We are thankful. Through the generosity of faithful friends like you, nearly 600,000 meals will be served by the end of this year—over 5,000 of them served during the Great Thanksgiving Banquet.

 

This banquet has become a Nashville Rescue Mission tradition. It’s a time when the community comes together to let those who are normally written off, discarded and cast aside now move from the end of the line to the front of the line.

 

“For over 56 years, the Mission has provided food, clothing and shelter to those in need in our community,” says Don Worrell, President and CEO. “We especially look forward to the Great Thanksgiving Banquet. For us, it’s more than a single meal or even a single day. It’s the first time many who visit the Mission will learn about our services for those who need food, shelter and care.

 

It’s the first time others will learn about our recovery programs for men and women whose lives have been destroyed by drugs and alcohol.”

 

Thanksgiving is just right around the corner—and with more than 5,000 meals to prepare, the hard work has already begun. When the grocery list includes 9,000 pounds of turkey, 5,000 dinner rolls, 1,000 pounds of potatoes, 100 gallons of gravy, 600 pounds of dressing and 800 pounds of green beans, the task of preparing and serving a dinner of this magnitude to our homeless friends is an enormous undertaking. Yet with your help, God’s faithfulness is evident and our needs are always supplied.

 

 

“You should see how busy this place is in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving,” says Clay Miller, Food Service Manager for the Mission. “It is amazing to see just how kind and generous the Nashville community can be towards the homeless men, women and children living in our city. Starting around November 1st, we see a dramatic increase in the donations that are dropped off, leading all the way up to Thanksgiving Day.”

 

The Great Thanksgiving Banquet is a celebration of hope. Homeless men, women and children will not only be filled with a fabulous Thanksgiving feast, but also with words of encouragement. Each and every person will be seated and served by volunteers, who look forward to sharing their Thanksgiving Day with our neighbors in need.

 

“My family and I have been volunteering at the Mission on Thanksgiving for the last 10 years,” says Jeff, a frequent volunteer at the Mission. “We consider it an honor and privilege to serve those who are less fortunate than we are. It’s such a blessing.”

 

 

The Great Thanksgiving Banquet is a campaign by the Nashville Rescue Mission, along with more than 300 Rescue Missions across the country, serving over 500,000 meals to the homeless and hungry living in our nation. This two-day event will occur on Wednesday, November 24th and Thursday, November 25th. The Great Thanksgiving Banquet represents the largest effort of the year in providing food and life-changing programs to the homeless and hurting in our country.

 

We depend on support from people like you, our friends and partners in ministry, to give our city’s needy and hungry the Thanksgiving they deserve. As you can see, your support of the Nashville Rescue Mission this Thanksgiving will improve the lives of homeless men, women and children right here in our community, as well as impact lives across the nation.

 

Thank you for changing lives this Thanksgiving.