Thanksgiving Dinner With Our Homeless Friends 11-24-09
NOTE: RE-POST FROM OLD BLOG “The Homeless are God’s Children Also”
This was not the normal Tuesday festivities of feeding the homeless down at Tent City in Nashville, as you have been reading we had invited them to have a special Thanksgiving Dinner with us at Franklin Christian Church. We all were nervous about this. How many would show up, would they trust us enough to leave the comfort of their surroundings? Would we be able to pull everything together, food, transportation, serving, and clean up? The day had started early for everyone, Tony and I had to deliver some furniture to Buddy and Shelly up in Whitehouse where they have moved, this is the 2nd family in the last week to move out of Tent City.
Donna was busy making the seating arrangements, she made sure that each table had a member of the out reach group or a Church Member to sit and break bread with the Homeless Guest. The menu mixed traditional Thanksgiving with a little toss salad. Thanks to all the people who donated the food and other items to pull this off.
Menu:
Turkey (Individuals from Franklin Christian Church)
Ham (Ross and Karen)
Dressing and Gravy (A Dream Come True Events and Catering)
Sweet Potatoes (Amburgey)
Mash Potatoes (Ailene)
Rolls (Jack and Wanda)
Salad (Nora and Kerry)
Deserts (Kathy, Joe, Tim, Bob and Joyce)
Drinks (Jim and Tami)
All above would be served by the youth of Franklin Christian Church. Thank You Youths you served with grace, style, and love!
- The Franklin Christian Church Youth Hard At Work
To Go Boxes (Ken and Kristy)
Table Decorations (Joyce and Kristy)
Every thing was running as smooth as silk, the kitchen was hopping with activity as everything was being prepared and heated up. Tony and I were about ready to head out on the buses to pick up our guest when a flaw was tossed into the slaw. Randy and Dawn had missed their bus so they would not be able to make the trip. Randy and Dawn are the 1st couple to move into permanent housing, we really wanted her, Randy, and the kids there. Kathy and Donna got together and were discussing the matter as Tony and I left to get the gang.
The bus trip to Tent City seemed like it took for ever, traffic was bad as we got into Nashville but we arrived and loaded everyone up. As we were turning around David a homeless gentleman replied that 2 had went back to camp. He would go retrieve them if we wanted. David and the two others loaded the bus. That gave us a total of 43 Homeless Guest for Thanksgiving Dinner. Tony and I were instructed to call back with a head count, we called the numbers in and it sounded like a roar went up in the back ground. My Mother was there and she said everyone was thrilled and somewhat surprised. The trust issue question had been answered with an exclamation point!
I called Kathy when we got to the church exit so she could get the Welcome Committee assembled and ready to greet, she informed me that she was at the same exit, she had picked up Randy, Dawn, and the Kids. They had made it to the bus station downtown Nashville. However that is still a long drive, but she realized how important it was for them to be there. That’s my girl when your back is up against the wall Kathy will step up and help make it happen.
I called Donna and she handled the Welcoming. We had arrived.
At the table with Kathy and I was my mom and Tyler, David, John El (Teddy), Michael and Deni who I had never seen, they said they were not there on Tuesday nights that they went down to the 2nd street bridge so they could get in on the raffle for supplies. I guess who ever goes down there does not have enough for everyone so the raffle it off. Do not know if I like that or not, but at least they are trying to help. They also informed us that they had never seen or been apart of anything like this.
As you looked around the room you could see God at work, there was laughter, joy, and fellowship every where. No words are pictures can explain what was going on. They had trusted us and came into our environment and for a couple of hours all their worries were gone. We were all in awe, amazement, and to some extent shock. As we all were mingling and talking the entertainment had begun.
Tony was on stage singing, what a voice he has, you know how the joke goes do not give up your day job, he really should give up his day job he is that good. Another Tony was accompanying him on guitar, and the joy of music and worship echoed through out the room.
