PCN Newsletter, Spring 2023

Thank you to volunteer photographers: Jessica McIntosh and Meredith Benton

Dear PCN Community,

As winter fades and the beauty of spring rises before us, I am reminded of the never-failing promise God has made to us of renewal and new life. As a part of the PCN community, it is an honor to have a front row seat as individuals from all corners of Nashville discover God’s purpose for their lives and celebrate the gifts that He has given each of us.

As our first quarter of programming comes to a close at our Madison and Woodbine campuses, the wins that we are seeing amongst our program participants make us so grateful for your support! As a member of the PCN family, your prayer, your time, the sharing of your talents, and your financial generosity is greatly appreciated and vital to the mission of PCN.

We are celebrating the addition of a Development Director to our team and a long-time team member is shifting her focus into volunteer and church engagement. You can read more about these valued members of our staff on page 6 of this newsletter!

Mark your calendars for March 30th! A Night of Hope, PCN’s 8th Annual Benefit Dinner, will be held in the inspiring Fisher Center on the Belmont campus. Will you join us for this beautiful evening as we celebrate God’s work through PCN and raise the funds needed to deliver this Kingdombuilding ministry as 2023 unfolds. Visit our website and social platforms to learn more about ways you can participate. We hope to see you there! Finally, I want to share again how deeply humbled and grateful I am to serve alongside you on this mission. There is no greater joy in the world than doing God’s work. I pray daily for each of you and appreciate your continued support of all that is Project Connect Nashville.

Stuart Spears Executive Director

You are making a difference-lives are changing!

David’s Story

by Vicki Askew

Just over two years ago, David found himself homeless and sleeping in a storage unit with his four beloved cats. With the help of a compassionate employer, he had managed to save his pets and a few belongings from an eviction that he thought he would have a chance to dispute. For six long nights, he slept upright in a straight-backed dining room chair that he had salvaged. “It was brutal,” he said.

From there, he moved into a windowless basement playroom (where he was thankful for a spare bed) but still had trouble finding an affordable place to live. David’s pastor then arranged for him to meet with staff at Project Connect Nashville in hopes that PCN could help him find a stable place to live. And, in David’s words, “Did they ever!” After his initial intake interview, David’s Connection Manager took him to an available apartment that PCN knew about and shortly after, he moved in. “It was the most beautiful place I have lived in decades,” shared David. ”It was clean and newly renovated with new appliances and fixtures. The only thing I needed was a bed, pillow, and linens, which PCN provided. On the day I moved in, I promised myself to take good care of this place, and I have. For the first time in my life, I live in a place that feels like home!”

It took him longer than expected though. After slipping on ice in February 2021, David was diagnosed with a severe concussion and experienced the effects of the fall for the next 18 months. He said, “PCN never let me down. The staff, Dr. Scott, the allies, and the Sunday class leaders all worked with me and walked beside me the entire time.”

Classes at PCN taught David a new way to look at God. “I learned a more complete meaning of unconditional love,” he shares. “It applies to ALL the areas of my life, and I also learned that God’s forgiveness is truly unlimited. My worst behavior falls within, not outside, the reach of Jesus’ sacrifice. While I didn’t believe it before, I now believe that I can daily be reconciled to God!” David continues, “I have learned that I have value. And everything in my apartment now has a place and a meaning. I walk around my apartment and am surrounded by good feelings and warm memories for the first time in over 30 years!”

The daily meetings of Work Life class caused David to give up his longtime daily newspaper route and the money he made from that work. But as he shares, “… this coincided with God’s timing and the money I lost was made up for through a series of miracles that God rained on me. I trusted God and God delivered!”

“What have I learned? I’ve learned that God blesses work and that I deserve a living wage. I also learned that work is a form of ministry to others. That work was created, arranged, and inspired by God.” Today David loves himself, loves PCN, and aspires to be an ally one day. He said, “I’m not going anywhere! You can expect me to stay involved.” We can’t wait to see how God uses David in the ministry of PCN!

“For the first time in my life, I live in a place that feels like home!”

Pictured: David-left, George-right, 2022’s 4th quarter Work Life graduates

Volunteer Perspective

by Martia DeMore

When I first heard about Project Connect Nashville several years ago, I looked up the website, met with the founders, and attended a volunteer equipping workshop before getting involved. To get started, I brought food for a Sunday night dinner and helped lead worship at the Madison site. But the day I sat down at a table to serve as an ally in a Faith & Finances class was the day I really “got it”! How exciting to be part of a program that has the potential to help people learn about allowing God to help them deal with the barriers keeping them from becoming who He made them to be! I met women (this class happened to be all women) who wanted to put themselves in a position of strength, with the possibility to reach personal and career goals. I wanted to support their commitment to try doing life a different way.

That was in 2020. Since then, I have been an ally in several classes, and now I facilitate the Story of God class and conduct a new Bible study at the Woodbine site. I have loved forming relationships with participants and the volunteers and staff who care about them. I have prayed with class members and for them and have celebrated God’s answers to their prayers. I have enjoyed deep, personal conversations and worship experiences during lunches and dinners.

One of the delightful by-products of the very personal sharing before, after, and inside the classes and shared meals is the strong bond of community that we experience. Participants seem to know each other well and, even better, care about each other with demonstrated affection. They laugh, hug, and listen. It’s wonderful to watch!

I continue to participate in Project Connect Nashville because I believe God is working here. I feel privileged to come alongside people who sincerely want to get themselves together as well as volunteers and staff who are committed to helping them do that.

AMY ANGEL

We are excited to welcome Amy Thompson to the PCN team!

Joining us as our Development Director, Amy has more than ten years of experience in fundraising and ministry work in Middle Tennessee serving as Director of Development at Bethel University and as a minister for the United Methodist Church.

