About Hope On The Row
Hope on the Row was founded in 2020 by Nashville songwriter Ava Suppelsa, who was just 23 years old at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. What began as Ava and a few friends putting on masks, filling backpacks with snacks and essentials, and walking the streets of downtown Nashville to offer support quickly grew into something much larger.
Funded at first by small donations from Ava’s social media followers, the effort soon caught on, drawing more volunteers who wanted to be part of a movement rooted in compassion and community.
Within just a few months, Hope on the Row became an official 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and the team of volunteers grew from a handful of friends to over 100 dedicated community members. Since then, we’ve served more than 36,000 meals and distributed over 10,000 pounds of gently used clothing to our neighbors experiencing homelessness in Nashville.
Today, Hope on the Row continues to serve 150+ people every Sunday, guided by our mission to provide dignity, choices, and connection. We are proud to be a secular, grassroots nonprofit that believes in solidarity, not charity - and we have no plans of slowing down any time soon.