Mission
The mission of Luke 14:12 is to provide hot, nutritious meals to the hungry, homeless and working poor of the Nashville area. Luke 14:12 is an ecumenical outreach program through which persons of diverse faith communities join together in a common effort to address the needs of those who are inadequately fed.
Our Story
History of Luke 14:12
Founded in 1983 by Miss Laura B. McCray, Luke 14:12 is the oldest continually operating soup kitchen in the Nashville area. Luke 14:12 began when Miss Laura, a member of Edgehill United Methodist Church, served a pot of soup to two individuals in need of a meal. After this first shared meal, Luke 14:12 was born out of Miss Laura’s desire to serve dinner-style meals to all who are hungry.
After Miss Laura's death, an independent ecumenical board of directors was created to guide Luke 14:12 and in 1998, Amy Gallagher was hired at Luke 14:12’s first Executive Director. As the number of guests increased, additional part-time staff were hired directly from the homeless community to assist in preparing the noon meals each Tuesday, and Friday.
In August 2006, Luke 14:12 moved its operation from Edgehill United Methodist Church to the Fellowship Hall of Belmont Church on Music Row. In the fall of 2010, after twelve years of service, Amy Gallagher retired, and the board of directors hired Amy Dodson-Watts at Luke 14:12’s second Executive Director. In January 2011 Luke 14:12 moved operations again to the dining room of Room In The Inn.
For more information about Miss Laura B McCray, the founder of Luke 14:12, click here.
“Jesus said also to the one who had invited him, “When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind.””