Judy Paster's Love For Nashville Rescue Mission Hope Center

What charitable cause tugs at your heart?

My musical work with children with Special Needs is very dear to my heart. The other one is doing music with Women in Recovery.

Tell us about your favorite memory of your charitable involvement.

My favorite memory of my involvement in doing music for kids with Special Needs, is from when It first began about 12 years ago. I was already trained in children's music, and when the need arose to fill a position for the Special Unit Hearing Impaired Preschool class at the Delaware County Public School in PA, I was given an opportunity to try it out. To mine and the teacher's delight, it was an incredible "fit". Relationships were formed with the kids, and I remember the Teachers & Aides checking responses off their list during music class, of things they wanted to see throughout the day from the children.

With women in recovery- its every time I go to the Rescue Mission to sing for them, someone shares their "story", usually with tears. Often, tears of relief & gratitude that they are now safe & have hope in a future. It's very rewarding to have my songs touch their hearts, & be part of their recovery.

Tell us the details and info about one of your favorite charities

Nashville Rescue Mission Hope Center. I sing for the women in recovery who are living there & enrolled in their program.

What made you choose this specific charity?

I have a desire to see women living healthy, full lives & finding their God given purpose. Women who have addictions, are in abusive relationships, commit crimes, have children they can't take care of, & a myriad of other issues have led them to seek shelter at the Nashville Rescue Mission, a faith based recovery program that offers the women safety, shelter, friendships, & rehabilitation into society.

With the kids with Special Needs, I serve or work with them one on one, as well as special classes at schools, churches, & the YMCA. I have found that many of these children literally do not have a "voice" and building a relationship with them through music, can be vital to their development in finding some type of voice and/ or creative expression, as well as building trust and friendship between them and me.