dsickles: blog 
dolly_sickles's blog
room in the inn
Published Dec. 24, 2007
Last weekend my family traveled to Charlotte for a whirlwind holiday visit with my sister-in-law's family. We arrived at 2:30 and by 2:45 were elbow-deep in helping prepare dinner, which we were taking up to her church later in the evening.
The Charlotte-branch of the family attends Myers Park Baptist Church, and from December 1 through March 31, the church participates in the Charlotte Urban Ministry Center's Room In The Inn (RITI) program on Saturday nights. On Saturday, the Apex and Durham branches of the family had the honor of volunteering with RITI.
Around 5:00 we arrived at the church and helped prepare beds for fourteen homeless women (last week was the first week of all fourteen people being women). We laid towels, wash cloths, and personal hygiene packs (that their youth group assembled: tooth brush, tooth paste, soap, varied toiletries) at the foot of each bed. Myers Park Baptist Church has shower facilities, and each of the RITI participants each week have full shower access, which were very welcomed by the women on Saturday.
Dinner was a group affair. My sister-in-law prepared roasted potatoes and salad, and another family prepared roasted chicken, rolls and cookies. We served dinner, iced tea, lemonade and coffee, while the three younger boys with us (my nine year old, and my seven and ten year old nephews) played basketball after helping prepare beds. As dinner was coming to an end, the boys came in and chatted up the women.
After dinner, we sang carols and were accompanied by a guitarist from the congregation, and the daughter of the other family (who had vocal training from the NC School of the Arts) while my husband whistled along in the kitchen and washed every dish in the house.
It was our first volunteer efforts with Urban Ministries, and we felt so enriched afterward that we're looking forward to finding out more information about Urban Ministries in Raleigh.
- Do you volunteer? Where?
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GOLO member since July 2, 2007
December 24, 2007 8:44 p.m.
GOLO member since July 2, 2007
December 24, 2007 1:32 p.m.
When my husband's grandmother was in an Assisted Living center, there were around 12-14 ladies there, and for Christmas I would make them the tolietries packages, along with stationary and hard candy for them. And laundry detergent, since they did their own laundry at the center.
I also did errands for the Grannies before they died. (most trusted me with their money more than they trusted their own family!- sad, but true)
GOLO member since July 15, 2007
December 24, 2007 1:22 p.m.
GOLO member since July 30, 2007
December 24, 2007 1:07 p.m.
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