Pete Womack – Deacon has an opportunity to help serve the needs of the homeless in Metro Louisville in a direct way through the Cathedral. Dean Matthew Bradley is working on a pilot project that will open a branch of A Room In The Inn in Louisville to see if it will be successful in housing homeless people during the cold weather months. Typically, established Room In The Inn shelters operate between November 1st and March 31st, but this pilot project will run from January to the end of March to start with. A Room In The Inn began at a church in Nashville, Tennessee in 1985, and has since grown to include over 200 congregations from different denominations across the US and in Canada. It is based on a model of providing a warm and safe place in the church building for homeless people to sleep overnight, out of the cold. Volunteers work in three shifts to set up the space, spend time with the residents and remain overnight, or serve breakfast and clean up the next morning. There is a core staff present that is trained and has experience with working with homeless people, and they provide structure and direction for the volunteers. Dean Matt’s pilot will use the space dedicated to the existing Up for Women and Children day shelter in the basement of the Cathedral. There will be 15 beds available for women only, and the day shelter staff will help with the overnight shelter activity. Training will be provided W February 2024 SPREAD THE GOOD NEWS 4 at the shelter by the Up staff. Dean Matt had originally wanted to start this pilot in January of 2024, but because of a change in Up facility directors, this was not possible. Instead, the pilot is aiming to start in January 2025, giving it a year to organize and line up resources. St Paul’s is being called to participate by recruiting volunteers to help with the shelter operation. As information becomes available, it will be shared with the congregation. If you have an interest in participating or want to know more, please talk to Fr. Andrew, myself, or a vestry member. This is an opportunity to come together with others in Louisville Metro to provide hospitality to people without a home.