Room In The Inn

Forest Hills Missions ministry participates in the Nashville Room In The Inn program. We provide shelter and meals for twelve homeless men two Tuesday nights a month from November through March.

Contact Diane Jones at 370-4861 if you have any questions.

Volunteer Sign-Up Sheet
This sheet provides a list of the needs to support 12 overnight guests.[Download]

Instructions for Room In The Inn Van Drivers
Construction at Room In The Inn's downtown facility will mean changes in the way van drivers will pick up and drop off their guests. If you have questions, please call 251-7019 for assistance.

Download Map for Van Drivers

In The Evening
Please arrive between 5:45 and 6:30 pm to pick up your guests. You will no longer be pulling into the alley beside the Room In The Inn building. It is closed to traffic because of construction.

 From 8th Avenue, pull onto Drexel Avenue. It is the street next to Room In The Inn. If you are coming from downtown, you will turn left on Drexel. If you are coming from Franklin Rd., you will turn right on Drexel.

Please pull your van as far as you can down the street along the curb. Other vans may be pulling in behind you.

Please remain in your van. A volunteer will let Room In The Inn staff know you are here. Your blankets will be brought to your van. Within just a few minutes, your guests will be escorted to you.

After your van is loaded, turn left on 7th Avenue. Drexel runs into 7th. Turn left onto 7th. The next street is Lea. It is a one-way street. Continue on Lea until the stop light. The intersection at the light is 8th Avenue.

If you have questions, please call the Room In The Inn desk at 251-7019.

In The Morning
Guests can be dropped off between 6 and 7 am. The driving instructions are the same as those above. Please pull up on Drexel to unload. There will be a volunteer to take your blankets. If you have food to donate, please let the volunteer take it inside for you.

If you have questions during the morning run, please call the Room In The Inn emergency number at 251-7064.

Helpful Hints for Congregational Volunteers
The heart of Room In The Inn is the local group of volunteers who, week after week, open their doors and warmly welcome strangers as guests. It is that single congregational group that continues to make Room In The Inn a success. Regardless of how many congregations participate, how much service is provided, and how large the organization appears to have grown, a small and intimate experience of sharing is the critical element. Each small shelter, in itself, has that unique opportunity to offer in a personal way the gift of hospitality.

- Dress appropriately.

- Maintain confidentiality. Do not give out personal information such as your phone number or where you live.

- Be respectful of each guest and volunteer.

- Refrain from accepting and giving gifts to individual guests.

- If you would like to do more for a specific guest, speak to the downtown staff so there can be a coordination of the services provided.

- See each guest as an individual.

- Listen to each guest but do not expect to "fix" their situation.

- Be honest. Do not promise what you cannot do. Be able to say "I don't know" or "I can't".

- Always use a calm voice.

- Refrain from touching a guest without permission under any circumstances.

- Accept responsibility for your own actions.

- Give the guests clear expectations. Your guests go to different congregations every night and each one has a different set of rules.

- Check your heating system. Some systems ar on a timer and operate at lower temperatures at night, which can result in uncomfortable sleeping conditions.

- Monitor your clothing room. One or two changes of clothing should be sufficient for any guest.

- Ensure all blankets are returned to the downtown center by the volunteers.

- Complete the summary sheet from the previous night and return it to the downtown center the following morning. This form is critical in evaluating the ongoing program, in identifying problems and concerns, and for capturing data about Room In The Inn.

- Do not overstep your bounds as a volunteer.

- Use your instincts. If you are uncomfortable with a guest or situation, let someone know.

- If your congregation has leftover food, please have your van driver take it to the Guest House door by the wooden fence. It can be used for participants in our residential program.

Helping Individual Guests
Room In The Inn guests often share their personal stories with volunteers at each congregation, and their experiences can inspire generosoty and kindle a desire to become more deeply involved with a particular individual. This might include offering special assistance with employment, housing, medical needs, or some other request.

Before providing help to a guest, volunteers should consider consulting withe a member of the Room IN The Inn team. Staff members may not know about the difficulties a guest is experiencing and can provide additional support and guidance. Tehy can serve as liaisions between the congregation and guest in order to protect confidentiality and fairness. Finally, Room In The Inn staff members might be able to present a more complete picture of someone's specific needs.

Reaching out is an act of faith. Room In The Inn provides a venue for fellowship that can result in empowerment and change. Its staff serves as a sounding board indetermining appropriate assistance for individual guests so that a congregation's resources can be used in the most effective way.