HEART of the MISSION OCTOBER 2015
YOU
MAKE THANKSGIVING GREAT! Because of you, those in need give thanks!
A THOUSAND THANKS ... TO YOU! You make change possible
REV. GLENN CRANFIELD PRESIDENT AND CEO
I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever. PSALM 86:12 ESV
It’s that time of the year when we often look back on all God has done— our hearts are filled with gratitude At Nashville Rescue Mission, we are deeply grateful for you. And we are deeply grateful for the lives being changed daily by the power of the Gospel. Because of your support, prayers, and involvement, homeless and hungry men, women, and children have hope. In the past year, we’ve shared stories of lives that were transformed because of your support. Thanks to the educational opportunities that were available to him, William received his high school diploma, has a full-time job, and is working to restore a relationship with his wife and children. Thanks to the support she received, Brandy is attending college, and has hopes and dreams to help others like her, who have struggled with addiction.
Thanks to the help he received, Richard was able to move out of homelessness and reunite with his family. And there are more. There are thousands more. There are thousands of homeless and hurting, men and women who rise up and say, “Thank you! Thank you for caring for us. Thank you for giving so that we can have resources, training, and opportunity for a future.” At Nashville Rescue Mission, we too want to offer a thousand thanks. Thank you for equipping us to help those in need. Thank you for your faithfulness. Thank you for caring about the homeless and hurting. With your help, change is possible.
SAVE THE DATE NOVEMBER 2 Thanksgiving Volunteer Sign-up Starting at 8:30 a.m.
NOVEMBER 24 Tracy Lawrence 10th Annual Turkey Fry | 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
NOVEMBER 25 & 26 Great Thanksgiving Banquet noon
NOVEMBER 14 Nashville Praise Symphony Men’s Campus Chapel 7 p.m.
What Do You Run For? Thanksgiving Day Race packet pickup at Nashville Rescue Mission Men’s Campus 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
NOVEMBER 26 What Do You Run For? Benefiting Nashville Rescue Mission 8 a.m. at the Men’s Campus
NOVEMBER 23 Radiothon - SuperTalk 99.7 WWTN 5 a.m. - 7 p.m.
2 HEART of the MISSION
OCTOBER 2015
NOVEMBER 25 Life Recovery Program Graduation 10 a.m.
Visit nashvillerescuemission.org to learn more about these upcoming events.
MISSION IN MY WORDS
MAYOR KARL DEAN Over the past eight years, one of my favorite experiences as Mayor has been serving Thanksgiving meals at Nashville Rescue Mission. I always enjoy the “Great Thanksgiving Banquet” and the chance to support such an important institution as the Rescue Mission. They deliver hope for so many who have experienced hopelessness. I’ve been proud to support the Mission and pleased to see it grow and change as the city of Nashville grows and changes, too. Last year, I told you I’m “thankful that our world-class city has a world-class organization like Nashville Rescue Mission,” and I continue to believe that. The Mission provides critical services for the homeless and the hopeless where government cannot. The author Pearl S. Buck said, “To eat bread without hope is still slowly to starve to death,” and I think that sums up the guiding principles of the Mission’s work as well. Though it serves countless hot meals, provides safe and clean shelter night after night, and tends to the needs of hundreds of Nashvillians daily, what the Mission
truly delivers is hope: hope for employment and selfsufficiency; hope for a way out of crippling addiction or criminal activity; hope for a brighter tomorrow. It takes hope for a person to want to work to overcome the obstacles in his or her life. It also sometimes takes help—with overcoming an addiction, with finding a job or with knowing where to start—to translate that hope into action. Through its programs and ministry, the Mission provides tools that will help homeless Nashvillians change their lives for the better. But these transformations are not easy, and it takes hope and a guiding hand to achieve success. I often say that Nashville’s best days are still ahead of us, and I believe that about the Mission as well. The Mission is a leader in Nashville’s network of organizations that serve the homeless, and I’m pleased they are participating in such innovative efforts as How’s Nashville and the Mayor’s Challenge to End Veteran Homelessness. I’d like to thank the staff and volunteers of the Mission for allowing me to join you these past eight years. I’ve been pleased to stand with you as you work tirelessly to restore hope and to help Nashville’s homeless citizens transform their lives for the better. KARL DEAN was the sixth mayor of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County and recently completed his second term in office. Dean is now headed to Belmont University to teach history and polictical science. He will also continue to lead Project Renaissance, a nonprofit education group he founded.
