Rescue Mission 2016 Thanksgiving Events

Country music artist Tracy Lawrence has stepped forward for the 11th year to lead a rescue mission Thanksgiving event. His Mission: Possible Turkey Fry has been the featured Thanksgiving event at Nashville Rescue Mission since 2005, serving an average of 6,500 meals to homeless and at risk people each year.

This year, three additional rescue missions have scheduled a Thanksgiving Turkey Fry: Louisville Rescue Mission in Louisville, Kentucky; Western Carolina Rescue Mission in Asheville, North Carolina; and Dallas LIFE in Dallas, Texas.

The Turkey Fry feasts at rescue missions join hundreds of other Thanksgiving events brought to homeless men, women, and children through members of the Association of Gospel Rescue Missions (AGRM). Many missions offer traditional Thanksgiving meals at their own or community facilities, and many also provide meals to families in their homes. A taste of what AGRM-member rescue missions across the country have planned this year:

Gospel Rescue Mission in Tucson, Arizona, holds an annual Thanksgiving Street Banquet where homeless and at-risk guests are served a traditional Thanksgiving meal and encouraged to connect with local service agencies present at the event.

Lexington Rescue Mission in Lexington, Kentucky, offers an optional Thanksgiving worship service to guests before its annual Thanksgiving banquet that serves a traditional holiday meal to hundreds of at-risk and homeless people in the community.

San Diego Rescue Mission (San Diego, California)—as do many rescue missions—offers guests entertainment, hygiene kits, and toys for young children along with the Thanksgiving meal.

Evansville Rescue Mission (Evansville, Indiana) helps fund its annual Gobbler Gathering, which distributes hundreds of Thanksgiving food baskets to families in need, with proceeds from its “Drumstick Dash” run/walk event.

The Bowery Mission (New York, New York) is scheduled to prepare and distribute more than 8,000 meals for hungry and homeless people this Thanksgiving. The Bowery Mission might be the most experienced rescue mission hosting Thanksgiving meals for those in need: The Bowery began its ministry in 1879.

AGRM encourages both the public and its members to help homeless and at-risk families through special holiday events and campaigns this year.

“Thousands of generous individuals and businesses provide the means for rescue missions to meet vital needs of individuals and families at risk during the holidays,” notes AGRM President John Ashmen. “Add that to the number of volunteers who make these events possible by donating a few hours of their holiday time, and each Thanksgiving event at a local rescue mission truly becomes a community effort.”

To find out how to donate or volunteer to support homeless and at-risk families in your area this holiday season, please visit www.agrm.org/locate to find the rescue mission nearest you.

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Now in its 103rd year, AGRM has nearly 300 rescue mission members across North America. Each year, AGRM members serve approximately 66 million meals, provide more than 20 million nights of shelter and housing, assist some 45,000 people in finding employment, provide clothing to more than 750,000 people, and graduate nearly 17,000 homeless men and women from addiction recovery programs into productive living.

Rescue missions have been providing hospitality to impoverished people in America since the 1870s. They are experts at providing effective care for men, women, and children who are hungry, homeless, abused, or addicted.

AGRM is North America’s oldest and largest network of crisis shelters and rehabilitation centers, offering radical hospitality in the name of Jesus. For more information, please visit www.agrm.org.

To schedule an interview with AGRM president John Ashmen, please contact Brad Lewis, Director of Communications, at blewis@agrm.org or call (719) 266-8300, ext. 103.