Preparations underway for ‘Room in the Inn’ as winter approaches

JACKSON, Tenn. — Community members came together Thursday to discuss the planning and ideas for a very special service to the Jackson area.

The Room in the Inn preseason connection kick-off event had three different sessions Thursday at Englewood Baptist Church on North Highland Avenue. This is a time where they come together ahead of the winter months to nail down their plans for the season.

Fred McKinnie, the Executive Director of Area Relief Ministries, tells us how this one was a little different than most.

“Every year, we have like a Room in the Inn coordinators meeting roundtable to discuss the upcoming year,” McKinnie said. “Any changes, ideas that they have that could help us better serve the homeless population. So, this year we wanted to open it up to the community.”

The season begins in just a few weeks on November 1, and will go all the way until April 30. McKinnie tells us about what they offer.

“So it provides shelter for men to be out of the cold and have a warm place to stay and meals to eat, and to have fellowship with everyday individuals and community leaders in our community,” said McKinnie.

There is always room for more members of our area to get involved and help out. All you need to do is call (731) 423-9257 to learn more.

“We can show them how they can get involved, whether that is volunteering, providing a meal, overnight stay, opening up their church, or providing transportation,” said McKinnie.

McKinnie tells us that community involvement is incredibly important for not just the Room in the Inn, but all of the programs around our area.

“Without the community and without the people working together there is no peace, there is no harmony, there are no actions going to be taking place. So ARM has always been very community oriented with churches. So we want to continue to build that relationship,” he said.

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