Jefferson City Room at the Inn provides homeless with emergency shelter.
Missouri weather can be immensely unpredictable, and anyone who has lived through a winter here knows just how bitterly cold the nights can be. Most people huddle comfortably in their homes as the frigid winds pass by outside. Unfortunately, a portion of the population in Jefferson City doesn’t have the luxury of a home to retreat to when the weather turns inhospitable.
There are, however, some groups of citizens working to serve these members of society. Jefferson City Room at the Inn (JCRATI) is a low-barrier shelter formed by the Homeless Task Force, now known as Housing the Community, Jefferson City (HCJC).
“During a Project Homeless Connect debrief meeting in 2019, I asked if any members were able to work on homeless issues outside of the annual Project Homeless Connect event,” says Stefani Thompson, one of the organization’s founders. “At the time, we had about 180-200 participants, and I knew there was more we could be doing to address root causes of homelessness while addressing immediate needs, like housing those that the Salvation Army could not. Our emergency committee quickly began processing the need for emergency shelter during the cold months, supplemental to the Salvation Army.”
While the Salvation Army shelter provides a great deal of support for the unhoused population in Jefferson City, there are some requirements that some unhoused people cannot meet.
“If somebody wants to go stay at the Salvation Army, they have to have an ID and pass a background check because there are children there,” says Sarah Hamilton, chair of Jefferson City Room at the Inn. Jefferson City Room at the Inn does not admit minors, so those who have trouble finding shelter or have behavioral issues are given a second chance.
“We’re a low-barrier shelter,” Sarah explains, “which means we don’t ask for ID or ask them to pass a background check or even give us their real names.”
“Many people don’t consider these homeless folks as human,” she says. “Our folks are human.”
The organization rarely has any issues despite the trauma, experience, and substance abuse struggles of the people who stay with them.
“The homeless that come here know when they have a good thing, and if they mess it up, they lose it,” Sarah says. “And not just for themselves but for everybody. I’ve never felt threatened when working with the homeless population.”
Jefferson City Room at the Inn hopes to expand its programming to further serve this often-misunderstood population. They currently offer housing from December 1 through the middle of March — weather and volunteers depending. This winter will be their fourth season. The organization would eventually like to operate throughout the entire year and create a day center so that people have options other than the library and cheap gym memberships for resources like bathrooms, showers, and shelter from extreme weather. The largest limiting factor is finding a location.
“Many people don’t consider these homeless folks as human”
Sarah Hamilton, Jefferson City Room at the Inn
“We started out at Catholic Charities,” Sarah explains. “They had this big meeting space where we could set up cots every night, and every morning, we would pack up everything in this little closet. Last year, First Baptist opened a space to us where we don’t have to do that, which was a godsend. The space is great, but it’s also not huge.”
While First Baptist Church has been generous in providing a completely free space, a day center is beyond their means.
“We need a building, preferably on a bus line,” Sarah says. “One that can house 20 people at night and maybe have space where we can have laundry facilities and showers, a place to just sit and relax and not be chased out during the day.”
But, Jefferson City Room at the Inn has to go through multiple barriers to find such a location.
“There are zoning issues,” Sarah says. “Nobody wants a homeless shelter in their backyard.”
While the barriers are a real concern, so is the need. Sarah believes that most people’s greatest barrier to compassion for people experiencing homelessness is a lack of knowledge and lack of familiarity with the human beings involved. Jefferson City Room at the Inn always welcomes volunteers with several options for shifts — depending on what time of day and level of interaction volunteers prefer.
“We always have an experienced volunteer on-site and an off-site point person to deal with any issues,” Sarah says. “We never have just one person on a shift.”
Jefferson City Room at the Inn is also looking at possible opportunities for potential volunteers to participate in training sessions, attend open houses, and shadow volunteers.
“What we offer is such a gift to an individual experiencing homelessness,” Sarah says. “We do everything we can to ensure a person gets a safe, warm good night’s sleep.”
Anyone interested in learning more about Jefferson City Room at the Inn can visit their Facebook page or email jeffcityrati@gmail.com.