What would happen if we all came together to channel our collective energy, love and compassion? Beginning in May, Open Table Nashville has hosted a weekly Foot Clinic at Trinity Community Commons, which is a resurrected historic United Methodist Church facility. OTN’s foot clinic used to be on Monday nights at War Memorial Plaza, however the location has shifted to this East Nashville space.
Led by Open Table Nashville’s resource specialist, Will Compton, the foot clinic takes place on Tuesday evenings from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Compton coordinates with weekly volunteers to provide foot care and basic first aid, along with incandescent laughs. This looks like washing feet, clipping toenails, cleaning wounds, sanitizing supplies and engaging in conversation with those receiving foot care.
“Everybody wants to feel clean. Everybody wants to feel good about themselves,” Compton said.
After observing Compton tenderly wash a woman’s feet, I’ve never seen her smile so big. Those feelings don’t wash off. Homelessness is something we see all over Nashville, but actually seeing people for who they are, their humanity and their story, is something we often miss.
“These kinds of efforts that allow people to connect at a very individual level and be seen are vital for self-esteem and social change,” explained India Pungarcher, an advocate and street outreach worker at Open Table Nashville.
Foot clinic has spiritual roots, but it is ultimately a way to care for our neighbors and friends, cultivating relief, connection and restoration. Lindsey Krinks, the co-founder of Open Table Nashville, is a street chaplain and advocate who has worked for over a decade on the front lines of social justice movements. To grasp the connection between spirituality and activism, she seeks opportunities for collective healing. “There is something deeply sacred about washing someone’s feet, providing confidence and compassionate care,” notes Compton.
There is also a community dinner at 4:30 p.m. at the Commons in partnership with the Nashville Food Project. Zach Lykins, the executive director of TCC, greets everyone with a smile and a slice of his homemade sourdough bread. Lykins is compelled to create paths of access for all members of the local community to gather and grow. His delicious sourdough serves as a source of warmth and as an invitation to break bread with our neighbors, transforming strangers into lifelong friends. He adorns the brick walls of the church with polaroid photos of cherished community members in hopes of weaving a strong social fabric.
In the midst of encampment closures and rising housing prices, Open Table Nashville’s foot clinic represents a glowing ember of a maybe — that perhaps the Nashville community can meaningfully come together and deviate from a history steeped in racial inequality and systemic injustices. With the upcoming mayoral election, the hint of change flutters in the air, blazing with possibilities.
The foot clinic is located at 204 E. Trinity Lane, Nashville, TN 37207 on Tuesdays from 5:30-7:30 p.m.