Next in our series of posts about new Charitocracy nominees, we have nominee OBX Room in the Inn, nominated by donor Ltwood@yahoo.com. They organize shelter for the homeless in the Outer Banks, also providing hospitality, food, and support services. You can find their website here.
Fun fact! This is a Charitocracy first. Never before while writing a new nominee blog post has that nominee already ranked #1. It's only the 2nd week of the month! In February, Sea Change OBX recruited over 30 new donors and squeaked out a win at the end of the month. In July, Food for Thought, in the same Outer Banks community, recruited almost 20 more for the win. And now OBX Room in the Inn has added more than a dozen more Charitocracy donors!
You might assume these new donors are all friends and family of mine and Jessica's. But you'd be so wrong! I'm pleased to report that, while some of the names are familiar to us, this is the first major growth in our donor base since 2017, and it's not coming from us or even from any of "our people!" This is an organic phenomenon. I'd love to see the same enthusiastic growth pop up in other communities across the country...
A few words on Charitocracy
Firstly, for newcomers: here's how it works. Donors pool their monthly contributions, as little as $1. The cause with the most votes each month wins the pot. No matter how much or how little you contribute, each donor at Charitocracy gets one vote. This is where charity meets democracy. So please share this post (scroll down for social sharing icons) and ask your friends to join us and vote! That's how we spread the word and, as a result, grow the monthly pot. The bigger the pot, the bigger our positive impact on the world!
About nominee OBX Room in the Inn
via The Coastland Times article Tuesday, March 24, 2020:
Through participating churches, Outer Banks Room in the Inn provides safe places to spend the night for the homeless men and women in Dare County. They also provide hot dinner and breakfast as well as a bagged lunch for their members.
Nancy Griffin, president of the board for Room in the Inn, said that the shelter normally moves from one participating church to another every week. Due to COVID-19, the shelter has decided to keep everyone at one central location to mitigate spread.
“Volunteers are coming in to help from other churches to that one church site,” Griffin explained.
Additional health guidelines have been instituted, including an increased amount of cleaning and sanitization measures as well as taking precautions while serving food.
The shelter season runs from November through the beginning of April. Starting April 5, the shelter will close for the season. In past years, participants have found seasonal work to get them through the summer. With the job market hindered due to COVID-19, Griffin is concerned.
“It makes it more challenging for our folks to find the seasonal work that they typically find,” Griffin said.
Griffin is also more worried now than ever that affordable housing will be extremely hard to come by. The shelter is looking for anyone willing to rent a room at an affordable rate to minimize the amount of people left at Room in the Inn.
“We don’t want them living out in the streets and being even more susceptible,” Griffin said. The shelter is seeking people willing to house a single individual for a temporary period of time.
The board usually takes the summer months to plan for their upcoming shelter season. With the rapidly changing nature of the situation surrounding the virus, Griffin said that may change. “We may have to change some of our priorities during that time,” she noted.
Griffin said the board is considering offering office hours throughout the summer season. These office visits are meant to have participants check-in and address any needs they may have.
With the uncertainty that lies ahead, Griffin said she does not know yet how the economy will impact whether or not the participants can work or find a place to live. “It’s hard to predict,” she said.
To learn more about Room in the Inn, visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/Room-In-The-Inn-Outer-Banks-105301804251431. For questions or to contact the Outer Banks Room in the Inn, call 252-255-1133.
So please visit the page of nominee OBX Room in the Inn to vote for, like, or discuss this cause!