Hope On The Row: Serving Nashville's Unhoused

Hope On The Row was founded in June 2020, Founder Ava Suppelsa says she wanted to help people during a time when many felt helpless. However, the mission to help those on her own turned into serving those unhoused from the back of her car, and has now grown to serve roughly 200 people a week.

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I sort of accidentally started a nonprofit, and so I ended up doing all the paperwork and becoming a 501, C three, and really embracing this opportunity of people trusting me with their money with their time with their resources, because I had started working with this community just on my own time. 

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@hopeontherow via instagram

​You can find Hope On The Row on Middleton Street behind the Nashville Rescue Mission, each Sunday from 2-3 PM. You can make donations during this time, they ask if you donate clothing items to make sure the items are clean or gently used. You can choose to stay and volunteer after donating or just drop off your items. Kids are also welcome to come and volunteer but must be accompanied by an adult. Ava says if you are unable to visit them on Sunday, you can coordinate a pick-up through via email or Instagram direct message. Hope On The Row also accepts monetary donations, or you can buy items off of their Amazon wish list that will be directly shipped to them. According to Ava, after spending time in the community, she has learned some of the primary needs for those without a home, such as deodorant, camping gear, and backpacks.

Hope On The Row also partners with local videographer Keith Griner to host fundraiser events called "Spreading Hope." Ava says she and Keith connected during COVID, and she explained to him that she wanted to do a stream fundraiser for her organization. Ava says Keith felt connected to their story, as he had been un-housed at a certain time in his life, and wanted to give back. After the livestream fundraisers went well, and the lockdown was lifted, Keith began planning in-person concert events across Nashville to raise money for Hope On The Row. The series has collectively raised over $30,000 for the organization, and during their last event country artist Zac Brown made a surprise appearance.

​You can keep an eye out for opportunities through Hope On The Row's social media accounts. If you would like to send a monetary donation you can though Venmo (Hope On The Row through the charities tap) or PayPal (email: [email protected]). More information or volunteer opportunities can be found here.