Luke 14:12

What Luke 14:12 does

Luke 14:12 is a 501(c)(3) non-profit soup kitchen founded in 1983 by Miss Laura B. McCray at Edgehill United Methodist Church in Nashville, Tennessee, and recognized as the city's longest-running continually operating soup kitchen. The organization serves free restaurant-quality "meat and three" meals — including an entrée, vegetables, fresh garden salad, dessert, and iced tea — to homeless individuals, the working poor, and other food-insecure guests every Tuesday and Thursday at 11:30 a.m. Since its founding, Luke 14:12 has served over 400,000 meals. Its underlying technology stack is minimal and standard: a Squarespace-hosted website (luke1412.org), DonorPerfect for online donation processing, Constant Contact for email newsletters, and an Instagram account (@luke1412nashville) — there is no proprietary software, app, or AI/automation layer.

Luke 14:12's business model is donation-funded: more than 85% of financial support comes from individuals and faith communities in the Nashville area, with tiered giving levels ranging from $25 (6 meals) to $1,000 (one full day of operations). Additional revenue streams include corporate and foundation grants (Food Lion Feeds, HCA Foundation, FirstBank's Hope Fund, Frist Foundation, United Way of Greater Nashville, Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, 100 Women Who Care) and in-kind food donations from Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee, cul2vate, and HUD. Since 2024, meals are prepared and served at McKendree United Methodist Church (523 Church St, Nashville) in partnership with Restoration Pointe Ministries; previously the organization operated from Room In The Inn (2011–2024), Belmont Church (2006–2011), and Edgehill United Methodist Church (1983–2006). Operations are volunteer-driven, requiring 14 volunteers per meal service.

Beyond its core lunch program, Luke 14:12 has expanded its impact through two adjacent initiatives: the G.R.O.W. (Growth, Resilience, Opportunity, Wisdom) financial-stability program, funded by FirstBank's Hope Fund, which helps participants avoid predatory lending and build financial resilience; and the 1st Meals delivery program, which provides meals to guests at Safe Haven Family Shelter who are transitioning from homelessness into permanent housing. The organization is governed by an independent ecumenical Board of Directors currently led by Board President Chris Highfield, with day-to-day operations overseen by Executive Director Bob Coleman.

Name

Luke 14:12

Legal name

Luke 14:12

Website

https://luke1412.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Luke 14:12 is a 501(c)(3) non-profit soup kitchen, founded in 1983 in Nashville, Tennessee, that serves free restaurant-quality meals every Tuesday and Thursday to homeless individuals and the working poor, with over 400,000 meals served since inception.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Soup Kitchen / Hunger Relief Services

NAICS

Community Food Services (62421), Community Food Services (624210)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Food Assistance & Food Banks (BPAGAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Food Assistance & Nutrition Relief (Emergency Feeding) (BPAGAAAD)

Keywords

• Soup kitchen services
• Community meal program
• Homeless food services
• Nonprofit hunger relief
• Volunteer meal service

Headquarters

HQ city

Nashville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Over 85% of financial support comes from individuals and faith communities in the Nashville area. Donations range from $25 to provide 6 meals to $1,000 to run the organization for one day.
2. Corporate/Foundation Grants: Grants from foundations such as Food Lion Feeds Charitable Foundation ($2,000 grant in 2026 for approximately 500 meals), HCA Foundation, FirstBank G.R.O.W. Hope Fund.
3. Food Donations: Food prepared from wholesale purchases, Second Harvest Foodbank donations, and volunteer group donations of non-perishable items.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Luke 14:12 operates a free community soup kitchen program that prepares and serves restaurant-quality "meat and three" meals (entree, vegetables, fresh garden salad, dessert, and iced tea) to the homeless, hungry, and working poor of Nashville every Tuesday and Thursday at 11:30 am. The program is delivered on-site at McKendree United Methodist Church in partnership with Restoration Pointe Ministries, and is supported by approximately 14 volunteers per meal, food sourced from Second Harvest Food Bank and wholesale suppliers, and financial contributions from individuals, faith communities, and corporate/foundation grants.

