LUKE 14:12 IS BACK!

Luke 14:12 will resume its feeding program beginning in April.

We are partnering with Restoration Pointe (https://www.restorationpointenashville.com), a program affiliated with McKendree United Methodist Church in downtown Nashville, to provide meals to the hungry and homeless.

In March, the Board of Luke 14:12 began piloting the program, and we are extremely excited about resuming our mission with Restoration Pointe. The current schedule will be for Luke 14:12 to cook and serve meals every Thursday.

Bob Coleman is the new Operations Director for Luke 14:12 and is responsible for the ongoing day-to-day operations and volunteer efforts. Bob is a former minister at Edgehill United Methodist and has been working with Bobby Lee Smith, who is the Director of Restoration Pointe, to kick off the new program. McKendree United Methodist is located at 523 Church Street, Nashville TN 37219, and parking is free at the McKendree United Methodist garage on 6th Avenue.

We will have opportunities for kitchen prep (9:30 am to 11 am) and meal service (11 am to 1 pm) every Thursday. If you are interested in scheduling a time to volunteer, please contact Bob at bob.coleman.muvu@icloud.com or (615) 906-5584.

Make plans to join us beginning in April!

God bless you!


Bob Coleman
Operations Director
bob.coleman.muvu@icloud.com
(615) 906-5584

Chris Highfield (Board President)
chighfi@msn.com
(615) 498-7040

LUKE 14:12 WELCOMES 3 TO OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS!

Welcome, Divina, George, and Karen!

Luke 14:12 welcomes the 3 newest members of our board of directors — Divina Batangan-Peoples, George Hays, and Karen Stevens! We rely on our board members to ensure we give our best to our community. Divina, George, and Karen embody the essential commitment, enthusiasm, and generosity for our leadership. We are excited to introduce these three!

Divina Batangan-Peoples settled in Nashville 10 years ago and loves the city because of the hiking and nature available through the Tennessee parks system. She was born in the Phillipines and has lived in various places in the United States, including Hawaii. Divina loves traveling, especially to beaches, and taking pictures everywhere she goes!

Board member Divina Batangan-Peoples receives the Heart of Service Award for her contributions as a volunteer with Luke 14:12.

Divina’s love for Luke 14:12 began when she joined us as a volunteer. In 2014, Divina came to volunteer with several of her colleagues from HCA. “Our company is supportive of volunteering and provides time during the workday for us to serve the community,” says Divina. At first, Divina says she was nervous, “I would just go in and not talk to any people while I was on my shift!” After Divina saw how all are treated with dignity, she was on board.

Divina wants potential volunteers to realize how rewarding it is to work with Luke 14:12. “I’d never worked in a restaurant kitchen before. It’s not as hard as I thought, and the feeling you get from helping others is a different kind of feeling. It’s so easy. It’s so rewarding.” Divina feels connected to each guest and their individual stories. “I feel compassion for our guests. I wonder, what happens to them when they leave us?” These kinds of interpersonal connections are vital for Luke 14:12.

Luke 14:12 has also recognized Divina’s contributions as a volunteer. In 2016, Divina was the first recipient of our annual “Laura B. McCray Heart of Service Award”. The award is presented each year to the person or persons who excel in providing hospitality and grace for our guests through their volunteer spirit as first modeled by Luke 14:12’s founder, Laura B. McCray. Because of her love for serving as a volunteer, Divina hopes that she will be able to spread the word to others who may want to join us in hands-on service.

George Hays moved to Nashville from Dallas, TX, 26 years ago to work with HCA. He met his wife here in Nashville, and today they and their 16-year-old son enjoy being outdoors and on the water at the lake. George is an avid sports fan. He follows the University of Arkansas Racerbacks and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, where he earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business administration. He’s also a Dallas Cowboys fan.

Another activity George’s family has enjoyed is serving together as volunteers for Luke 14:12. George himself has been involved with Luke 14:12 for more than 20 years, first as a volunteer, and then as a previous and current board member.

George Hays, Luke 14:12 returning board member, and Dee Patton, Vice President of the board, exemplify the care and compassion our board members provide.

