Room In The Inn 2026-2027 Information

Saint Matthew hosts men experiencing homelessness each winter through our Room In The Inn ministry. These men rely on Saint Matthew not only for a warm meal, a refreshing shower, and a safe place to sleep, but also for the clothing and supplies they need throughout the winter months.

Saint Matthew hosts men on the second and third Thursday of each month from November through March. This ministry depends on the generosity of our parish community through both volunteers and donations.

Winter Coat Drive

Each year, the winter season begins with our annual Winter Coat Drive, providing warm coats and other cold-weather clothing to the men we welcome through Room In The Inn. This year, we will be collecting items on the weekends of October 19 & 20, as well as October 25 & 26. Please place your donated items in the bins across from the sacristy.

Heavy, warm winter coats remain our greatest needs. In previous years, our guests have taken nearly every coat donated, making it especially important that we replenish our supply each year. Coats may be new or gently used, provided they are clean and in good condition. Please remember our ministry only serves adult men, so please only donate men’s or gender neutral items.

Overall, our Winter Coat Drive collects the following cold-weather items:

  • Warm winter coats
  • Hoodies and Sweatshirts
  • Sweatpants (both cotton and athletic-style pants)
  • Blue Jeans
  • Winter Boots and Athletic Shoes
  • Hats and Gloves
  • Thermal and Long Underwear (new only please)
  • Socks and Boxer Briefs (new only please)
  • Backpacks
  • Gift Cards – Target, Walmart, Fast Food, Convenient Stores, etc… (Denominations of $25 or less please)
  • Other items as found on the Amazon Wish List

Drive Notes

Please help us make the most of your generosity by following these guidelines:

  • Please donate only items on our requested list. Our storage space is limited, and we want to make sure that donations meet the needs of our guests.
  • Please do not donate summer clothing, business attire, or women’s and children’s clothing. Please consider donating these items to Graceworks.
  • Please do not donate sweaters. Sweaters are not among the items currently needed.
  • Items should be clean and in good condition, without stains, tears, or significant wear.
  • New underwear, socks, and other items designated as new must be new. Our guests especially appreciate boxer briefs.

Not sure where to start? We recommend your closet. After that, consider purchasing needed items directly from our Amazon Wish List. The list is kept up to date based on our current needs, and items purchased through the list are shipped directly to Saint Matthew.

Giving on a budget? Consider visiting estate sales or catching items at the end-of-year clearance at stores. Items like coats, underwear, shoes,

If you have any questions, please reach out to Rhea Forte (615-828-5950) or Mary Peters (615-308-1930).

Volunteer with Room In The Inn

There are many ways to serve through Room In The Inn, but Innkeepers are currently our greatest volunteer need.

Innkeepers spend the night with our guests, helping provide a welcoming, safe environment throughout their stay. Two Innkeepers are needed each night, and at least one must be male. If you are intrigued with becoming an Innkeeper but aren’t sure if it’s the right fit for you, we invite you to shadow an experienced Innkeeper for a night before committing to serve. Please note, new Inn Keepers will always serve alongside someone with experience in the role, and you will never be paired with another first-time Innkeeper.

Not ready to commit to an overnight role? There are many other ways to help, including driving, preparing meals, hospitality, fellowship, laundry, and assisting with showers.

Volunteer Opportunities

  • Innkeepers: Spend the night with our guests and help provide a welcoming and safe environment. Two Innkeepers are required each night, and at least one must be male. Arrive around 7 or come enjoy dinner with the guests at 6 p.m.
    Drivers: Pick up guests at the downtown Room In The Inn campus between 5 and 5:15 p.m. and bring them to Saint Matthew. Drivers also return guests to the downtown campus the following morning between 5:30 and 5:45 a.m.
  • Hospitality: Prepare the Cohan-Hansom Building for our guests’ arrival by setting up mattresses, making the beds, arranging tables for dinner, and preparing clothing and other supplies available for our guests.
  • Meals: We provide three meals for our guests- dinner, breakfast, and lunch. Dinner are full meals and generally home-cooked. Dinner volunteers can split the responsibility with other families if needed. Families providing dinners are encouraged to stay and mingle with our guests, but not required to. Breakfast is generally sausage biscuits, or an egg casserole, milk, OJ, cereal.  Lunch is a sack lunch complete with sandwich, chips, snack, a piece of fruit, and water.
  • Fellowship: Join our guests for dinner and conversation. Bring a side dish to share and spend time getting to know the men we welcome.
  • Guest Shower Host: Prepare and maintain the shower area throughout the evening by offering fresh towels and toiletries to each guest when it is their turn to shower. The guest shower host also sprays down the shower between guests, and completes a final cleanup of the shower area at the end of the evening to prepare it for storage. This role typically goes from 6:30–8:30 p.m., or arrive at 6 and enjoy dinner with our guests. This role must be filled by a male volunteer.
  • Laundry: Pick up laundry Friday morning and return the clean linens to Saint Matthew by the following Monday.

View our SignUp Genius to sign up for a volunteer opportunity. With only 10 dates, many slots fill up quickly. We can’t wait for you to get involved with RITI.

If a volunteer date appears to be full, please don’t assume you can’t volunteer! Contact Rhea Forte, and she will work with you to find a way for you to serve that night.

Room In The Inn also has volunteer needs throughout the year, including sorting and taking inventory, washing donations, and other tasks as they arise. Contact Rhea if you would like to get involved.

Lastly, you can always make a financial gift to Room In The Inn. Donations are used to fill pressing needs in the ministry and enhance our guest experience while staying at Saint Matthew. This could be purchasing clothing items, getting new mattresses, and in 2024 we were able to install the showers our guest so longed for. Thank you for your generosity.