Thousands of Music City's Homeless Served Food, Given Christmas Gifts by The Bridge
When you look at a bridge you may simply see a span that connects distant sides. But once you hear about Candy Christmas and her ministry to feed and clothe Nashville's homeless and needy, you just might see bridges with brand new eyes.
Yes, her name is Candy Christmas and her outreach ministry is as sweet as her name.
Christmas runs a weekly outreach to feed the homeless called The Bridge, Inc., a non-profit that provides services and every day necessities to Nashville's "food insecure, poor and homeless." The Bridge is aptly named — it acts as a lifeline to a segment of society that is often forgotten, and the outreach takes place beneath Nashville's Jefferson Street Bridge.
Last Tuesday, the Christian non-profit catered to the underserved living in "Music City" for a Christmas event that fed thousands of Nashville's needy. Not only did the effort serve the homeless hot meals, it also gave away new coats, scarves, gloves, blankets, toiletries and even bags of food.
Needy children were able to revel in the joy of Christmas as wrapped gifts were distributed while they frolicked in Toy Land, a special play area where they could meet Santa.
Attendees of "The Bridge to Christmas" event also enjoyed Christmas songs by the Bridge Singers, participated in a candlelight service and had the opportunity to partake of communion, as well as listen to a "message of hope."
Since 2004 The Bridge, Inc. has been serving Nashville's needy. Rain or shine, each Tuesday evening Candy Christmas and her crew are beneath the Jefferson Street Bridge ready to serve up a huge portion of love, food and hope, as well as give away clothes to up to 700 weekly guests.
Christmas previously said of her weekly ministry, "There is no joy like walking away from the bridge and seeing these people with so much stuff they can hardly carry it," she said on her website. "They often bring their friends with them the next week."
Christmas feels that the efforts of her ministry are making a difference.
"I can see fruits of my labors under the bridge. Sometimes God will give me a little view of a changed life. That is a real treasure."
To donate to The Bridge Inc., click here.