George describes the board’s role as providing “strategic direction” that aligns with our mission and purpose. This looks like supporting fundraising efforts, making vendor contacts for events, and performing other governance-related tasks. He also notes that board members are just as likely to be found helping serve meals at a moment’s notice or running to Sam’s Club to pick up food for meals! “Our board is hands-on,” says George. “We’re involved. We have first-hand contact with what we are trying to do.”

George values that Luke 14:12 is able to put so much of our resources directly toward feeding hungry people. “We are efficiently run,” says George, “with very little if any food waste. That helps us provide nutritious, filling meals for a very low cost per plate.” George sees Luke 14:12 as a grassroots organization. “The founder, Ms. Laura McCray, served one homeless person lunch one day, and it grew from there. At some point I hope less people will be hungry, and we won’t have to serve as many people as we are. For now, Nashville is exploding with unprecedented growth and from that, the homeless population has continued to grow. We’re like an emergency physician who wants to help people in a caring and compassionate way when they show up in need.”

Karen Stevens attributes growing up in a small town in the Mississippi Delta, with its many social classes, for her ability to connect to people of all backgrounds. Since moving to Nashville as a young adult, Karen has rooted herself in the work of community non-profit organizations.

For more than 22 years, Karen’s efforts included: Magdalene, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Siloam Health, and Room in the Inn. Having served diverse roles throughout her career – Project Manager, Event Planner, Director of Volunteers, and Community Development Director – her energy is now focused on volunteering in the community, including serving on Luke 14:12’s Board of Directors. Karen has helped organize our fundraisers for the previous eight years. With the help of the board, Karen looks forward to expanding her development efforts to extend the mission of Luke 14:12.

Luke 14:12 board member Karen H. Stevens prepares bags of food for our guests to take with them.

In addition to preparing and serving meals, Karen values our G.R.O.W. program, which hires kitchen staff who have struggled with chronic homelessness. Luke 14:12’s partnerships with Safe Haven and Matthew 25 provide even more outreach opportunities where we can make a difference with those whom we don’t usually interact. For Karen, this connection makes a difference. She says, “I see appreciation on our guests’ faces for the meal, but also for our hospitality. And if I can show them through my eyes that I care about them, just showing for a moment that we are on the same level…we connect.”

Karen is optimistic about Luke 14:12’s future as we mentor the next generation of volunteers. She hopes to provide opportunities for them to serve with Luke 14:12, because someday they will be the ones who do the work our current volunteers do today. Their impact will be invaluable as they discover the benefit and reward in helping the marginalized. She remembers people saying, “You can’t save the world!” Her answer continues to be, “I’m not trying to save the world. I’m trying to make a difference in the world one step at a time.”

Thank you, Divina, George, and Karen. We welcome the direction and insight you bring to Luke 14:12!

Nashville’s Unhoused Census Is In - See How The City Is Doing!

Nashville’s Unhoused Census Is In -

See How The City Is Doing!

On the night of January 27, 2022, Nashville’s temperature low was 34 degrees Fahrenheit, and 1,916 people were counted among the city's homeless population.

Each year, a Point in Time (PIT) count of Nashville’s population experiencing homelessness is taken. The 2022 count on January 27, 2022 revealed 1,916 individuals in sheltered and unsheltered homelessness.

One night each year in late January, Nashville’s Metro Development and Housing Agency, together with other community organizations and volunteers, conducts a Point in Time (PIT) count of people experiencing homelessness.

The PIT count is determined by reports from Nashville’s shelters and transitional housing programs, as well as a hand count of people sleeping outside, in vehicles, under bridges, in encampments, or in other unsheltered locations. (The count does not include people who are in hospitals, prisons, or homes of another person and are also experiencing homelessness.)

While PIT numbers provide a useful point of comparison, they don’t show “the true extent of homelessness over an entire year” (MDHA). The PIT count is conducted across the country to provide a snapshot of how many people are experiencing homelessness in a given location each year.

Insights from Nashville’s 2022 Point in Time Count

Of the 1,916 people counted this year, 1,282 were sleeping in emergency or transitional housing shelters. 634 were sleeping outside, in vehicles, in encampments, or in other unsheltered locations. 57% of these unsheltered individuals were sleeping in encampments.

At least 500 people (26%) were experiencing chronic homelessness. In comparison, the national average for percent experiencing chronic homelessness was 19%.  

