Advocate for homeless retiring from Urban Ministry Center

One of the state’s best known advocates for the homeless, Paul Hanneman, is retiring April 30 as program director at the Charlotte’s Urban Ministry Center.

Hanneman, 66, worked with the agency for 15 years but is best known for directing the ministry’s Room in the Inn program during the past four years.

Room in the Inn recruits church congregations to take in homeless men, women and children at night during the winter.

This past winter, it provided 17,000 beds at 135 houses of worship and YMCAs. Among those helped were 90 families with 127 children.

A former pastor, Hanneman said he will continue to serve the community as a consultant and teacher, with a goal of encouraging congregations to help low-income and homeless people.

His wife of 35 years, Evelyn, retired in February as operations director of the Baptist Peace Fellowship of North Carolina.

Hanneman said his successor has not yet been chosen.

This story was originally published April 25, 2015 at 4:46 PM with the headline "Advocate for homeless retiring from Urban Ministry Center."