God has blessed my wife and I with some really wonderful grandkids. Currently, we have 4 grandchildren with 3 more on the way. We always look forward to spending time with them during the summer. In July of each year we plan a big family vacation. It’s a lot of fun deciding where to go and we truly enjoy the time we get to spend together as a family.

One of my favorite summer vacation memories was the time we took everyone to St. Louis, Missouri. The highlight of the trip was the day we spent at Six Flags. I can’t tell you how much it blessed me to see those kids laugh, smile and have fun.

I suppose you could say my grandkids are truly blessed. Not every family can afford to take a summer vacation. In fact, for the homeless, there is no summer vacation.
The children living at the Family Life Center and Hope Center have a different kind of summer. Instead of planning where to go for their vacation, they are concerned with where they will sleep. Or where they will have their next meal. And on days when it’s so hot outside, where can they find a cool place in the shade.

It’s not the kind of summer most of us experienced. As a kid, I remember spending summers playing outside and taking family vacations. I had no worries. All my needs were provided for. This is simply not the case for the homeless kids living in our community.

While the Nashville Rescue Mission can’t provide the homeless with a summer vacation, we are able to provide them with a safe place to sleep, nutritious food to eat and clothing that will keep them comfortable in the heat.

However, we could not do this without your help. Thank you for caring for the homeless in our community. You are truly a blessing.

Don Worrell
President/CEO