Men, Black people, and people with mental illnesses were over-represented compared to the general population, with the count showing:

• 71% men

• 42% Black or African American

• 48% reported a serious mental illness

• 39% reported a substance use disorder

Since the previous Point in Time count, this year’s report showed:

• A 5% DECREASE in the overall count, including 150 fewer in shelters

• An INCREASE of 50 persons who were unsheltered

The Nashville PIT count has been decreasing since 2016. However, a longitudinal perspective since 2011 demonstrates little change in the overall number of people experiencing homelessness in the last decade.

A longitudinal perspective since 2011 demonstrates recent improvement, but little change in the last decade to the overall number of people experiencing homelessness.

Our Neighbors and Guests

For Luke 14:12, the 1,916 total people counted on January 27, and the 500 of these experiencing chronic homelessness, are more than numbers. Many of these people our staff and volunteers call by name. Theirs are the faces we see in our community week after week, each with their own story of survival and persistence.

Thank you, Luke 14:12 volunteers, guests, and donors, for sharing food, love, and kindness with each other. You demonstrate that caring community IS possible among us!

Click HERE to donate to Luke 14:12!

Yes, Chef! A Conversation with Luke 14:12 Volunteer, Anthony DeGeorge

Anthony DeGeorge talked with us about how his career as an accomplished chef brought him to the unlikely place of co-founding a nonprofit for kids and volunteering with Luke 14:12.

Photo credit: Josh Bethea @joshbethea_photo

Meet Chef Anthony DeGeorge, a Luke 14:12 volunteer who began serving with us in 2019. Anthony is an accomplished chef who has previously cooked for a Michelin-starred restaurant. Today, he is owner-chef for Plant Power, a privately catered meal delivery service, and co-founder of Nashville Kids Cook, a nonprofit with a mission to teach kids how to prepare nutritious meals for themselves and their families. We spoke with Anthony to learn about how his expertise and passion for food connects to his work as a chef and teacher.

A World-Traveling Chef Settles in Nashville

Anthony’s interest in cooking began as a teenager on the west coast in Central California. He wanted to attend an expensive culinary school, but the chef at his restaurant advised against it. Instead, Anthony learned on the job. “I cooked whenever and wherever I could,” Anthony says.

After turning 18, Anthony began traveling. “While I lived in Montana, I immediately tried to work at the nicest restaurant in town, but I ended up elsewhere and worked my way up to that restaurant,” says Anthony. He was working at a country club in Portland, OR, when he read an article about food in the Piedmont region of Northwest Italy. Shortly thereafter, Anthony’s chef asked, “What do you want to do in the next five years?” When Anthony mentioned the Piedmont, it turned out that his chef had a connection to the region. Anthony’s chef encouraged him to follow this dream, and Anthony attended professional school in Italy for an Italian food and wine speciality. When he completed the program, Anthony was placed at a Michelin-starred restaurant, La Ciau del Tornavento.

Anthony reached his early life goal of becoming an executive chef, but he felt his life calling him to something more. Today, he delights in bringing healthy, nutritious meals directly into people’s homes with his meal delivery service, Plant Power.

Anthony had been in Italy for two years when he returned to the U.S. due to a family emergency. He kept cooking though, and worked in many kinds of venues, even a circus. Anthony’s job with Cirque du Soleil began as a temporary opportunity. Then he was offered a permanent position on tour. They toured North America, and then traveled to Australia, Tai Wan, and Japan. Coming full circle, a vegan restaurant in Portland hired Anthony as their head chef. Today, Anthony’s cuisine reflects the influence of cultures around the world. He has been in Nashville for six years, and during this time has worked for the Italian-American restaurant Giovanni and AVO, a restaurant that sources local foods for its plant-based menu. 

A Career Transforms into Something More

The Covid-19 pandemic has been a factor in Anthony’s transition out of restaurant service. He says,

“Covid changed everything in terms of restaurant work. I ended up deciding that I wanted to try to just make food for people and deliver to their homes. It started as something to do to earn a couple bucks. I cooked mostly for my friends and some professional contacts at first. It worked really well for those early days of Covid. Over time, my client list kept growing. The company is now called Plant Power, and we operate as a weekly delivery service for the plant-based meals I create.”

Anthony co-founded Nashville Kids Cook in 2020, with a mission to teach children how to create sustainable, nutritious meals for themselves and their families.

