Few people make the kind of impact on a city that Charlie Strobel did.

On a winter night in 1985, Father Strobel, then pastor at Holy Name Catholic Church in East Nashville, saw people gathered in the parking lot trying to endure the cold. He invited them inside, and gave them food and shelter for the night. From this, the program he called Room In the Inn began. And so did his dedication to serving people who are experiencing homelessness, which would never waver — even as Room In the Inn grew from an informal arrangement between churches into the multi-story Campus for Human Development that it is today.

Charlie Strobel died over the weekend at the age of 80. In this episode, we remember his life and his legacy.

Guests:

• Beth Courtney, niece
• Rachel Hester, executive director of Room In the Inn
• Howard Allen, co-founder of Nashville Homeless Underground
• Stacy Rector, director of Tennesseans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty
• Lindsey Krinks, co-founder and director of advocacy for Open Table Nashville

This episode was produced by Steve Haruch.