Thanksgiving brings outstanding opportunities to show hurting and homeless neighbors they’re loved and cared for. Through the Mission’s annual Great Thanksgiving Banquet, you help nourish hungry bodies, fill empty hearts, and uplift discouraged spirits.

Your gifts will provide thousands of meals this Thanksgiving holiday to the hungry, homeless, and hurting in our community. A hearty meal for someone who is experiencing homelessness or battling addiction might be the very thing that leads them to making a radical life change.

LOCKED UP

It was Thanksgiving, and Ryan was so strung out he doesn’t remember much, other than the fact he missed it. A couple of weeks later, en route to buy drugs, Ryan ran a red light that led to his arrest, and he ended up spending Christmas in jail. “After my release, I went back to my grandmother’s house, thinking I would stay there,” shared Ryan. “But when I got there, she had packed my clothes, and my bags were in the front yard waiting for me.” Ryan doesn’t know exactly how his brother found Nashville Rescue Mission, but he’s glad he did.

“Before I came to the Mission, I was so depressed. I had lost everything, including my self-respect and self-worth. Two years later, and I have gained so much.”

BEING TRANSFORMED

“Drugs isolated me,” shared Ryan. “Going through the Mission’s program changed me in so many ways. In one of my classes, we had an assignment to write an apology letter to someone we had hurt. I wrote my letter to my grandmother. I decided to give her the letter, and it went a long way in helping rebuild that relationship.” Ryan proudly recalls his graduation day. “It was before COVID-19, so families were able to attend. My 82-year-old grandmother, barely able to walk because of arthritis in her knees, my son Jacob, and my two brothers, one who has cerebral palsy and is in a wheelchair, were all there. It was a huge blessing to me.” This year, Ryan has so much to be thankful for—most importantly, he says is the restoration he’s experienced with his family. “Before I came to the Mission, I was so depressed. I had lost everything, including my self-respect and self-worth. Two years later, and I have gained so much.”

GIVING THANKS

“I can’t thank the Mission enough for giving me a chance. God opened the hearts of people who work at the Mission to let me in and help me completely restore relationships with my family and build a relationship with God. The Mission put a Bible in my hand and helped me see I didn’t need to worry about what I lost. Today, I have a good job, and I’m saving money. I can manage it better too. I can’t thank the Mission, and its supporters enough for giving me the tools to do this.” There is no better time than the Thanksgiving season to express how Ryan and everyone at the Mission is so grateful for you and your support. Friends like you allow Nashville Rescue Mission to be where everyone feels welcome at Thanksgiving and throughout the year.

YOU MAKE THANKSGIVING GREAT

“We couldn’t do what we do without the support of generous donors, committed volunteers, and faithful staff,” said Glenn Cranfield, president and CEO of the Mission. “Each plays a valuable role in the ministry of the Mission. In some cases, our ministry starts with a meal … and sometimes that meal is the one served on Thanksgiving. In the process of filling an empty stomach, it might also be the very thing that opens the door to other Mission services such as job training, counseling, recovery programs. In many cases, it’s often the start of a new and better life.”