“As you join your family around the table to celebrate this Thanksgiving, know the men, women, and children who find refuge at Nashville Rescue Mission are thankful for you.”
The Numbers
- That’s how many homeless men, women, and children will enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving meal this season because of you!
5,000. That’s how many meals the Mission will serve over the course of the Thanksgiving holiday.
For nearly 65 years, friends of Nashville Rescue Mission have been making sure the homeless and hungry are blessed with a Thanksgiving meal and so much more. And there’s no way we can serve these thousands of people without you.
The List
Thanksgiving is a beautiful time to enjoy a holiday meal with family and friends. Most families have their hands full preparing a meal for a family of 10 or 15. Imagine if your table was set to feed over 800 and this was your shopping list:
9,000 pounds of turkey
5,000 dinner rolls
1,000 pounds of potatoes
800 pounds of green beans
600 pounds of dressing
100 gallons of gravy
And then there’s breakfast. With your help, guests are also treated to an extra special breakfast over the holiday including scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuits, gravy, and more.
Think about how long it would take you to crack 3,400 eggs or fry 1,200 pieces of sausage. It’s hard to imagine preparing a meal of this magnitude. It’s why volunteers are so valuable to the Mission.
With so much to be done, volunteers help make it happen.
The Support
Many things go into making Thanksgiving extra special at the Mission. From the turkeys that are donated and fried with the help of Tracy Lawrence and his friends, to the thousands of pies that are cut and served by the nearly 1,000 volunteers who join us throughout the holiday to prepare vegetables, serve meals, fill drinks, carry trays, wipe down tables, and show selfless love to the hungry and hurting.
“I hear time and time again from volunteers, that serving at the Mission has transformed them,” said Rev. Glenn Cranfield, president and CEO. “For many people, looking into the eyes of a person who is desperate and in need, and then seeing that need being met—it takes away any preconceived notions they may have about being homeless. It gives them an opportunity to see our guests for who they really are—people, children of God. And while our volunteer spots fill up quickly during the holiday season, there is always an opportunity to serve with us in other areas and during other times of the year: donation drives, classes for program participants, arts and crafts with the children at our Women’s Campus, and even helping us sort and organize donations in our warehouse. It takes a lot of people working together to serve the many who are in need in our community.”
“I look forward to serving at the Mission on Thanksgiving Day all year long,” said Rhonda. “The atmosphere is hard to describe. I think joyful best sums it up. And I’m talking about the guests just as much as the volunteers. Everyone has a smile on his or her face. The joy is contagious.”
“It means so much to see people from the community take time out of their busy lives, especially on a holiday, to serve someone like me,” said William. “They don’t have to do it. I’m amazed so many people want to do it. I’m thankful for them and for the Mission.”
Nashville Rescue Mission is so thankful for our volunteers and for you. None of this would be possible without you! Your support is what makes this possible. You make Thanksgiving at the Mission amazing!