Yet the biggest change Anthony had made is co-founding a nonprofit in 2020, Nashville Kids Cook. Nashville Kids Cook is born out of Anthony’s desire to empower kids to create healthy meals for themselves,

“I really want to teach kids about healthy eating. It’s hard to drive down the street or turn on the tv without being blasted by ads for foods that are objectively bad for you. And we send this message to kids who are easily influenced. With Kids Cook, we can give kids opportunities to learn about healthy foods. It also helps adults learn about healthier alternatives we can feed kids.

“Usually, a price tag is attached to this kind of learning that limits those who can attend, and we don’t want that. The only cost involved for participants is the cost of the groceries and any kitchen tools needed that week. We want children to know that they can buy a bag of rice and a few vegetables, and they can make themselves a really nice dinner. They don’t have to settle for only processed foods.”

Kids Cook pivoted to online classes for pandemic safety reasons in its early days. Anthony has found that the hands-on activities have translated well to a virtual learning environment and that parents are close by to supervise. Classes are about an hour long. Anthony and his business partner Kristen Edmonson, a registered dietitian, send a shopping list for the session, and participants make the recipe together during class. Anthony teaches cooking, as well as kitchen safety and sanitation. Individual classes are free for students.

Eating as an Ethical Act

Anthony’s ethical approach to cooking and eating extends beyond his commitment to educating the next generation about healthy food. Anthony says he “first became vegan for social reasons,” but…

“…the longer I’m on a plant-based diet, I become more receptive to the environmental and ethical reasons. Being vegan is an ethical belief that becomes part of who you are and how you view the world. The foundation of veganism is to reduce the harm you do in the world. It’s a big part of my life and one of the best decisions I’ve made.”

Anthony’s commitments to sustainable, plant-based foods and serving the food insecure are central to his work today.

Anthony’s global and plant-based influences show up on his weekly menus for his meal service. This week, Anthony is serving Mushroom Bolognese Pasta, Farro & Broccoli Salad, and a Spanish Rice Bowl to his clients.

Anthony’s love for food has also led him to work for food access for underfed people. Working to eliminate food insecurity is a commitment that Anthony and Luke 14:12 share. Anthony attributes this ethic to his mother:

“My awareness of food insecurity started with my mom. She operates a café for the food insecure that is based on a pay-what-you-can model.

I have found that you work to feed people who are hungry because you want to help, but it starts to make you feel good. It’s supposed to be selfless, but I get gratification from it too. Like the personal ‘thank you’ from someone you serve, and it’s genuine. It was hard to leave the restaurant, but not being so focused on profit is better for me. It’s a better experience than people just paying me for the food I make.

In the past, I’ve done fundraising campaigns and political advocacy, but I have 20+ years of culinary experience. I’m ultimately good at food. I’m good at taking a potato and making it into something delicious.” 

Let’s Get Cooking

Outside of his work, we wondered what Anthony is cooking in his own kitchen these days. He describes a Scallion-Ginger Sauce made of equal parts scallion and ginger:

“Here’s how you make it, essentially. Mince fresh ginger root. You can do this by hand or in a food processor. If it has a dark-colored peel, peel it first, but if not, it doesn’t need peeled. Next, take a bunch of scallions. Slice the green and white parts of scallions and toss the roots. You will need an equal amount of green to white parts of the scallions.

Next, place the ginger and scallions in a heat-resistant metal bowl and salt them, with way more salt than you think you need. I like to add a pinch of MSG here too. Then heat a neutral oil on the stove (canola, avocado, safflower, etc.), just enough to completely submerge the ginger and scallions. As soon as the oil smokes, pour it on top of the ginger and scallions. They will crackle and pop in the hot oil. Stir with a metal spoon and cool. 

Keep the sauce covered in the fridge for about a week, or you can store it in the freezer a long time. This sauce is delicious on so many foods, steamed rice, sandwiches. I’m finding many uses for it.”

In addition to trying out the Scallion-Ginger Sauce, you can read more about Nashville Kids Cook at their website, www.nashvillekidscook.com. Kids ages 8-12 can register for Anthony’s virtual cooking classes. They are cooking from their homes, so kids don’t have to live in Nashville to register.

Anthony’s students join him and his business partner, a registered dietician, for free, one-hour cooking classes, focusing on plant-based nutrition.

