Imagine feeling depressed, heartbroken, disappointed, frustrated, and helpless. Imagine the hopeless feeling of not being able to escape these emotions as they eat away at you. There’s no place to call home, no family to call on and the Christmas holiday is quickly approaching. That’s how Bobby came to the shelter. A warm place to stay brought Bobby to us, but his needs went far beyond food, clothing or shelter. He needed to know somebody cared. His opening words to me were, “I really don’t want to live anymore.” Bobby needed to know he was put here on this earth for a greater purpose, and he needed to know he mattered to God. After spending some time with him, I discovered Bobby knew the Lord but had drifted away from Him. With Scripture and prayer, I was able to encourage and remind him God had a purpose and plan for him. I could tell God was working on him by the way he began to respond.
We anticipate more stories like Bobby’s as we have seen a surge in the number of clients we serve. The closing of The Room In The Inn along with our city’s fast pace growth are two contributing factors driving our numbers. With only four days in operation, we have already averaged 48 clients per night seeking shelter. In addition to these statistics, the women's shelter has already doubled in comparison to last year's numbers at this time.
As people have become aware of our needs, many have asked, “Ed, what do you need?” Right now, our two biggest needs are help with laundry and cleaning the shelters between service times. For more information, please call: 615-933-8263.
Recently, WKRN Channel 2 News dropped by to shoot the story of Coldest Nights shelters. For anyone who may have missed it, many of our men were able to speak from their hearts and tell how having these emergency shelters helped them. I was so proud of our clients who came forward of their own will to truly show their gratitude. Please know that the gratitude of these men and women apply to all who pray and support this ministry. As we come to the end of the year, please remember a gift for Murfreesboro Rescue Mission. We are a registered 501c3, and your gift is tax deductible.
Merry Christmas and Happy New year!
Ed Grimes
Executive Director
Murfreesboro Rescue Mission |
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