Today we’d like to introduce you to Ryan Lampa.
Hi Ryan, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
People always ask how People Loving Nashville started, and honestly, it wasn’t some big strategic plan. It was just a group of friends who loved Jesus and wanted to love our city in a tangible way. Back in 2008, a few of us were cooking meals in my kitchen and taking them downtown to folks who were sleeping outside. We didn’t have a name, we didn’t have a budget—just a conviction that people deserve to be seen, known, and cared for.
Over time, those simple Monday nights turned into a movement. More volunteers came. More neighbors showed up. And as we listened to their stories, it became clear that a hot meal was only the beginning. People were longing for community, dignity, and a pathway out of the chaos of homelessness. So we kept saying yes—yes to building relationships, yes to showing up consistently, yes to walking with people long-term.
Fast-forward to today, and People Loving Nashville has grown into a full nonprofit with programs that help people move from crisis to stability to restoration. We’re still serving meals on Mondays, but now we’re also helping people get housed, supporting them as they settle into life off the streets, and creating spaces—like Paradeisos Coffee—where healing and meaningful work can happen.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I do not think anyone doing this kind of work would ever call the road smooth. The work is beautiful, but it is messy. In the early days, the biggest struggle was not knowing what we did not know. We were simply trying to love people well, but homelessness is complex. Trauma is complex. The systems around people are complex. We made mistakes, learned as we went, and kept adjusting.
There were seasons when the needs felt overwhelming. People we loved were dealing with addiction, mental health crises, violence, and loss. There were times when we did not have enough volunteers or resources or even emotional margin to carry what we were hearing on the streets. And learning how to transition from being a scrappy group of friends with a heart to help into a real organization with structure, staff, and long term programs brought its own set of challenges.
The hardest part has always been losing people along the way. You cannot walk in this space without getting attached. When someone passes away or disappears, it stays with you. Those moments remind you why the work matters, but they also break your heart.
Even with all of that, God has been faithful. Every obstacle has shaped us and taught us to slow down, listen more deeply, partner wisely, and build programs that truly help people move forward. The road has not been smooth, but it has been worth every step.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
People Loving Nashville exists to meet our unhoused neighbors with real help, real community, and a path to restoration. What I really want people to understand is that we are not just an organization. We are a community of people coming together. We are a movement. Every week more than one hundred volunteers from all walks of life step into this work together. Young and old. Families. Students. Professionals. Church groups. People who have been with us for years and people who show up for the first time and immediately feel like they belong. What we do only works because people link arms and decide to love their city in practical, consistent ways.
We are known for showing up every Monday night, rain or shine, and we have been doing that for more than sixteen years. The people we serve know our names and we know theirs. That consistency builds trust, and trust is what opens the door for real transformation. Our work goes far beyond serving meals. We build relationships, help people navigate housing and resources, and walk with them long after they move into a home.
One of the things that sets us apart is our commitment to restoration rather than quick fixes. Our Homefullness Program helps people transition from homelessness into stable housing with support, coaching, and community. Our Restoration Program continues to walk alongside newly housed neighbors as they rebuild routines and confidence. Paradeisos Coffee Company is part of that vision. It is a real coffee shop, but it is also a place of healing, dignity, and meaningful work for neighbors who are stepping into a new chapter.
We are not flashy. We are steady. We are creative. We love well and deeply. We are passionate. We honor people with dignity and stay committed for the long haul. Our community has been built by volunteers, staff, and neighbors who show up week after week because they believe every person has a future worth fighting for. All following the cries of the suffering, guided by the love and words of Jesus and stewarded by real people.
If readers take anything away, I hope it is this. People Loving Nashville is a community of people who believe hope is real and restoration is possible. Our programs, our volunteers, our staff, and even Paradeisos Coffee exist to remind people that no one is too far gone and no one walks alone. And that ultimately the city will be restored by those who once suffered.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
Growing up, I was a pretty curious kid. I was quiet when I was little. I always wanted to understand how people worked and why things were the way they were. In 5th grade I learned to truly laugh and truly cry. I loved creativity, music, and anything that let me make or build something. I was the kid who wanted to gather friends together, start projects, make videos, go skating and bring people into whatever I was dreaming up. Community has always meant a lot to me, even before I had language for it.
I also had a deep sense of justice from a young age. I could not stand seeing someone left out or hurting. I did not always know what to do about it, but I felt it. That instinct to step in and help people feel seen has been with me my whole life.
Spiritually, I was drawn to Jesus early on. Not in a perfect or polished way, but in a very real way. I wanted my faith to be lived out, not just talked about. That shaped a lot of my decisions and the kind of person I wanted to become.
I have always been someone who loves people, loves stories, and loves pulling others together. When I look back now, I can see that the seeds of People Loving Nashville were in me long before I knew what it would become.
Pricing:
- $5000 1 Person from the streets to a home
- $2500 1 person in personal and professional development once in housing
- $1000 five hundred emergency meals
- $50 essential emergency supplies
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.peoplelovingnashville.com
- Instagram: @peoplelovingnashville
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Peoplelovingnashville/
- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/peoplelovingnashville/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@peoplelovingnashville
