those in need near his East Nashville church. Room In The Inn’s Winter Shelter Program runs from November through March, coordinating over 100 congregations throughout Middle Tennessee. In the 2023-24 season, congregations provided over 15,000 beds. Each congregation organizes its own volunteers, meals, and services. This model has been adopted by 36 other cities, including Calgary and Charlotte. At St. Edward, we offer shelter, dinner, snacks, and drinks for nine men on Saturday night. After breakfast Sunday morning, we return them to the Room In The Inn campus with a sack lunch.Click here to make a financial contribution.
Ways to Volunteer
About Set Up & Clean Up
Volunteers are needed to help with the set-up and clean-up of the St. Edward Room in the Inn program. Help is needed on Saturday afternoon at 4:00 PM or Sunday morning at 6:00 AM in the Family Life Center (gym).
About Transporting Guests
Drivers are needed to transport our guests from the Room In The Inn downtown campus to St. Edward on Saturday afternoon, and back to the campus on Sunday morning. Each driver typically transports three guests. We usually need three drivers total. Saturday: Meet at St. Edward at 5:00 PM to carpool downtown. Sunday: Meet at St. Edward at 5:45 AM to transport guests back. Guests stay Saturday night at St. Edward’s gym, with meals and a sack lunch provided. Our parish participates on the 1st and 3rd Saturdays of each month, November 1 to March 31.
About Preparing and Serving Meals
Volunteers are needed to prepare and serve meals:
- Dinner for nine guests and three innkeepers (12 total) on Saturday at 6:00 PM (provide paper products, desserts, drinks).
- Breakfast for 12 people on Sunday at 5:30 AM (provide paper products, drinks).
- “To Go” sack lunches for nine guests on Sunday morning before 6:00 AM.
- Snacks for guests on Saturday evening at 6:00 PM.
About Being an Innkeeper / Overnight Host
We are looking for Innkeepers starting in November. If you volunteered previously, we invite you to return! A teenage child may accompany an innkeeper (one child per night). Innkeepers are provided a cot, pillow, and linens. Food and beverages are provided. Arrival: 5:00 PM Saturday Departure: 7:00 AM Sunday