Two downtown Louisville churches are offering a warm place to stay and meals for the city’s homeless population during cold nights through the “Room In the Inn” program.
The program, which began in Nashville about 39 years ago, provides beds and hot meals at churches when outdoor temperatures are too dangerous for people to sleep outside.
Christ Church Cathedral on South 2nd Street launched Room In the Inn in Louisville last winter. The church has 15 beds and has already begun welcoming guests.
Starting Monday, Jan. 26, Grace Immanuel United Church of Christ will also open its doors to 10 individuals each night. Guests arrive at 1612 Story Ave around 6 p.m. for dinner, some downtime, and a safe place to sleep. They leave around 6:30 a.m. after breakfast and receive a bag of snacks for the day.
“That’s part of the beauty of this Room In the Inn model,” said Reverend Erin Wathen, a pastor at Grace Immanuel United Church of Christ. “It provides so much stability. It’s not just about a place to sleep, although that is a critical need. When you’ve got some of your other basic needs met, like food for the day, you can really focus on other things.”
The beds will be available through early March, even when temperatures are too warm for Louisville’s white flag shelter status.
Wathen said the churches hope to expand the program in the coming months and credited volunteers and partner organizations for helping get the program up and running.
Those interested in volunteering can email [email protected] or call Christ Church Cathedral at (502) 587-1354 or Grace Immanuel United Church of Christ at (502) 587-6190.
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