Perhaps the greatest pain in the plight of someone experiencing homelessness is feeling forgotten. Cold, hunger and even mental illness are overshadowed by the greater affliction of being alone and unloved. Feeling forgotten haunts the homeless, increasing their stress, anxiety and depression.
Every staff member faces the enormous challenge of acknowledging individuals among the nearly 600,000 meals served and 250,000 nights of safe shelter we provide each year. Each face must become a name…and even more. Our staff does a terrific service by making each person feel important and valued to the Rescue Mission and more importantly, to God.
Hot, nutritious meals personally handed to each person show our genuine concern. Clean and folded clothing, tidy beds, polished floors, well-scrubbed bathrooms, truly intimate counseling and a host of personal details go a long way to affirm our guests they are not forgotten or ignored.
Volunteers and donors like you aid in this effort. In 2008, over 41,000 hours of volunteer services spoke volumes to those feeling alone and forgotten. Each dollar given sent a message of remembrance. Each hot meal, clean towel and smile is a reminder they are important.
Staff, volunteers and donors join to say to the homeless, “You are not forgotten by man or God.” The hopes of Psalm 9:18 are expressed on a daily basis, “For the needy will not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the afflicted perish forever.”
Thank you so much for your continued support of the Nashville Rescue Mission. Together we are making a difference.
Don Worrell
President and CEO