Love Builds Up
A Home
Mission: Serve as an interfaith organization dedicated to bringing the community together to end homelessness, one life at a time.
Population Served: People experiencing homelessness in Mecklenburg County
History: In 2019, Urban Ministry Center and Men’s Shelter of Charlotte merged into one comprehensive service provider to form Roof Above.
Approach: The continuum of services covers everything from street outreach, basic services (mail, showers, laundry) and a year-round soup kitchen, two shelters for men, Room in the Inn, rapid rehousing and permanent supportive housing programs. In addition, Roof Above offers a substance abuse program that offers transitional housing to men in recovery.
How Love Builds Up
Through this partnership there are opportunities to serve at Room in the Inn, provide in-kind donations, and participate in Operation Sandwich.
If you would like to engage in Myers Park Presbyterian Church’s partnership with Roof Above, please email outreach@myersparkpres.org.
We become neighbors when we are willing to cross the road for one another. There is a lot of road crossing to do. We are all very busy in our own circles. We have our own people to go to and our own affairs to take care of. But if we could cross the road once in a while and pay attention to what is happening on the other side, we might indeed become neighbors.
About: Room in the Inn is a program within Roof Above where colleges, congregations of faith, and other organizations open their facilities to provide shelter and food for people experiencing homelessness during the winter months, December 1 – March 31.
Each site offers a warm, safe place to sleep, serves three meals (dinner, breakfast and bag lunch) and then returns guests the following morning to uptown Charlotte. The program offers a unique way for people of faith to become directly involved with individuals experiencing homelessness. The basic goal is to keep homeless individuals from freezing on cold winter nights. A greater goal is to offer a loving relationship between people experiencing homelessness and members of the host group.
2022 - 2023 Room in the Inn Guidelines
Throughout the COVID19 pandemic, Roof Above has remained focused on its mission of “working together to end homelessness.” This winter season they are inviting Myers Park Presbyterian Church (MPPC) to join in the work of loving our neighbors by participating in another season of Room in the Inn (RITI).
Safety remains at the forefront for those Roof Above serves, their staff, volunteers, and the greater Charlotte community. With all of these populations in mind, Roof Above has updated their policies and guidelines for the 2022-2023 RITI season.
These policies include the following:
1. Vaccination will not be required by RITI guests for participation.
2. Anyone who shows any symptoms or does not pass screening questions will be given a rapid antigen test at intake.
3. Anyone who has been identified to recently be in close contact with a positive guest/volunteer AND has at least one symptom will receive a rapid antigen test.
4. Any guests testing COVID positive will be diverted to an isolation location.
5. Masking will be required for all guests and volunteers regardless of vaccination status during intake, transport, and at host site.
6. Masks are not required while outside or while eating, showering or sleeping.
7. Practices of social distancing are encouraged at host sites (eting less to a table and distancing beds).
We need you to make Room in the Inn happen! Sign up below to serve as a driver, bed maker, overnight host, or breakfast maker.
Across the Alley
Because Myers Park United Methodist Church does not have access to their former Room in the Inn space in their Youth Building, we are partnering with them to host 12 neighbors on Wednesday nights in our Outreach Center. We’re grateful for this partnership “across the alley” and look forward to providing much needed hospitality to our neighbors this winter season.