BUILDING HOPE
for Women & Children
Women and children have increasingly become the faces of homelessness in Nashville. As the Mission began to see more women experiencing homelessness walk through our doors, especially those with small children, we knew it was time to do something more.
These women and children need more than food, clothing, and shelter to break the cycle of homelessness. They need services and support that will allow them to plan for a better tomorrow and take them out of a shelter environment, and put them on the path to independent and sustainable housing.
In January 2024, Nashville Rescue Mission opened up this brand-new campus to serve women and children in our community.
THE NEED IS ENDLESS
There were 2,129 homeless persons in Davidson County’s 2023 Point in Time Count, an annual effort between agencies to produce a count of those experiencing homelessness in one night. Lack of affordable housing is a significant cause of homelessness—even in families with one or both parents working, they may not make a livable wage. Illness, unemployment, accidents, criminal records, and evictions often limit the ability to secure stable and affordable housing.
Helping a mother succeed provides a much higher chance for her children to thrive and break the cycle. Often that means providing them with:
- a safe environment
- case management
- access to medical and mental health care
- career education
- job readiness
- substance use treatment
- emotional and social support
- life skills
- parenting education and assistance
- financial literacy
- early intervention referrals
Plans for A New Campus
With the support of many generous donors, the Mission began construction on the new Women & Children's Campus in the late summer of 2021.
This construction project wrapped in October 2023, and the new campus opened in January 2024.
Here is a view of the new campus:
Sonia is just one story of hope that you made possible.
“I didn’t have a job. I had nowhere to live. I wanted to die. I went from being a stay-at-home mom to a full-blown addict, homeless, addicted to meth—and asking myself, ‘How did I get here?’”
Meet SoniaDETAILS OF NEW CAMPUS
This new campus not only allows us to add additional space to better accommodate guests, but it also allows the Mission to expand the services we offer to help women and mothers with children move out of a shelter environment and into independent, sustainable housing.
Here are some details:
- Adds 166 beds to emergency services dorms, increasing from 182 to 348
- Increases the number of family rooms from 8 to 16
- Increases restroom and shower capacity
- Increases the kitchen floorplan to adequately accommodate staff and volunteers
- Increases the seating capacity of the cafeteria from 96 to 156
- Adds a new chapel space with a larger stage and increases seating from 225 to 375
- Improves accessibility for individuals who have mobility impairments
- Increases classroom, office, and meeting spaces
- Provides meeting space for external partners who offer wrap-around services in the areas of housing, education, employment, mental health, and more
- Increases guest lockers for storage
- Enhances the playground, as well as adds a play area for older kids so children of all ages have safe places to play
- Creates safe, private, and secure courtyards
- Enhances security
- Creates a central entrance and designated service entrance
- Increases parking
- Increases (or doubles) our ability to provide Recovery Programs to women from 20 to 40 participants
RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONY OF NEW WOMEN & CHILDREN'S CAMPUS
In late October, Nashville Rescue Mission cut the ribbon on the new Women & Children's Campus, dedicating the space to God's faithfulness. Guests moved into the building in January 2024.
CONTACT US FOR MORE INFORMATION
SAM SIPLE
Vice President of Development
ssiple@nashvillerescuemission.org