Mr. Gaither, a Charlotte Neighbor

“Did you know that…” O’Donald Gaither enjoys a visitor’s company and is good at keeping the conversation going, a skill of his generation before the...

July 27, 2020 / 0 Comments

Stepping Stones: From Shelter to Independence

For men whose path out of homelessness is employment, the COVID-19 pandemic brought a little bit of luck. According to Roman philosopher Seneca, “Luck is...

June 08, 2020 / 0 Comments

Safety and Solutions Now, Basketball Later

When Room In The Inn (RITI) was abruptly suspended in March due to COVID-19, hundreds of people who depended on the program were suddenly unsheltered....

April 02, 2020 / 0 Comments

Finding Myself in the SABER Family

After a 40-year battle with addiction, I found myself lost in the wilderness. Throughout my battle I had many half-hearted attempts at recovery, failing of...

March 09, 2020 / 0 Comments

Embracing Humanity

“911, do you need Police, Fire or Medic?” “I need an ambulance for a man who says he is having chest pains.” Not a typical Room In...

February 05, 2020 / 1 Comment

Harrison’s Second Story

Harrison shoplifted daily to maintain his addiction. A cycle of arrests and jail visits made him a regular within the criminal justice system. When he...

December 11, 2019 / 2 Comments

Giovanni’s Second Story: “in charge”

Although Giovanni works in 90-degree heat rolling fiber for twelve hours each evening, his attitude remains surprisingly positive. Mostly because, as he says, he is...

November 25, 2019 / 0 Comments

The Backbone of Room In The Inn – Host Sites

What is the backbone of Room In The Inn?  It is our host sites.  RITI would not exist without the involvement of our host sites...

October 17, 2019 / 0 Comments

Bench Project Empowers Artists

Earlier this summer, the ArtWorks945 studio engaged with community members to paint our campus benches. Artists designed their own bench and were encouraged to lead...

September 25, 2019 / 2 Comments

Moving from Nobody to Somebody

As a Room In The Inn volunteer, I worked with Andy and his forever friend, Sandy.  The following is Andy’s story as I know it....

August 01, 2019 / 0 Comments

Where do you go from here?

Room In The Inn helps people experiencing homelessness by coordinating emergency shelter in partnership with faith organizations during the winter months. .. but this story is...

July 17, 2019 / 2 Comments

Housing Solutions: What Can We Learn from our Past?

When former Charlotte Observer editor and former Urban Ministry Center Board Chair Jennie Buckner first moved to Charlotte in 1968, she made what would seem...

July 10, 2019 / 1 Comment