OCTOBER 2015
HEART of the MISSION 3
YOU
MAKE THANKSGIVING GREAT! BECAUSE OF YOU, THOSE IN NEED GIVE THANKS! Among those giving thanks this holiday season are hundreds of homeless individuals in Nashville. It is time once again for Nashville Rescue Mission’s annual Great Thanksgiving Banquet. A two-day celebration, 500 turkeys, and nearly 800 volunteers working together in various capacities, adds up to more than 6,000 meals being served to those in need throughout the Thanksgiving holiday. “Each person who walks through our doors will enjoy a free Thanksgiving meal during a season of thankfulness and gratitude,” said Billy Eldridge, senior director of operations for the Mission. “But it doesn’t happen without a good group of volunteers.” Volunteers young and old, many of them volunteering for the first time, join family and friends in making their time of serving at the Mission an annual tradition. Time and time again, volunteers tell us, “I’m the one who benefited the most by this experience.” “It’s not uncommon to see three generations of families join in the excitement of the holiday by volunteering at the Mission, especially during Thanksgiving,” said Bryant Burton, director of volunteer services. “Volunteering strengthens the bond of family and friendship, while teaching kids about charity. It is a richly rewarding experience with an eternal impact.” Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve.” “It’s true,” said Rev. Glenn Cranfield, the Mission’s president and CEO. “Everyone wants to be needed. We all want to feel like we’re making a difference in someone else’s life. It’s a universal human need. Volunteering to help those who are less fortunate is like medicine to our soul.” 4 HEART of the MISSION
OCTOBER 2015
When asked what they like most about helping those in need, volunteers had this to say: SHELLEY MEADOWS
“The best thing about volunteering is watching the men and women grow in their walk with Jesus.”
CARRIE MICHELLE LYNN
“There’s nothing like peeling LOTS of potatoes with friends while meeting the men and women who come to the Mission in need of help and hope.”
JUSTIN FRENCH
“It’s amazing to witness the transformation of the men and women in the Life Recovery Program―from their first day, until graduation. Seeing them come in broken and hurt, to becoming strong and experiencing joy again is truly a miracle.”
KATHY BRIDGEN
“Serving others and seeing them smile when you say to them, ‘Enjoy your meal and have a nice day’ always makes me feel good.”
“The Mission does something the Bible tells us to do—and that is to love people unconditionally,” said Justin French, a frequent volunteer at the Mission. “I used to believe giving back to the community was optional. Now I believe it is our responsibility. Through volunteering at the Mission, I have discovered there are people just like me and you, who had run out of hope, run into hard times, lost their jobs, maybe lost their families, and don’t have anywhere else to go. Seeing this first hand really brings the awareness that this could be any us.” Betty, who was a first-time volunteer last year, said she’s been blessed with many things and wants to be a blessing to others. “It makes you feel joy in your heart to be able to help those less fortunate than yourself,” said Betty. “I’m thankful for Jesus and my salvation, I want to pass that on.” “Whether it’s through your gift of time serving those in need, or supporting us with a financial gift, YOU are what makes Thanksgiving great at Nashville Rescue Mission,” said Cranfield. “We could not do this without you.”
VOLUNTEER THIS THANKSGIVING If you’d like to volunteer and be a part of what makes Thanksgiving great at Nashville Rescue Mission, visit nashvillerescuemission.org and click on Get Involved. We’d love to see you here! OCTOBER 2015
HEART of the MISSION 5
UP-CLOSE & PERSONAL MIKE AND DEBBIE FIND JOY IN SERVING, AS WELL AS GIVING
Mike and Debbie have a heart for those in need. They’ve worked in fulltime evangelistic ministry for years, traveling across the country while ministering at churches and camps.
