Luke 14:12 began serving Nashville’s homeless community over 27 years ago and incorporated into a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization in 2004.

In 1982 Miss Laura B. McCray, a member of Edgehill United Methodist Church, served a pot of soup to two people in need. Luke 14:12 was born out of Miss Laura’s desire to serve a dinner-style meal to all who would come. After Miss Laura's death, an independent ecumenical board of directors was created to guide Luke 14:12 and in 1998, Amy Gallagher, the first Executive Director, was hired. As our number of guests increased, additional part-time staff were hired from the homeless community to assist in preparing the noon meals each Tuesday and Friday.

In August 2006, Luke 14:12 moved its operation from Edgehill United Methodist Church to the Fellowship Hall of Belmont Church on Music Row. In January 2011 Luke 14:12 moved again, this time to the dining room of Room In The Inn's Campus for Human Development at 705 Drexel St, Nashville, TN 37203.

Luke 14:12 is one of the oldest continually operating soup kitchens in the Nashville area.  It is the goal of the Board of Directors that a variety of faith communities, individuals and businesses join together in a common purpose to feed those who are unable to feed themselves.
 

Rev. Amy Dodson-Watts

Executive Director

Chris Highfield

President

Steve Brickner

Vice President

Danny Rhodes          

Treasurer

Ed Wilkinson   

Secretary

J. Lee Bonnet

John Butler

Tom Elmlinger

Joy Gooch

George Hays

Monique Hunter

Sally Simpkins

Maggie Throckmorton

Brad Walker

Jeanie White

Amy Gallagher

 Executive Director, Emeritus

In 1997 Miss Laura's life was featured on an NBC documentary, "A Lifetime of Sharing." She was an example of an African-American woman who had worked through church and community structures to further the civil rights movement, hunger relief, African-American education and Christian service. She was also featured on "Passages," a 90-second radio series produced cooperatively by the United Methodist Communications and Presbyterian Media Mission. She remained active in community outreach into her 90s and was quoted as saying: "You never stop trying to do the best you can so that you can help someone else to be the best that they can be."

Nashville songwriter Radney Foster wrote of Miss Laura in his song, "Everyday Angel."
 

"In 'Everyday Angel,' he (Foster) fixes his gaze on ordinary folks who make their marks on the world by helping those in need ...one is the late Laura B. McCray, an Alabama woman who started a program to feed the poor at Luke 14:12 in Tennessee. McCray had been an active part of the civil rights movement, Foster says, as well as an instrumental figure in the early career of the Commodores at Tuskegee Institute. She offered the musicians a place to practice and use of a piano when such things were precious commodities to the fledgling group. Foster says the Commodores never forgot Miss Laura's kindness, and would send a limousine to fetch her to a front-row seat whenever they performed near Nashville. "

Foster says,  more than 500 people showed up to memorialize McCray and remember her good deeds at her funeral. "In the music business, they talk about star quality, that indescribable charisma someone has," Foster says. 'Usually it's someone young and beautiful. She was elderly, movin' slow and peaceful. But when she walked into a room, she lit it up.' " (Mary Colurso, The Birmingham News). Taken from Radney Foster's Website, www.purespunk.com.