We have some homeless friends who are song writers and singers. John El (Teddy) is one of them along with his roommate Howard. Howard had stayed back at the camp to protect there belongings but John El was invited up on the stage and handed the mike. The stage was his. Kathy and Mom had listened to a demo he had put out. He and mom had been talking at the table and mom told him how she liked the song “A Nickels worth of Love Ain’t worth a Dime”. He sang that one and dedicated it to Mom and one more. He had written both songs. He was in heaven while on stage. A totally different person, after the first verse of the first song he just seemed to relax and enjoy himself, he had an audience and was going to make the most of it. Once again he had his 15 minutes of fame and was at peace.
- John El on Stage
Next on stage was Kaitlyn MacKenzie. Let me tell you this young lady has a set of lungs and she can belt a tune. Like Tony she needs to quit her day job, I think her dad will not allow that oh, you see she is a high school student. She did a beautiful job; she is so good she has a fan page on Facebook. Her fan page is the same as her name “Kaitlyn MacKenzie”, join her page and listen to some of her stuff you won’t be disappointed!
Randy another inspired singer and former resident of Tent City wanted to sing a song that had touched his heart and had helped turn his life around “Open the Eyes of My Heart”. Randy had left his reading glasses and could not remember all the words. He was real shy about getting on stage and singing with out the words. Our man Tony stepped in and hand wrote the lyrics in big letters for him so he could see them without his glasses. Tony also told him that he would go on stage with him to help calm his nerves. Randy took the mike and started singing and like John El settled right in, and Tony was slowly exiting stage right. He had such a pure country voice, and from a reliable source I was told with a little polish and some training he may have a chance, but had being homeless crushed his dream and took its toll? I guess only time will tell.
- Randy in The Spot Light
In between the music, worship, socializing, and eating another moving moment took place. Dawn got up on stage; she and Randy were the first couple to move out of Tent City into an apartment in the middle of Nov. She told her story about her previous relationship and how she had to leave, the sad part was she knew she had nowhere to go so the kids how to stay behind. She got a job and with some assistance an apartment, and had moved in within the last week. People Loving People put together a Furniture Drive to furnish the apartment. People from the Franklin Christian Church and others stepped in and it was done. She was thankful for the help and love that she was showed during her stay at Tent City in Nashville and for the furniture that was given to her. Dawn, Randy, and the Kids now had a home and could start all over.
- Dawn Telling The Story
Kathy took them home as I followed and the buses were loaded up to take everyone else back. Like the Marines we made sure no man was left behind, or food for that matter, everyone left with a to go box packed full of food.
Kathy and I went into Dawn and Randy’s Apartment it is a nice 2 bedroom on the north side of Nashville in a section of town called the Nations. The square footage is pushing 900 square feet, but as they were showing us around with the smiles on their faces and the pride in their voice you would have thought we were taking a tour of Biltmore Estates.
I got word later that night that some of the homeless had ask Tony if the church would send buses to pick them up on Sunday, that they wanted to be involved with a group of people such as the ones they just had left. They see some of us all the time but the pouring out of the church members whom they had never seen touched their heart, as well as ours. We never have preached to them, only showed them love. Guess what people GOD IS LOVE!
Writers Notes: Watching everyone as they were being served by the youth of the church you could tell that they were not animals or misfits as most of society thinks they are. They were men and women who had nowhere to live for one reason or another. They displayed manners, always a Thank You, Please, and no elbows on the table. Some of them had better manners than people I run into everyday. They dressed as best as they could, took off their hats while inside the dinning hall. So remember the next time you see a Homeless person he or she is just like you, but for some reason has nowhere to live. Give them a warm smile and a hello; you may be surprised as the homeless will bless you more than you will ever bless them. Here is a couple of Facebook Remarks:
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I am in awe. Really. We SAY God can move mountains but somehow when He does it STILL surprises me!
- I cannot express in words the range of emotions I experienced tonight…I am so grateful and blessed to be involved with everyone at Franklin Christian Church…I saw the true Heart of Christ tonight and now I want more…Thank you all for your incredible hospitality to our homeless friends…
- What a great evening. 43 of our homeless friends came and had Thanksgiving supper with us. Couldn’t think of a place I would have rather been.
- Thanksgiving dinner with the homeless of tent city, can not be described in words what it was like, but that is God for you, he will leave you speechless
None of this could have been possible if not for Doug Fultz and the People of Franklin Christian Church and the amazing youth there. Thank You Thank You Thank You
The Matthew 2535 Initiative 