Room in the Inn provides emergency meals and housing
'How Can I Help?' is The Edge's new bi-weekly column that identifies various helping organizations in Berea and the surrounding area, and offers ways for you to connect with them, either as a client, or as a volunteer or donor.
From Alysia Mora, Board President of Room in the Inn
Our mission is to offer hospitality and emergency shelter to our unhoused neighbors during the winter months.
From January 1 to March 15 [ed. note: this weekend, RITI raised enough support to house those in need over this stormy weekend], we provide shelter and food to our neighbors in need. We are a 100% volunteer-driven and 100% donation-funded 501(c) (3) organization. This is our eighth season in Berea.
Today, our model has multiple moving parts. We register guests in the basement of Union church and then transport them to our partner Motel 6, where guests get their own space for the night.
At our registration site at Union Church, we provide a hot meal and a bag of food for the next day as well as a toiletries and other limited supplies. In previous years, we served home-cooked meals but this season volunteers will be invited to sponsor meals from a local restaurant in compliance with health and safety regulations.
Every night, we rely on a team of at least seven volunteers to keep things running smoothly. We always welcome volunteers and donations! We use MealTrain to coordinate volunteer shifts. Folks can follow us on Facebook or sign up at MealTrain for updates!
Thank you!
Alysia Mora, Board President,
Room in the Inn, Berea
If you would like The Edge to feature your helping organization -- nonprofit, state or county-run -- it doesn't matter. Just contact Whitney McKnight at The Edge to discuss being featured in this column.
Disclosure: Alysia Mora is on The Edge's Board of Advisors