When I think about Nashville Rescue Mission, the first word I think of is HOPE. I believe anything you can give to someone who has nothing gives them hope. It could be a bottle of water; it could be a meal; it could be a blanket.
That’s what the Mission does—they give people hope.
It’s a beautiful thing when you can partner with someone who is doing something to help people. It’s what our radio station is all about. When we partner with Nashville Rescue Mission for water drives or blanket drives, we see ourselves as an extension of the Mission. Through our collaborative efforts, we are creating a bigger team and helping more people. And the more people we can get involved in helping those in need, the better.
I moved from Virginia to Nashville in May 2017 and started working at Mix 92.9 a couple of months later. It was through the station’s ongoing relationship with the Mission that I first connected with helping the homeless in our city.
Nashville is a growing city that draws a lot of tourists. It’s also a city where there is a lot of opportunity. With so much opportunity, I believe there’s a good chance someone experiencing homelessness could survive here, and perhaps that’s what draws so many to Nashville.
For the past several years, our station has hosted a bottled water drive at local Kroger stores during the summer to help the Mission in their efforts to hydrate the homeless. We love supporting the Mission—as they are a fantastic resource committed to helping people get back on their feet.
Earlier this year, before the outbreak of the virus, I had the opportunity to serve lunch at the Mission and was surprised by how many meals they serve each day and amazed by the number of people they help every single day, seven days a week.
It was an eye-opening experience as I realized it takes a lot of people to pull off serving that many meals to that many people. I noticed there were volunteers of all ages. Some were there for the first time, and others were regulars. Each person had one job to do. It was nice to see such a seamless operation.
There are a lot of people experiencing homelessness in Nashville who are counting on the Mission for the nutrition they need. My time of serving makes me grateful to be a part of this community. It felt great to be a part of a group of people coming together for one purpose—and joining the Mission in their efforts to care for the most vulnerable in our city.
