“I find volunteering to be very rewarding,” says retired healthcare entrepreneur Dan Proctor, who volunteers at the Nashville Rescue Mission two days a week.
Like father, like son
“My connection with the Mission began long ago,” shares Dan. “My father was on the Board of Directors for many years. He was a radiologist by trade who took our family to the mission field when I was only nine. We lived in Palestine for four years. After that, we came back to the U.S. and dad went to seminary. He loved people, valued people and always wanted to make a difference in the lives of others.”
When Dan was in his 30s, his younger brother Philip went through the Mission’s life-recovery program. Dan recalls visiting him and seeing a transformation take place. Today, Philip is a missionary in Uganda.
“My dad set a great example for us,” says Dan. “He passed away three years ago. When I retired, I was drawn to the Mission, because of the place it held in his heart.”
Please, send me to Africa
Dan always talked about going to Africa to help people. When that plan fell through, Dan was still open to serving, he just wasn’t sure where. A man in his Sunday school class was quick to point out ‘if you’re looking to help people you don’t have to go to Africa—there are plenty of people at the Nashville Rescue Mission you can help.’
“After retiring, I went looking for adventure. I thought I’d find it in Africa. Instead, I found it at the Nashville Rescue Mission.”
“After that, I spent a lot of time reading the gospels trying to figure out what to do next,” shares Dan. “I asked myself, ‘What would Christ do if he were in Nashville?’ I figured he’d probably be hanging out at the Mission. Part of my reason for volunteering here is to try and model what I think Christ would be doing.”
My mission field
It didn’t take long for Dan to realize, that sometimes the richest mission field can be in your own backyard.
“I taught in the GED program for a year and found it to be very rewarding,” shares Dan. “I considered it a personal victory when someone I helped would pass their GED test. For the last couple of months I’ve been helping men transition into the life-recovery program and really enjoy it. I’m working with men who have struggled and are now in the process of turning their lives around. I find myself blessed every time I come through the doors.”
Volunteers like Dan are making a difference. If you would like to volunteer your time and talents, please call our Volunteer Hotline at (615) 312-1544 or visit our volunteer page.