Community Partner Spotlight: Room in the Inn

Giving back has always been an important part of the ProTech culture. The company’s community service program has been in place for many years, providing a solid platform for volunteerism. As is often the case with older programs and initiatives, however, ProTech Cares needed a little rejuvenation!

Fortunately, ProTech Cares got a fresh infusion of life this year. In addition to making the initiative more robust with ways for employees to volunteer, the ProTech team was able to vote on a charity for the company to support for the year. This year’s charity is Room in the Inn (RITI).

RITI got its start in November of 2009, when the tiny congregation of Colonial Cumberland Presbyterian Church welcomed strangers into the warm, safe sanctuary of a building that was underused during the winter. Four guests shared dinner and fellowship that first night with members of the church. This small group of people felt that this would be a good outreach project. Today, Room in the Inn is no longer an outreach project; it has become a way of life and ministry for more than 50 congregations, and that number continues to grow.

The mission of RITI is to shelter those experiencing homelessness in a safe environment of hospitality. The nonprofit organization adheres to three core values: building community on love and respect, welcoming all as an expression of faith, and giving hope and hospitality in a safe environment.

What does that look like in practice? Room in the Inn offers three programs:

• The Congregational Shelter model, where over 50 faith communities across the Greater Memphis Area come together to provide life-saving shelter every winter.
• In 2021, RITI Memphis opened the Mid-South’s first Recuperative Care Center for people experiencing homelessness – a 21 bed unit offering recovery services for those who are released from hospitals across the Mid-South.
• The Family Inn shelters up to 14 families who are in the rapid-rehousing process. In addition, RITI piloted a Family Inn program during 2020, partnering with local hotels for families experiencing homelessness.

More information is available on Room in the Inn’s Facebook and Instagram.