“We are thrilled to have Amy lead our Development efforts at PCN,” said Executive Director Stuart Spears. “She has deep roots in this region and extensive experience with and a passion for fundraising work and the mission purpose of PCN.”

“Project Connect Nashville’s values and mission align with mine as I am rooted in sharing my faith and connecting through authentic relationships,” Amy said. “I look forward to the opportunity to seek support for PCN and am excited to contribute towards restoring relationships through the power of Jesus Christ.”

Angel Pyrz will now be our Engagement & Communications Director!

Angel began volunteering at PCN shortly after moving to the Nashville area almost nine years ago. After joining the organization in 2019, she quickly rose to the Marketing & Communications Manager role where she has enjoyed sharing the inspiring stories of PCN.

“Having discovered my passion for PCN’s mission as a volunteer, I am excited to go back to those roots by stepping into this role and continuing to grow the depth and effectiveness of this amazing community with our current and future church partners,” she says.

“We are thrilled to have Angel step into this new role and continue her important contributions to PCN as we work to expand our mission impact,” Executive Director Stuart Spears said. “God has done wonderful work through Angel during her time with Project Connect. She has consistently demonstrated excellence in her work, compassion in how she leads and a strong commitment to building positive relationships in the Nashville community. Her experience and background are top-notch, and I look forward to what the future brings with her in this new role.”

A New Class! Untangling Relationships: A Christian Perspective on Codependency

By Adrianne Gott

Barbara Harris has been volunteering at PCN for four years now and taught a new class during the fourth quarter of 2022 called Untangling Relationships: A Christian Perspective on Codependency. She was motivated to teach this class because of her past experiences facilitating similar courses at churches and listening to the perspectives of others.

Barbara’s favorite moments of the class include getting to know the students and celebrating their moments of growth. Trusting the processes of patience and empathy guided her through facilitating the course, as well as creating a safe space for all who attend. Both she and the program staff at PCN see how this course is rooted in love and will continue to offer it.

Saying Goodbye to Caleb Johnson

At the end of December, we said farewell to Caleb Johnson, the Site Manager for PCN’s Madison location. Caleb wore many hats and will be missed by both staff, clients, and volunteers. He was fearless and was always willing to help. Many situations he dealt with really did not have “answers,” but he still worked to find the best and most workable solutions. We wish him all the best as he continues in his passion for poverty alleviation at his new position with Soles4Souls!

Alicia, a second-year program participant said about the class, “I am very thankful that I took the class and even though I did not say a word for most of it, I eventually got to a place where I could open up. What helped was the facilitators and the allies. They looked at me and basically said, “I know you...to share, but we can all wait until you are ready to share.”

Even if you have lived just a short time in Nashville and the surrounding areas, you have noticed many changes. For those who have lived here longer, the changes are significant and even life-changing. Beloved old buildings and businesses are gone; new ones have replaced them. Many new faces are in our city while neighbors have moved away. While those visible changes certainly have our attention, the steep rise in prices is perhaps the most noticeable change of all. Inflation seems to have hit everything, including the most basic necessities like food, utilities, housing, etc.

The High Cost of Living in Nashville

by Jennifer Smithfield

As of March 2022, the median price for a home in Nashville is $423,105 1 (an increase of 179%2). By April 2022, the average rent was $1802, which was a 19% increase from the previous year 1 and a 256% increase from 2000!2 ). According to the most recent data from 2009 to 2020, Nashville area utility prices were above the national average. Similarly, infant daycare in the state was also above the national average ($10,780 annually for Tennessee). Besides the raw costs, Nashville’s housing situation is further complicated by the combination of a massive influx of new residents (400,000 moved to the metro area in the last decade) and an inadequate public transportation system1 along with pandemicera restrictions on evictions ending July 2021. The situation is so bad that the Metro Action Commission’s fund for rental assistance ran out of money in just three months. 3

What does this mean for Project Connect Nashville?

We have an opportunity to help our struggling neighbors.

We’re taking our Poverty 101 class on the road this year!

Our desire is to support our ministry partners as they equip their people with the basic principles of helping without hurting. If you’re interested in hosting this class, please reach out to Angel@ProjectConnectNashville.org to learn more.

As much as we struggle to adapt with change (how many times have you complained about the price of eggs recently?), people living near or below the poverty line often do not have the resources and networks to absorb, not just an extreme increased cost of living, but any increased cost of living especially with rental costs. Any help starts with recognizing the problems then helping our neighbors adapt to something we all find shocking. Maybe our neighbors need some practical help with working through finances (Faith & Finances). Maybe they need reminders of God’s love and protection (Story of God). Maybe they need assistance in pursuing more stable employment (Work Life). Or maybe they just need the connection to a network of staff and volunteers who will love them and provide a meaningful set of resources—the best one being caring people.

Will you be one of those caring people in 2023?

Check out our website to find available volunteer opportunities!

YOUR IMPACT IN 2022

148

6

124

Community Meals Community Cookouts and events

Individuals Served through Connection Management

75 21 7

In 2022, we had more 2-year course completions than ever, we celebrated our largest Work Life class graduation ever, we saw two program participants get baptized in their local churches, and experienced the joy of former students becoming teachers, leaders, homeowners, volunteers at PCN and their local churches, and more! We saw God make dreams become reality – THANK YOU! Hours of Education Offered Class Completions

Program Participants 2nd year Program Participants Two-year Program Completions

632 161 38 APPROXIMATELY 2,000

Local Churches Connected through Serving

30

Individuals trained, certified and leading classes

Number of hours served by individuals from local churches

25

Allies engaging in classes

6

Connectors Trained to do Connection Management