“I had a domestic violence situation at home, and we needed to put a mountain between us and the situation,” Valerie says, remembering the fear she felt that day. “I came with a $100 bill, a suitcase, and my son.”

Her son’s mental health was the priority when they first arrived in Nashville. “I got him signed up for therapy, which he needed more than anything.”

Next, they needed safe shelter and a place to rebuild their lives. Thankfully, God led Valerie to Nashville Rescue Mission, where all kinds of help, from emergency services to addiction recovery, can always be found.

Valerie and her son had faced homelessness before and never wanted to experience living in a car again. “It’s terrifying because you look normal, and you sound normal, but there’s nothing normal,” she says.

But once they were welcomed at the Mission, they felt their fear recede. “It was a godsend because I’ve never experienced anything like this,” Valerie says, shaking her head. “I felt human, and I think that’s what put me back together again.”

When a work opportunity suddenly arose, Valerie realized she didn’t have the right clothes. Staff took her to our clothing closet—a wonderful resource of donated clothing that ensures the Mission’s guests can put their best foot forward in everyday life and when reentering the workforce.

“I didn’t have anything to wear. I didn’t even have shoes,” Valerie says. “They gave me two pairs of shoes, two pairs of pants, and two shirts. So, I’m going to work, and I’m going to look really nice. It restored a great part of what I lost, and that meant the world.”

For people who support Nashville Rescue Mission, Valerie has these heartfelt words to share,
“Don’t stop donating. Because even today, I know that I could come [to the Mission], and I’m not in the rain, so I won’t worry about where I’m going to be at night. There are things going on here that are amazing . . .

“Those things are possible because of the donors. It’s important,” she says. Then adds with a smile, “I can’t wait to be able to be a giver again. I can’t wait to help.”

Right now, huge numbers of neighbors like Valerie are turning to Nashville Rescue Mission for help and a place to call home until they get back on their feet. Please stand with us now so that together, we can reach neighbors who are in deep need of the radical hospitality that opens doors to saved and changed lives!