Thanksgiving is fast approaching, so I’m counting my blessings and there are many to reflect on for 2017. This was a banner year for Nashville Peacemakers in many respects. For starters, our governing board enlarged considerably with the addition of Deborah Borfitz (president), Kacy Kincaid (secretary), Mary Vaughn (volunteer coordinator) and—as of this month—William Green, MyKeisha Sanders, Montavius Love and Dwayne Nieves.
Dwayne is the designer of our newly refreshed website that is making it a lot easier for visitors to quickly find what they’re looking for and understand why unconditional love is the only way to truly turn around lives marred by geography, poverty and race.
Thankfully, our Back to Basics (for girls) and M.O.M. (for grief-stricken mothers) programs are both on a roll, and the Straight Talk program (for at-risk teen boys) is about to begin anew after a prolonged recess while we scouted for willing and available adult male role models. The Straight Talk curriculum will be on loan to rehabilitate older youth who are currently incarcerated and need support in keeping on the right side of the law over the long-term. Our newest Off the Street Make a Beat initiative has also just completed its pilot phase, backed by a small army of volunteers we hope to see back in action in 2018 when the program makes its formal launch.
I am brought to tears on a daily basis as I take in all the ways the Lord has blessed Nashville Peacemakers in 2017.
But so much work remains to be done. The scourge of guns and senseless violence must end, and it won’t happen by ignoring the problem or dismissing the villains or the victims. It will take a community of volunteers and financial supporters to show they care enough to lovingly point kids on the fringe to healthier, more meaningful life choices.
I beg of you to make one of your resolutions in the coming year to join Clemmie’s Change Campaign to make that happen.
God bless, Clemmie
Clemmie Greenlee Founder & CEO Nashville Peacemakers