ARM teams up with local churches for ‘Room in the Inn,’ summer edition

JACKSON, Tenn. — Summer has just begun, but we’ve already had some 90 degree days that felt like 100.

“Our guys are miserable. They’re baking. They come in eaten with mosquitoes. They stay in the woods in tents, and it’s just miserable this time of year,” said Michael Roby, executive director of Area Relief Ministries.

Roby says the summer heat is particularly hard on those who have no place to call home.

“And at nighttime, just because it gets dark doesn’t mean it gets any less humid or anything. It’s still just as muggy, and it’s hard to sleep, and the nights I do stay in my tent, it’s unbearable,” said JJ, helped by “Room in the Inn.”

This is why Roby says participation in the program, “Room in the Inn,” is so important, teaming up with local churches to provide food and shelter to a group of men who need it the most.

“We’re all called to serve the poor and the homeless and the hungry and the needy, and when you do this, you feel amazing afterwards,” said volunteer Nancy Caterina.

Organizers say it is easy to volunteer. It takes two to four people to provide a meal and spend the evening.

“The first night we did it, we made fried chicken, because it’s the only thing I know how to cook,” laughed Caterina.

Food, shelter, and fellowship may be routine for some, but for others, it could change their lives.

“The “Room in the Inn” and ARM, they provide a valuable service. Without them, I don’t know where I’d be,” JJ said. “I can’t speak for the other guys, but I’m pretty sure they feel the same way.”

Roby says they are in need of local churches that would like to host a night of “Room in the Inn.” He says they are also always looking for people who may want to volunteer at one.

If you know a local church that would like to participate this summer, you can contact Area Relief Ministries at 731-423-9257.