It was saturday and I was going into my favorite Record Store - 
At the door was a man of the streets named Ben.  You know Ben don't you… He is that guy that pan handles outside of the grocery store - or restaurant - or department store - until security is alerted and he is shooed away.

Ben asked me for some spare change.
That was refreshing because the last time I was asked for money on the streets, 
the man asked for a thousand dollars - you got it - a thousand bucks!
Ben just wanted some change.

I told him that I had no money on me but would buy him lunch across the parking lot at the Burger King.
"Are you hungry?" I asked.
"Sure" he said "I'll take a whopper and large coffee."

So we crossed the parking log and he hit up about 5 people in and out of the fast food restaurant for more change.  Got to give it to him, he didn't miss a chance to ask for money.

We talked - he was from Memphis - he was a Christian as was his mamma - and lived in public housing and the most he made asking people for money was twenty dollars a day.
Ben didn't talk much  and I could tell he was not comfortable sitting with me.  
He finished long before I did and said thanks and got up and left the restaurant.

It wasn't much, 
I was hungry and I could see in Ben's eyes that he was hungry.
We shared a moment in time in each of our lives and probably will never do it again.

I smiled as I finished my meal alone…
Ben had been around a while, he knew the game.
He really wanted cash - but took the food a lunch time.
We talked - about life - about God - about music. and we parted ways.

today I was able to do what I am called to do…
Reflecting the love of Christ into the hearts of men.

Take time to spend a moment with the BEN that is in your world.

Thank you for supporting TPN and giving us the financial support that allows us to take people like Ben to lunch.

Have you come to a place in your life where you see others involved
in some type of volunteer service?
Do you wonder how they are able to fit the time into their busy schedule?
Are you wanting to "get involved" but not really sure how to plug in?
The Project Nashville may just be the place to get started.

We are an organization of volunteers who fill the needs of people who have fallen through the cracks of society and are in need of help.  We provide that help.
Sometimes it is simply directing them to a social service that will help them with meds - sometimes practical items like clothes and food.  
Sometimes a person simply needs a friend that they can confide in.

We help with immediate needs and help people get on the track to becoming an active part of society.

Yep - that is what we do and we do it with people like you.

So here is how it works.

Sign up as a volunteer at  www.theprojectnashville.com - go to - VOLUNTEER - scroll down the page and fill out the short sign up form. and BINGO - you are in!
or simply sign up at the end of this post.

NOW - once you are on the list we will ad you to our volunteer e-mail and send out a list of needs each week.

If you see a need you can help with - call our offices.  (615-828-0075) and we will give you the details.
If you don't wee anything you can help with - wait until the next week and there will be another list sent out… oh - you can pray - we love prayer!

Its as simple as that - you choose where you can best fit in.

And we are grateful for your support.

SO - join the team of Volunteers helping those who need it most - 

Well… to be honest with you…
Prison is where we go every week to meet with men
Pizza is a hook to get inmates to come…
And God is the subject we talk about.

A big thanks to those who helped purchase 30 pizzas, paper plates and such.
Gospel artist Mark Smeby was one of our special guests along with Ken Leary, Chet Leone,
and long time Men of Valor supporter and friend Jack Hooper.
Nathan Lee performed and the founder of Men of Valor, Carl Carlson gave a great talk to the men, telling of his life story of being arrested at ten years old to becoming the leader of a prison ministry like none other.   The men received the hope in his messaged and all were inspired.  Look for Carl's life story coming to bookstores soon.  You too will be inspired.

July - Aug 2014 we used $1659.oo to help in the following ways.

We helped a couple get into housing
We helped a man with basic household items
We clothed a man - with new clothes
We bought groceries for 5 individuals
We supplied a person with hygiene items - you know the stuff we all use in the morning…
We supplied financial aid for a man on the street to purchase items for his money making craft
We transported 4 individuals to Doctors visits
We bought coffee at StarBucks and sat with a man who just needed to chill and talk through life.
We put tennis shoes on  4 individuals
We put new work boots on a working man on the streets
We transported a man from a homeless village to a weekly homeless dinner
We provided Music - Hope and Pizza for inmates at one of our prisons

Thank you for supporting us as we serve in a very small way - the needs of the people in our city

Twice this week The Project Nashville staff has taken different men to a "nice" restaurant for dinner.

This Thursday, Aug. 21, 2014 - TPN was able to supply a man with basics like soap, water, milk, and toiletry items - as he re-connected with life after a huge battle getting off drugs.  Thank all of you for contributing to The Project Nashville. This is what we are all about.