NicoleDuvall

3-7-09
Our day started off a little rocky, because we didn’t get much sleep the night before, since we were all so excited about going to the mission. We got a little lost since Nashville is so big and there are a ton of streets. However, I did feel very safe with Alex as our chauffeur.
I was really surprised about how big the Nashville Rescue Mission building was! When we got there, people were really friendly and very welcoming and very pro-West Virginia. I’m so glad that we had people to show us around, otherwise I would have gotten lost, since the building was originally a Sears Department Store.
We talked the most with a gentlemen named Willie, who is some sort of manager at the mission. He was very friendly and helpful and very happy to have us to help straighten up the basement-which was our main project. We sorted through I don’t know how many shoes –finding pairs and loners. We also had to stack all the shoes altogether, I thought we were going to have an avalanche stacking them sky high. I did a little bit of sweeping but that didn’t last long because I had to maneuver around boxes, so I figured we should move stuff around and sort through it before we could actually sweep.
Then we had lunch upstairs which was pretty good- actually better then the caf at CU. I’m not really a fussy eater-I’ll eat almost anything. Then shortly after we ate, we put gloves, a hair bonnet, and apron and went out to the dining area to clean off tables, take trays to the drop off area, and socialize with some of the members of the rescue mission.
They seemed really friendly and happy to have someone to talk to. I think that despite there being so many members, I think they are still lonely and that they need interaction with people from the outside- I think we really brightened their day-the few that we did talk to. I know I didn’t get the chance to really converse with the members or serve the homeless so, hopefully I’ll get to do that later on in the week.
Even though I was getting really tired working downstairs in the basement I was overwhelmed at how much stuff that was donated to the mission. I mean, everything you could think of-sheets, shoes, pillows, toys, furniture. It’s nice to know that there are some people who still care about the well being of others and want to help shed some light in others’ lives. I really hope that I can get the chance to make at least some small difference in someone’s life while I’m here in Nashville. I am also very grateful for the opportunity to even be here since, I was #5 on the waiting list.
I’m also looking forward to tomorrow’s trip at the museum-I think it will be interesting! Plus, it will give us some time to relax and give us an opportunity to see more of the great city of Nashville.