Statements
Mission
The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian church. Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human need in His name without discrimination.
Background
The Salvation Army has been serving Nashville for over 130 years through much-needed social services and programs. Catherine and William Booth founded The Salvation Army in London, England in 1865, seeking to bring salvation to the poor by meeting both their physical and spiritual needs. The Army made its way to America in 1880 and was established in Nashville ten years later focusing on problems specific to the area.
Four community-based worship centers have been commissioned since 1940, three of which are still thriving. The Red Shield Community Center was built in 1940 and later rebuilt in 1984 as the Magness-Potter Community Center. This facility is home to our youth programming, a Second Harvest food pantry, emergency financial services, and more.
The Area Command headquarters moved to Dickerson Pike in 1980, receiving the name the "Center of Hope", and opening a 75-person transient shelter, an emergency shelter for men, and a day and night child care center serving homeless and other families in urgent need. Today, this facility functions as the main office for The Salvation Army's operations in Nashville and provides transitional housing for single men, single women, and families. Today, the Center of Hope and the Magness-Potter Community Center, along with the four worship centers, serve Nashville by being strategically placed in the neediest areas of the community. In 2020, Murfreesboro Corps and its service area were added to the Nashville Area Command. Our services are provided to all of Davidson County, as well as Cheatham, Dickson, Hickman, Williamson, Sumner, Rutherford, and Cannon counties.
The Salvation Army has been many things over the years as communities' needs have changed over the years, but today, the focus of the Nashville Salvation Army is to fight poverty and prevent homelessness in our community through a myriad of comprehensive programs designed to bring a holistic approach to the individual's or family's need.
Impact
Through careful assessment of community needs, The Salvation Army strives to provide relevant, effective programs that enable those we serve to lift themselves from crisis to independence and fulfill their potential as productive citizens. Between 2019 and 2022, The Salvation Army in Nashville was faced with the challenge of serving our community in new ways and on an unprecedented scale. However, the staff, volunteers and, most importantly, our supporters rose to meet the call of our neighbors in need of help and hope, as is illustrated by the following achievements:
The Salvation Army LIFNAV program helps rescue the hope of our neighbors living outside of shelter by offering street level engagement and support, while helping them navigate their path to rapid rehousing. As part of this program, 1,961 clients were enrolled, with 312 entering gap housing, and 380 entering permanent housing.
Our gap housing program provides safe housing in our facility and intensive case management for single men, women and families who are experiencing homelessness or who are victims of abuse and neglect. At our Residences on Bison Trail, 524 clients came into this program and 347 were moved into permanent housing.
Our Food & Financial Assistance Program provides food, personal care items, and short-term financial assistance with housing and utilities. This program supplied 12,927 food boxes as well as rent and utility assistance to 1,572 households.
We enrolled 130 families in our Pathway of Hope program that resources families hope through social mobility opportunities by way of individualized services and goal planning for families with children who desire to break the cycle of generational poverty.
Our various summer camp programs fight food insecurity and help children make strides towards completing unfinished academic goals before the next school year and were made available to 381 children.
Fighting food insecurity is something we do throughout every program we provide here in Nashville. Across all these programs we've provided 520,614 meals.
Needs
Moving forward, we have plans for continuing to expand our homelessness solutions and to help families grow stronger and towards brighter futures two generations at a time. We hope you will continue with us on our journey.
CEO Statement
Between 2020 and 2022, The Salvation Army in Nashville was faced with the challenge of serving our community in new ways and on an unprecedented scale. However, the sta , volunteers and, most importantly, our supporters rose to meet the call of our neighbors in need of help and hope.
Through multiple natural disasters, a global pandemic, and an economy that rose to new heights and then fell into troubled waters, The Salvation Army in Nashville never wavered in its mission to meet human needs without discrimination knowing that God's love was the foundation upon which we stood.
As you look back with us on the past 3 years, we want to say Thank You. Without the steadfast support of those who invest in us and through us to our neighbors, the hardships of the past 3 years would have been more keenly felt and the outcomes more devastating for our community.
Moving forward, we have plans for continuing to expand our homelessness solutions and to help families grow stronger and towards brighter futures two generations at a time. We hope you will continue with us on our journey.
With Hope to In Community,
CAPTAINS PHILIP & ELAINE CANNING
Area Commanders
Board Chair Statement
The Salvation Army has been serving Nashville for over 130 years. Over the years, the services they provide have changed to meet the needs of our community. In the past 3 years, the changes have come swiftly and in greater numbers, but The Salvation Army has never faltered.
As a member of the board for many years, I have witnessed the dedication of the leadership, staff, volunteers, and supporters to ensure our mission to meet human needs without discrimination was executed time and again, while also spreading the love of Jesus Christ - not just in word but in the everyday actions of serving a hot meal, giving a hug to a neighbor, and a silent prayer for those we serve.
I hope the stories and the impact of the past 3 years shared here will remind you of why The Salvation Army is where you choose to invest your time or resources. It's because you come alongside and invest in The Salvation Army that lives are changed and saved daily here in Nashville.
Thank you,
ABBY SPAULDING
Service Categories |
|
| Primary Category: | Human Services - Homeless Services/Centers |
| Secondary Category: | Housing, Shelter - Temporary Housing |
| Tertiary Category: | Human Services - Emergency Assistance (Food, Clothing, Cash) |
Areas Served
| TN - Cheatham |
| TN - Davidson |
| TN - Dickson |
| TN - Hickman |
| TN - Sumner |
| TN - Williamson |
