The Cookeville Rescue Mission bell ringers are out across the community to raise funds to help the homeless population.
The Cookeville Rescue Mission is a homeless shelter that uses donations to provide clothing, housing, and meals to those in need. Operations Manager Ronnie Lindsey said bell ringers are volunteers who ring at local retail and grocery stores. Lindsey said ringing at these locations has been a huge help in raising funds to support the shelter.
Lindsey said the donations received from bell ringing not only support the shelter but also changes lives.
“Well, it’s just saving a life, I mean, I’ll just tell it like that,” Lindsey said. “It’s saving lives and getting people off the street, getting them in the warm, and then we have other things to help them with to get them back on their feet and back into housing.”
Lindsey said some women and kids are relying on the shelter to get by. Lindsey said with the homeless population continuing to grow, the need for the shelter is greater than ever.
“I’m seeing an increase, and we are now getting sent people from out of town,” Lindsey said. “Other missions are either full or not accepting anymore, and it seems like we are getting that overflow, and the mental health facilities are adding to that.”
Lindsey said more homeless people are needing the shelter now due to the cold weather, but also said other factors are contributing to the increase in homelessness.
“I think a lot of it is the inflation, the cost of living,” Lindsey said. “Some would be mental health. There is just a mix of everything.”
Lindsey said money raised from bell ringing is a third of the mission’s operating budget. Lindsey said the Cookeville Rescue Mission is still in need of volunteers to bell ring.