Support Pamela's Mission of Community Aid

My name is Pamela and I have been in the hospitality industry for over 35 years. It allowed me to travel the world and dream of a day I could have my own hotel where guests could relax, rejuvenate, and make memories. In 2015, I was in a car accident that took 2 surgeries on my left foot & ankle and a right knee replacement to be able to walk properly again. During my healing, I decided it was time to live my dream and I purchased the Inn on the River in Glen Rose, Texas, in June of 2019. This property was built in 1919 to provide wellness to individuals who needed help. They practiced mineral water treatments, magnetic healing, massage therapy, and chiropractic care.

As everyone knows, 8 months later life changed for the world, with the advent of the COVID-19 worldwide pandemic. During the first weeks of the "Stay-at-Home" orders, we had a family call us in a panic, as their house burnt to the ground and they needed a safe place to stay with their children and animals. We didn't hesitate and immediately took them in which was the start of our secondary purpose - community assistance. That family stayed here for a month and as they left, we had other individuals come to our attention that needed a roof over their head, a shower or simply a hot meal and use of the laundry.

A few months after the fire family left, we were introduced to a young man struggling with mental & physical health. We engaged with the person and took him and his dog into the hotel and went about seeking better healthcare for him. He spent 8 months living here and by providing him with a steady home, he was able to seek employment and eventually was able to move into his own apartment.

Our next part of community support was the start of something so much bigger...In Feb of 2021, a deep freeze hit Texas and in our community, there were no resources to help people who lost power, water, or gas. We stepped up and opened our doors to anyone in need, free of charge, and ended up taking in 228 people, 48 dogs, 6 cats, 3 tarantulas, and a fish. We kept everyone here for a week until their homes were safe to return to and we had to turn away paying guests because we were in "shelter" mode. We also spent over $10,000 helping the elderly and the disadvantaged in our community repair water pipes and other issues caused by the freeze. When the dust settled, we still had 4 families that needed extra assistance, so they continued here at the Inn until we could involve the right social services to resolve issues that were bigger than just the freeze, including finding them affordable housing, getting them medical care and even keeping one 84-year old woman at the Inn for the year it took to get your home repaired so she could move back into it.

From that point forward, those in the know would guide a person in need to the Inn, where we would not just shelter them, but also counsel them through the problem so they could rise above their need and excel in life. We celebrate community and help in any way we can, at the same time, we also are a historic boutique hotel and restaurant, that provides the best in hospitality to travelers seeking a night or two of rest and comfort. We use the paying guests to help us fund our mission of providing a safe haven to those in need.

The contrast between our "residents" and our "guests" are vast, but we aim to provide the same level of respect and hospitality to everyone...as an example

"had such a wonderful time with your and your "crew" there at the Inn. It was magical that God pointed us to you when we were looking for the perfect "grandson adventure" with us...it was one of the best times we've had! Your rooms, food, grounds and special special people have us ready to come back sooner rather than later!" - Ann & Buddy

"I just wanted to say thank you one more time. In all our married life my husband and I been made to feel so special. You showed us such kindness and appreciation for our commitment to each other, which was part of the being made to feel special. I pray that God blesses your life with great love and happiness as he has blessed ours" - Ron & Roxie

"I want to thank you for your kindness last week when my sister found herself in desperate straits. Her RV had run out of propane and she was unable to find any, leaving her in the cold on that Sunday night when temperatures dropped below 0. I was so afraid for her. When I heard on Monday that you had opened up your Inn for people without heat and that you sent someone for her and even accepted her tiny dog, I could not believe how fortunate she was. You gave her a warm rooms, gave her hot meals, and allowed her to stay until she could get propane and go back to her home. I am so grateful, I truly believed you saved her life." - Nancy

Over the 5 years, we have helped over 350 individuals or families with shelter when they needed it most, whether they sought out the inn due to a family crisis, trauma, job loss, financial loss, or emergencies...we provide them with shelter and a shoulder to lean on.

Now it is our turn to be in trouble and need assistance - we all know that inflation has hurt too many people and with less discretionary income, spending money on a quaint historical boutique hotel is not a priority. Our costs of operations have skyrocketed just like many of you have seen in your homes and we have been scraping by ensure we can pay our bills and keep the bank loan current. We have managed to do that but it wasn't pretty and our bank feels our loan is too risky and they called the note and if we didn't pay the entire amount due - they would foreclose and sell the property at auction. We couldn't let that happen, because we are too passionate about what we offer to our paying guests and our non-paying residents. We filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy to keep the bank at bay. We are the helpers, not the helpless, but we can't keep up with the expenses if we don't find a way to either raise funds to pay down our loan or convince more people to come enjoy our hospitality.

This is where we need your help...help us keep going by either coming to visit us (www.innontheriver.com) or making a donation to help us alleviate the need for bankruptcy and losing the property.