Anthony, we are thankful to have you volunteering with Luke 14:12!

Photo credit: Josh Bethea @joshbethea_photo

The Beloved Community

The Beloved Community

at the table with Luke 14:12

Luke 14:12 is seeing more and more of our beloved community these days, as we cook and serve together at Room in the Inn once a week.

These days, Luke 14:12 is seeing more and more of our beloved community as we reunite after two long years apart. Even though we have been providing meals for our hungry guests over the last two years, seeing and serving them in person is a gift. We now see the faces of our volunteers who come to serve with us and those of our guests who show up to be fed. When we serve the meals we have cooked for the day, we hear our guests’ appreciation for food, familiar faces and respect. One guest, just this past week said, “Well, would you look at this! They've set it all out for us. We don’t have to stand in any line.”

Their faces reflect the difference it makes to have a familiar, warm, and home-cooked meal served in a place that has become a home and a refuge for many.

“When you host a lunch or dinner, don’t invite your friends, your brothers and sisters, your relatives, or rich neighbors...Instead, when you give a banquet, invite the poor, crippled, lame and blind.”

— Luke 14:12-13

The food serves our guests’ bodies, but our fellowship nourishes all of our spirits. Around the tables, we hear our guests’ love as they say, “You’re back! It’s so good to see you all.” As we begin the work of celebrating our survivorship and accounting for our losses in the past two years, we are telling each other, "We are so thankful you have made it through, and that we can be here together today.” With these words, those whom we serve return love and offer themselves as our friends.

Our organization’s name comes from the Gospel of Luke, in which Jesus likens the fellowship of God to a banquet, resplendent with food, lavished in the host’s own home but this banquet is different. At God’s banquet, those on the margins of society have the seats at the table.

As volunteers, staff, and guests, we create a shared experience of community around a common table.

Jesus says,“When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” -Luke 14:12-14

“Being able to be together,” says one of our staff, “is what makes this more than a meal. Something happens when the table is set, the guests arrive and the volunteers show up. That’s where the wonder is. We need all those pieces and that has been hard to come by through these difficult months.”

At Luke 14:12, we believe this is an image of communion. Through the food, serving, and company of others, we create a beloved community. We strive to make this kind of sacred, table fellowship our highest value. When our community gathers, we experience more than a meal with familiar food and faces. We join our journeys together and experience a new way of being in the world, in loving community around a table.

Charlie and Camille share their love with the hard work of helping us prepare meals at our off-site preparation location at Glendale Baptist Church. Underneath that mask, you might recognize Charlie in a popular photo of ours from before the pandemic as he sat and ate alongside one of our guests.

As you can see, an extra piece of chocolate cake can feed the soul as well, just eat your veggies first!

Wil-Ro Inc., a local truck bed manufacturer brought the love and hospitality on this particular day! We are thankful for all our individual volunteers and group volunteers. Please be patient with us as we work through the constantly changing Covid situation to make sure that our guests, staff and volunteers are kept safe! Eventually, we’ll be able to offer a space for everyone who wants to volunteer!

Like all of our volunteers, Laura (in green) shows up to make sure that our guests can appreciate a banquet set just for them.

Say Hello to Luke 14:12's Newest Board Member, Mary-Grace Robb!

Luke 14:12 welcomes Mary-Grace Robb to our Board of Directors.

Luke 14:12 is thrilled to introduce the newest member of our Board of Directors, Mary-Grace Robb! 

Mary-Grace, what is something you are passionate about?

I am a commercial lender and branch manager at the Brentwood office of FirstBank. My work allows me to help someone every day and meet them where they are. As a relationship-focused banker, I want to make my knowledge and experience available to those around me. My dad says, “You don’t have to learn things the hard way. People are all around you, and you can stand on their shoulders.” I want others to be able to stand on my shoulders.

How did you become involved with Luke 14:12?

I was part of the Young Leaders Council, a mentoring program for young professionals who want to make an impact in their community. I learned about the many responsibilities of board members, including understanding legal issues, fundraising, and attending to diversity and equity.

After finishing the program, I knew I wanted to work with Nashville’s hungry population. My husband is a chef, and our family has always been concerned about people experiencing food insecurity, who lack access to enough nutritious food. I knew that at Luke 14:12 I would be able to contribute and also be held accountable for my work with the organization.

