Jefferson City Room at the Inn
Our Story
At the end of 2019, during a debrief session from Project Homeless Connect, a group was formed called the Homeless Task Force. Through this group, it quickly became apparent that emergency housing was an emerging need, and a solution was necessary. The emergency housing team began meeting on a monthly basis to develop a Room at the Inn concept for Jefferson City. Jefferson City Room at the Inn (JCRATI) was developed and officially started in February 2022, hosting around 4-6 individuals each night for one month. Although we weren’t fully ready to open our doors, the community’s emergency need led us to give it a try.
Catholic Charities graciously allowed us to use their space for the 2022-2023 season, with a capacity of 12 guests per night. As demand grew, we partnered with First Baptist Church to expand our emergency shelter services to accommodate 20 guests. During this time, we learned the ins and outs of the program, began offering dinner and breakfast, and consistently reached full capacity each night.
JCRATI is a volunteer-run program, with one part-time paid staff member. The community has provided overwhelming support through space, monetary donations, volunteer hours, necessary supplies, prayers, and other essential needs. JCRATI would not be possible without this generous support. While we are incredibly grateful for the space provided by First Baptist, we are actively seeking a permanent location and hope to secure one soon.
VOLUNTEER! We have options.
Volunteers can choose from three different shifts which are described below. You can also volunteer to prepare and serve food at the shelter. We always hope to have at least one veteran volunteer on each shift, so newcomers are always welcome! You can also reach out to schedule what we call a “shadow shift” where you can just stand aside and observe or pitch in where you feel comfortable. All volunteers should be 18 or older. Kids under the age of 18 can help serve a meal.
Lead Evening Host (5:10 pm – 11:00 pm)
The Lead Host will arrive to unlock doors. He or she should be a past volunteer who is comfortable with this shift and can provide training/orientation to any new volunteers on this shift.
Evening Host 1 (5:15 pm – 11:00 pm)
Evening Host 2 (5:15 – 9:00 pm)
Evening hosts help make coffee, set up snack/drink area, set up check-in desk, check-in Guests as they arrive, coordinate storage of Guests’ bags, secure personal items in envelopes at the check-in desk, supervise evening smoke breaks, and be available for interaction with Guests prior to lights out.
Dinner Donation (6:30 pm – 6:45 pm)
Provide dinner for up to 23 (20 guests & 3 hosts) for the shelter. This can be carry-out from a restaurant or a homemade meal such as chili or a casserole (just be sure to use disposable containers–JCRATI will not store volunteers’ dishes for pickup later). Donors will deliver items and are asked to stay and serve the meal.
Lead Overnight Host (11:00 pm – 5:00 am)
The Lead Overnight Host should be a past volunteer who is comfortable with this shift and can provide training/orientation to any new volunteers on this shift.
Overnight Host (11:00 pm – 5:00 am)
Relieve Evening Hosts, ensure a safe and restful environment for Guests, be available for Guests’ needs, handle any issues that require action or intervention, and unlock doors when Morning Hosts arrive.
Lead Morning Host (5:00 am – 7:30 am)
As with other Lead Hosts, this should be a past volunteer who is comfortable with this shift and can provide training/orientation to any new volunteers on this shift. The Lead Host will lock up shelter for the day.
Morning Host 1 (5:00 am – 7:30 am)
Morning Host 2 (6:00 am – 7:30 am)
Relieve Overnight Hosts, prepare coffee, awaken Guests, supervise the morning smoke break, retrieve luggage and return to Guests, assist Guests with check-out, and clean the shelter to prepare for the next evening.
Breakfast Donation (6:00 am – 6:30 am)
Provide breakfast for up to 23 (20 guests & 3 hosts) and deliver to the shelter. This can be individually-wrapped breakfast sandwiches from a fast food restaurant or a homemade meal (just be sure to use disposable containers; JCRATI will not store volunteers’ dishes for pickup later). If you are able to stay and serve, that helps our morning hosts.
How to Sign Up
We use Sign-Up Genius to schedule volunteers for each shift. That list will go live on November 1 and we will post the link here and on our Facebook page at that time.
