Room in the Inn (RITI) – A Meaningful Connection to the Homeless by Mike Tyson
ROOM IN THE INN (RITI) — A Meaningful Connection to the Homeless
by Mike Tyson
One of my more rewarding volunteer activities this year was spending the morning of April 3rd at the Homeless Connect at First Presbyterian Church. This is an annual event where the homeless in Fort Worth can receive on-the-spot services ranging from health care to assistance with food, housing and jobs.
It was my good fortune to work as an appointment taker at the haircutting station, where up to 20 hair stylists volunteered their time to transform completely the image of more than 100 homeless clients. Many hair stylists took “selfies” with their clients who not only sported a new look, but a huge smile!
One of the best things about participating in this event was seeing many of our friends who have been guests at RITI this past year. After an exchange of greetings, they always asked, “How is everyone at St. Stephen?” generally followed by, “I miss seeing you each week and look forward to returning to St. Stephen this summer.”
Which brings me to the subject of sharing the RITI volunteer experience with you:
I became involved in RITI last summer, shortly after joining SSPC. RITI has been significant to me—not only because it has provided a meaningful connection to the issue of homelessness by giving it faces, names and life stories that could be any of ours—but also because it has built friendships with SSPC members with common concerns. This is an important mission of St. Stephen, and I encourage you to do yourself a favor by getting involved.
In case you’re not familiar—RITI is our outreach project to homeless in our community. During the hottest and coldest months of the year, our guests are provided a comfortable place to sleep in a friendly environment, as well as a good dinner and breakfast the following morning. The summer session of Room in the Inn will begin Tuesday, July 1 and will continue each Tuesday evening/ Wednesday morning through August 26/ 27.
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