What excites you about this new chapter of life in Nashville?

“I love helping people get to the next step and supporting Luke 14:12’s G.R.O.W. program is part of this.”

I am from Nashville, and I love living here. I’m happy to raise my girls here. We love everything the city has to offer. We can walk at Radnor Lake and go hiking at the drop of a hat. We spend time at the Nashville Zoo, the Frist, and Ellington Agricultural Center. People here are invested in our city. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else! At Luke 14:12, I can know more of our community and help others thrive here.

What will some of your work be as a board member?

Mary-Grace Robb celebrates Luke 14:12’s new grant program through FirstBank with Amy Dodson-Watts, Executive Director of Luke 14:12, and Will Powell, Market President for FirstBank Williamson County.

I am part of FirstBank’s newly funded initiative, the G.R.O.W. Hope Fund. FirstBank is thrilled for the opportunity to help those in Luke 14:12’s G.R.O.W. program achieve financial stability by helping them avoid predatory lenders and title loans that are hard to get out of. I love helping people get to the next step and supporting Luke 14:12’s G.R.O.W. program is part of this. 

I also want to do hands-on work with Luke 14:12. I look forward to working in the kitchen, meeting our volunteers, and talking with our guests. I want to develop a personal connection to our G.R.O.W. program participants and join them in their journey to a more secure future.

What would you like for people to know about Luke 14:12?

Everything you contribute at Luke 14:12 has an impact. Whether you can give time or give financial gifts, contributions of all sizes have a measurable, visible impact here. That’s part of what drew me to Luke 14:12, the way that a personal investment has a big impact on the organization.

“Luke 14:12 balances the immediate need people have for food, while providing support for people to take the next step.”

Even in times of uncertainty, the good thoughts and contributions of our community have kept our guests safely fed with nourishing meals each week. We’ve even been able to expand our 1st Meals program for Safe Haven that provides meals for people moving into permanent housing. Luke 14:12 balances the immediate need people have for food, while providing support for people to take the next step.

We are excited about the talents and passion for the mission of Luke 14:12 Mary-Grace brings to our leadership. Welcome, Mary-Grace!

CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF AMY GALLAGHER, Luke 14:12's Executive Director 1998-2010

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A LIFE OF SERVICE

OCTOBER 4, 1945 - AUGUST 24, 2021

It is with a heavy, but grateful heart, that we honor the life of Amy Gallagher. Amy passed away peacefully in her sleep last Tuesday, Aug 24, at her home in Southport, NC.

Luke 14:12 was founded by Laura B. McCray. After Miss Laura’s death, Amy served as Luke 14:12’s first Executive Director from 1998 until her retirement in 2010.  Those who know her would tell you that Amy’s life was defined by her dedication and service to the homeless community.  Many of our volunteers will remember Amy Gallagher as the first person who invited them to experience the hospitality Luke 14:12.  Like many of you, Amy Gallagher began as a volunteer and stepped up to accept the position of Executive Director when Laura McCray passed away.  Amy helped shepherd Luke 14:12 into becoming a 501(c)3 in order to better serve those who are homeless in Nashville.  As a member of East Brentwood Presbyterian Church, her impact is still felt through their volunteer efforts and outreach that support those who struggle to overcome life’s obstacles.  

Amy’s presence is still felt today. Some of our current G.R.O.W. Program staff, who work in our kitchen also worked alongside Amy. When I was brought on as Executive Director to succeed her in 2010, she offered me training, as well as wisdom that I carry with me today. Even after her retirement, she continued to volunteer monthly at Luke 14:12 until she and her husband, Geoff, moved to North Carolina to be closer to family.

Amy’s leadership, especially through times of change, inspires us as we continue to accept the call to widen God’s gracious table.  We continue to offer our prayers to her family and friends who say farewell to Amy — a great leader, servant, and remarkable person. In our grief, may we find comfort with the knowledge that she served well and and was loved well.

Her family has asked that gifts made in her memory can be made to the charity of one’s choice.

With gratitude,

Rev. Amy Dodson-Watts

“He said also to the one who had invited him, “When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.””

— The Gospel of Luke 14:12-14

About Our Founder, Miss Laura McCray

Miss Laura was an extraordinary woman who recognized the need to feed the homeless and hungry of Nashville. 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.