“I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”
– Matthew 25:40
Our History
In 1953, Dr. Charles Fuller led a revival in Nashville's Ryman Auditorium. As he walked from his hotel to the Ryman, he passed numerous homeless men. Some asked him for money, all touched his heart. Seeing the state of homelessness moved Fuller in such a way he incorporated it into his sermon. By the end of his visit, the radio preacher from California was given a love offering for his service, which he then returned to the people of Nashville to care for the city's homeless and hurting.
Thus in 1954, with the signatures of eleven hundred Nashvillians supporting it, the Nashville Union Mission, now known as the Nashville Rescue Mission, opened its doors to serve Middle Tennessee's hurting and homeless men, warm beds, hot meals and Christian guidance. Since the beginning, we have desired to provide not only meals and beds, but also support and long-term treatment for men and women with addictions and other debilitating problems.
In 1967, a Ladies Auxiliary began to work with the Men's Ministry and in 1968, through various fundraisers, a women's division opened on the second floor of the Men's Mission. Seeking space for the children to play and privacy for the women, the Women's Mission later moved to a separate location.
Today, the Men's Mission is located at the corner of 7th Avenue and Lafayette Street in the old Sears building and the Women's Mission, which includes the Hope Center and the Family Life Center, on Rosa L. Parks Boulevard.
All of the Mission's services are free of charge, and being a faith-based organization, our ministries subsist without relying on any governmental funding. As a result, the Nashville Rescue Mission operates almost entirely from donated foods, materials and the generous contributions from individual donors, like you! Thank you for making it possible to feed, clothe and care for the least, last and lost of Middle Tennessee.
