Institute Students Support Five Nashville Nonprofits through Weekly Service
This fall, the Institute for G.O.D is partnering with 5 local nonprofits, mobilizing students for service and community development every Wednesday after chapel as a part of our Spiritual Emphasis Days. After students gather for worship and Bible study on Wednesday mornings during chapel, students are deployed to actualize the things they’re encouraged to do in service to the surrounding community.
The first Wednesday of the term, representatives from The Bridge ministry, FiftyForward, Chippington Towers, McKendree Village, and G.O.D. Int’l came for a training day, and to share about how Institute students have impacted their ministries in the past year, and how much it means for students to serve with them. Each site has its own unique opportunities for students to demonstrate love and concern for the vulnerable, whether it’s the homeless at The Bridge, the elderly at Chippington towers, or immigrants who receive food from the gardens of G.O.D. Students serve at the various locations in teams, switching locations every three weeks to give them a well-rounded experience serving in various ways and benefitting various demographics.
Nashville Non-Profit representatives recently attended our Chapel service to testify to the impact Institute students have had on their ministerial and organizational efforts.
The Bridge Ministry is a nonprofit organization that distributes meals to the homeless population in the greater Nashville area at several different sites, namely underneath the Jefferson Street bridge in downtown Nashville. Started in 2004, the organization began with one woman, Candy Christmas, distributing Jumbalaya to 7 homeless individuals under the bridge. From there, it has developed into an operation that serves between 1200-1500 adults on a weekly basis, as well as 4600 children each week. Institute students get the opportunity to help pack bags and food boxes to be distributed at the numerous locations that the Bridge offers meals. Representatives from the Bridge shared that students from the Institute have been a huge blessing to their organization because of their attitudes - their willingness to serve is pronounced, impressive, and encouraging to The Bridge’s work.
FiftyForward is an organization with 7 centers in the Nashville area that serves community members who are over 50 years of age, though most of the participants are moderately over that age. The group has been in Nashville for 65 years now, starting with a simple adult day service program and developing into the multi-site project it is today, with hundreds of members at several of the centers. FiftyForward considers the physical impairments that seniors experience and gives them opportunity to engage in social activities and technological help, both of which Institute students participate in. From putting together a puzzle to helping a senior effectively use their cell phone, students take the time to connect with the elderly there.
To demonstrate examples of what it is like to be auditorally, visually, and touch impaired, FiftyForward used Institute volunteers to try to hear, see, and feel different sensory stimuli with physical inhibitors (Earmuffs, specialty goggles, and gloves).
Chippington Towers is a senior apartment complex that isn’t often frequented by visitors or volunteers. There are two towers included in the apartments, and the Institute has historically blessed them with Bible studies, board game players, worship songs, social interaction, and occasional manicures. In addition, students serve elderly residents by helping them clean their apartments, particularly those who cannot do so themselves. Chippington representatives shared that their relationship with their G.O.D contact, Lori Maute, was a Godsend and a blessing because their needs are being met by God using his people to respond. They expressed appreciation for the students who image Christ to those who are weary, those who are often neglected by the world.
McKendree Village is another assisted living facility, particularly for those with hearing, visual, and sensory impairments. They’ve asked our students to focus on socialization, which is vital to physical and mental health of the elderly. Several tenants at McKendree are over 100 years old, and they love treating Institute students like their sons or daughters, grandsons and granddaughters – giving our students stories, songs, advice, and more during their visits. The staff at McKendree are genuinely concerned with residents, and they were able to highlight the wisdom that is available in the elderly, and the gift it is when our students interact with them with love and compassion.
Finally, students have the opportunity to serve G.O.D Int’l on site with various needs that help maintain ministerial efforts in a variety of ways. There is a team that works in the campus garden each week, students who help with the social services branch of GOD, and contribute to serve Nashville’s middle schoolers and programs that bless more widows and elderly. Still other students aid with general maintenance requests, upholding what God has provided with good stewardship.
The Institute’s weekly ministry project time is a part of their overall ministry preparation. These times remind students why they’re studying by putting them in regular contact and service to those in need, in their own city. The Institute and GOD International are thankful our college students are able to regularly serve as well as assist and encourage these local nonprofits and organizations doing life-changing work. New students were charged to continue to upload the high reputation Institute students have in each of these locations, and they accepted the challenge with joyful hearts.