Hawthorne Lane is preparing for the kick-off to one of our largest mission projects of the year, Room in the Inn. Through our partnership with the Urban Ministry we will host 14 of our homeless neighbors every Tuesday evening for 16 weeks to provide shelter and food during the cold winter months.
Hawthorne Lane United Methodist Church has been supporting the Room in the Inn program for over twenty years. Each Tuesday night between December 1st and March 31st, we pick up our neighbors and provide them with a warm and safe place to sleep, serve them three meals (dinner, breakfast and a bag lunch) and return them to uptown Charlotte the next morning. We would not be able to do any of this without the help of dedicated volunteers. Each week approximately 15 people are needed to help make Tuesday nights at Hawthorne a positive experience for our neighbors.
Want to be part of this important mission? Listed below ways you can help. Check out the RITI electronic sign ups at
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0545AEA72CA4F85-room
| Volunteer Job | Time Commitment | Time Frame | Number of Volunteers Needed |
| RITI Set up – set out mattresses and bed frames and make beds for 15 people and set out tables for dinner prior to our neighbors arriving | 1 to 1 ½ hours | Tuesday between Noon and 4:30 pm | 2 volunteers must be able to lift 30 pounds |
| Evening Bus Driver – pick up our neighbors at Urban Ministry using the Church Bus | 1 to 1 ½ hours | Tuesday between 5:30 pm and 6:30 pm |
1 person able to drive the church bus |
| Dinner Hosts – prepare at home, at church or pick up meals to serve our neighbors and volunteers. Everyone eats together and assists with clean up. | Meal Prep varies
Dinner |
Tuesday – Meal Prep – based on meal being served
Tuesday – Dinner from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm |
7 to 14 people – great activity for older children and small groups |
| After Dinner Hosts – Interact with our neighbors, provide entertainment, or other activities, etc. | 2 hours | Tuesday 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm | 2 people |
| Breakfast Host – prepare or deliver breakfast items the night before so the overnight host can serve breakfast at 5:30 am | 1 hour | Tuesday drop off between 6:00 pm and 9:00 pm |
1 to 2 people or small group |
| Brown Bag Lunch | N/A | N/A | Children’s project |
| Laundry – wash and dry neighbor’s laundry | 3 to 4 hours | Tuesday 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm |
1 to 2 people |
| Overnight Host – spends the night with our neighbors, prepares breakfast the next morning | 11 to 12 hours | Tuesday from 7:30 pm to Wednesday at 6:30 am | 2 People one of which must be male |
| Morning Bus Driver – Bus driver will leave HLUMC at 5:50 am to deliver our neighbors to the Transit Center by 6:00 to 6:15 am and returns the bus to the church | 1 hour | Wednesday – 5:30 am to 6:30 am | 1 person |
| RITI Shut Down – strip the beds, put all the laundry into baskets and put the mattresses and bed frames away | 1 to 1 ½ hours | Wednesday 6:30 am to Noon | 1 to 2 people must be able to lift 30 lbs. |
| Wednesday Laundry – wash, dry, fold and put away the sheets, towels and blankets used each night. | 4 hours | Wednesday 6:30 am to noon | 1 person using the church washer and dryer |