Product overview

Luke 14:12 is a single-program non-profit organization offering a soup kitchen service that provides free meals to those experiencing hunger and homelessness in Nashville. The core offering is the Luke 14:12 Meal Program, which serves restaurant-quality 'meat and three' meals every Tuesday and Thursday at 11:30 am in partnership with Restoration Pointe Ministries. Founded in 1983, it is Nashville's longest-running soup kitchen and has served over 400,000 meals since inception. The organization also operates related programs including the G.R.O.W. program for individuals transitioning out of homelessness.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Luke 14:12 Meal Program A soup kitchen program providing free restaurant-quality "meat and three" meals (entrée, vegetables, fresh garden salad, dessert, and fresh brewed iced tea) to the hungry, homeless, and working poor of Nashville every Tuesday and Thursday at 11:30 am, served in partnership with Restoration Pointe Ministries at McKendree United Methodist Church.
• 1st Meals Program Luke 14:12's 1st Meals program provides meal delivery to partner organizations like Safe Haven Family Shelter for people moving into permanent housing, supporting the transition from homelessness.
• G.R.O.W. Program (Growth, Resilience, Opportunity, Wisdom) The G.R.O.W. program provides financial stability support for individuals transitioning out of homelessness, helping them avoid predatory lenders and title loans, with funding from FirstBank's Hope Fund. The program also includes hiring kitchen staff from the homeless community to create an employment pipeline.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 400,000 meals served since 1983
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Restoration Pointe MinistriescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to serve hot lunches every Tuesday and Thursday at McKendree United Methodist Church. Luke 14:12 cooks and serves meals while Restoration Pointe provides the venue and coordination support. Bobby Lee Smith is Director of Restoration Pointe.
• McKendree United Methodist ChurchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides Fellowship Hall venue at 523 Church St, Nashville TN 37219 for meal service. Free parking available at McKendree garage on 6th Avenue.
• Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle TennesseemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor food donation source for the organization. 640 lbs of canned goods donated along with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Provides wholesale and donated food ingredients.
• HCA Healthcare / HCA FoundationmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate volunteer support through employee volunteering programs. HCA provides time during workday for employees to serve. Major supporter during We Show Up for Our Communities Campaign.
• Safe Haven Family SheltermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLuke 14:12 provides meals for people moving into permanent housing through their 1st Meals program, supporting transition from homelessness.
• cul2vateminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAgricultural nonprofit supplying fresh produce donations including 70 pounds of fingerling potatoes and 3 crates of squash for Tuesday and Thursday meals.
• Room In The InnmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormer hosting partner from January 2011 to April 2024. Luke 14:12 operated from the dining room of Room In The Inn before moving to McKendree Church.
• Belmont UniversityminorGTM or Marketing PartnerUniversity partnership for volunteer support and community engagement.
• Vanderbilt AthleticsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAthletic department volunteer and community support.
• Vizient, Inc.minorGTM or Marketing PartnerHealthcare services company that held offsite meeting with service project making snack bags for Luke 14:12 guests, filling seven large boxes.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Glide Foundation: San Francisco-based nonprofit operating one of the nation's most recognized free meal programs alongside housing, healthcare, and workforce development. Directly comparable mission and dignified-meal philosophy, but with significantly larger scale and broader programming.
• Feeding America: National network of 200+ food banks; Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee is a Feeding America affiliate and a key Luke 14:12 donor. Provides indirect comparability through shared supplier relationships and food-distribution operating model.
• The Salvation Army Nashville: National faith-based nonprofit operating soup kitchens, shelters, and social services with a major Nashville-area presence. Operates broader programming than Luke 14:12 but serves overlapping homeless and food-insecure populations in the same market.

Direct peers

• CityTeam: Faith-based nonprofit operating hot meal programs, shelters, and recovery services in multiple U.S. cities. Operates with a similar volunteer-driven soup-kitchen model serving homeless and food-insecure populations, comparable in program structure though not geographically overlapping.
• Mobile Loaves & Fishes: Austin, Texas-based nonprofit serving restaurant-quality meals to the homeless and working poor through a volunteer-driven model — philosophically aligned with Luke 14:12's dignified-hospitality approach. Comparable in service philosophy and operating model, though a different geography.
• Martha O'Bryan Center: East Nashville-based anti-poverty organization providing food assistance, education, and family support to low-income Nashville residents. Direct peer in mission, geography, and target population, though with a broader service portfolio.
• Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee: Regional food bank serving 46 counties in Middle Tennessee; a major in-kind food donor to Luke 14:12 (640 lbs of canned goods). Operates complementary food distribution and anti-hunger programs across the same geography and target population.
• Room In The Inn: Founded in Nashville in 1978, Room In The Inn provides meals, shelter, and support services to people experiencing homelessness — and was Luke 14:12's direct venue host from January 2011 to April 2024. Direct service-overlap and shared geography make it the most comparable peer.
• Safe Haven Family Shelter: Nashville-based family shelter serving families experiencing homelessness; Luke 14:12's 1st Meals program delivers meals to its residents transitioning into permanent housing. Directly comparable in mission and service population.
• Catholic Charities of Tennessee: Faith-based social services nonprofit serving Middle Tennessee with food assistance, refugee services, and family support. Operates in the same geography with overlapping client base and similar donor/funding model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/luke1412nashville
• Facebookfacebook.com/Luke1412
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/luke-14-12

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Luke 14:12