But that was about to change. Mike received an unusual text message from Glenn asking if they knew anything about the President and CEO of Nashville Rescue Mission. After replying “no,” Mike and Debbie were surprised and delighted to learn this text message was Glenn’s way of letting them know, he and Shelly were moving to Nashville, as he had accepted this position at the Mission. These friends would once again have a chance to serve together. Over a “Welcome to Nashville” dinner, they chatted During one visit to Oklahoma several years ago, they with the Cranfields about the city and the Mission’s impact served alongside Rev. Glenn Cranfield, now Nashville Rescue Mission’s CEO, and his wife Shelly. In conversations on the homeless community. “Glenn asked us if we’d ever visited the Mission. We hadn’t,” Mike recalls. together, they shared their thoughts on how they could Soon, Mike and Debbie scheduled a time to serve lunch help those in need while using their creative ideas to make at the Mission. “It was a moving and hopeful experience,” a bigger impact. “It was a time to dream,” said Mike. shared Mike. “Seeing our gifts in action enabled us to see a A few years later, Mike and Debbie relocated to new side of the organization. We were able to observe God Nashville. They researched local organizations to see using people’s gifts and skills to glorify Him and help the which ones they would support. When they came across least fortunate.” Nashville Rescue Mission, they were intrigued. “We For more than two years now, Mike and Debbie have found a nonprofit we could fully believe in,” said Mike. continued to serve lunch once a week at the Men’s Campus “An organization that combined emergency help with of the Mission. But they do much more than meet a sustainable hope and transformation was something we physical need by preparing and serving food. They’ve could get behind.” They continued to support the Mission developed deep friendships and mentor relationships with financially for several years, reading the newsletter each the men in the Mission’s Life Recovery Program, offering month, and being overjoyed by the inspiring stories of them encouragement and witnessing their transformation hope. “Sadly, we’d never seen the Mission’s, work up-close while progressing through the program. and personal.” 6 HEART of the MISSION
OCTOBER 2015
Mike and Debbie have developed a strong friendship with Sven, kitchen manager at the Mission.
They enjoy getting to know and mentor men, such as Quinton, who are in the Mission’s Life Recovery Program.
“We have the privilege of watching a man enter the program with his head down, ashamed, and in dire need,” shared Mike. “We then get to watch him progress over the next few months, graduate, and get a job. We can name so many of the men we’ve met! They’re on the right path and are productive citizens.” Debbie, who recently suffered a stroke, still appreciates her time volunteering at the Mission. She’s able to use her skills to help others in a community environment outside of their home. It gives her hope and encouragement. Many men have invited Mike and Debbie to watch them graduate from the Mission’s program, especially in place of their biological families who may not be able to attend. This, Mike says, is the highest honor.
SEE YOUR GIFTS IN ACTION, TAKE A TOUR! Have you been supporting the Mission financially, but haven’t had a chance to see your gifts in action? Sign up to volunteer or take a tour! You can do both on the “Get Involved” section of nashvillerescuemission.org.
THANKSGIVING FOOD LIST
During the Great Thanksgiving Banquet, Nashville Rescue Mission will serve over 6,000 traditional Thanksgiving meals to the hungry and homeless men, women, and children in the Nashville community. As you shop for your own Thanksgiving meal, please consider picking up a few items off this list. Your contribution will be greatly appreciated.
All donations may be dropped off at the Mission’s Donation Center located at 616 7th Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37203, Monday - Saturday 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m.
1,000 Turkeys Stuffing Cranberry Sauce Potatoes Green Beans Lettuce/Salad Mix Tomatoes Shredded Carrots Salad Dressing Dinner Rolls
Butter Patties Eggs Onions Bell Peppers Cheddar Cheese Sausage Biscuits Coffee Creamer Sugar OCTOBER 2015
Pies/Pastries Aluminum Foil Foil Turkey Pans Styrofoam Cups Styrofoam Bowls Plastic Flatware Divided Plates Napkins Salt Pepper HEART of the MISSION 7
LIVES YOU HAVE
TOUCHED AUGUST 2015
Tracy Lawrence trades guitar for turkey fryer
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24 8:00 A.M. TO 5:00 P.M.
Nashville Rescue Mission Parking Lot (Men’s Campus) Tracy and friends will be frying over 500 turkeys to feed Nashville’s homeless a traditional Thanksgiving meal. Please stop by, drop off a turkey, purchase a fried turkey for your Thanksgiving meal with a donation of $50, and see which of Tracy’s celebrity friends show up to help.
Daily Avg
Monthly
Meals Served
1,721
53,338
Nights of Lodging
793
24,573
Chapel Attendance
661
20,482
Education Hours
94
2,913
Bible Class Attendance
20
609
Decisions & Prayers
46
1,424
Volunteer Hours
108
3,342
Travel n/a Assistance
116
Program n/a Graduates
11
is a proud member of
639 Lafayette Street, Nashville, TN 37203 615-255-2475 | nashvillerescuemission.org