Volunteer Leader Spotlight: Julie Hill

Between her hobbies of hiking, biking, camping, and painting, Julie Hill seems to find herself leading volunteers and helping others on a regular basis. Just like getting in that habitual workout at the gym, Julie needs her community fix – and the community needs her. Twice a month, this southern California native works with a team to help prep and cook food for people who don’t have easy access to fresh produce. She has become an integral part of The Nashville Food Project, a local nonprofit that seeks to provide increased access to healthy foods in homeless and working poor communities across Davidson County.“I like the Nashville Food Project because you have two steps: preparing the food and handing it out to the individuals in need. I find it very fulfilling to be able to meet the individuals that we are there to help,” says Julie. “For me, volunteering is such a rewarding experience; I get the benefits of helping others and meeting great people who enjoy giving back to the community.”

She’s been working with The Nashville Food Project as a Volunteer Leader since September 2012, but has been an active Hands On Nashville volunteer since 2009. From a very young age, Julie was taught that helping her community was part of normal life. She continues to value the opportunity to help out her community and encourage those around her to do the same.

Julie has found Hands On Nashville to be a wonderful place to get connected. “By offering such a great website and partnerships, and the amazing people, Hands On Nashville makes volunteering truly a no-hassle and thoroughly enjoyable experience.”

Are you looking to get involved with The Nashville Food Project like Julie?
➢ Click here to see a list of upcoming opportunities and sign up.

VolunTEEN Spotlight: Laurel Cunningham

Guest blog post by Laurel Cunningham- Laurel, a sophomore at Harpeth Hall, is one of 13 HON Youth Volunteer Corps Interns, serving in the 2012-2013 class. Each month, she plans and leads two fitness and nutrition-focused lessons that engage the children served by the Fannie Battle Day Home For Children after-school program.

Laurel (front row, third from the left) and the other HON youth interns – What an inspiring group of young leaders!

I am Laurel Cunningham, a Youth Volunteer Corps Intern with Hands On Nashville. I have been assigned to teach the adorable children at Fannie Battle Day Home for Kids about health and nutrition. Along with these twice-a-month lessons, I am also helping plan and organize HON’s community service events. In addition to these two roles, I also have the opportunity of meeting several other wonderful interns who teach children at nonprofits throughout Nashville.

Although I love all aspects of the internship equally, teaching at Fannie Battle is my favorite. Here’s a snapshot of what the experience is like for me:

Every other Tuesday, I walk into the bustling center and see dozens of four-foot-tall kids running around, eating snack, and doing their homework. As they line up to come to my lesson, they try to peer in my bag to get a sneak preview of the day’s lesson. Their deceiving, cute little smiles also try to convince me to let them just play games all day.

“Can we PLEASE play a running game today,” shriek the children.

“If we have time left over,” I reply, hoping to finish my lesson and allow time for a quick tag-team game.

Once we get settled in an open area, usually seated in a circle, the lesson begins. The lessons are all interactive and hands-on. One of my favorite lessons I have taught so far was called “H₂O.” The kids learned about the value of water and how important it is to drink enough every day. I have them each their own plastic water bottles to decorate. While they were decorating, I pulled out plastic baggies filled with sugar.

Each baggy had the name of a popular soft drink and had the exact amount of sugar in the baggy as in an actual can of that drink. The kids were shocked by what they were drinking, and even the faculty at Fannie Battle vowed to drink more water and fewer soft drinks!

This year, I hope to teach the kids about what is so good about vegetables and fruits, teach them new games that they can recreate on their own, and show them how to bake food that is healthier for them. So far, I feel that I have started to obtain my goals with the children.

Every time I leave Fannie Battle, I spend my whole car ride home thinking about I can’t wait to go back!

About the Hands On Nashville’s Youth Volunteer Corps Internship
Hands On Nashville Youth Volunteer Corps Interns serve as a leadership team that works with HON staff to develop and lead youth projects and initiatives to benefit the community. Interns gain experience designing and facilitating educational and skill-building lessons for youth served by area nonprofits. Each applicant can choose from one of the following three concentrations: Arts, Fitness and Nutrition, or Technology. The intern team also gains experience in co-leading large service events in the community.

Youth Internship applications for next year will be available in February 2013. Interested in getting regular updates about youth leadership and volunteer opportunities with Hands On Nashville?
> Sign up to receive our VolunTEEN e-newsletter. 
> Join the HON VolunTEEN Facebook page.

Volunteer Leader Spotlight: Sarah Petschonek

Guest post by Sarah Petschonek-
This post originally appeared on http://confessionsofavolunteer.com

I lived in Nashville for about a year and when I first moved there, I knew I wanted to spend a good bit of time volunteering and learning about my new city. Through the extensive calendar at Hands On Nashville, I learned about an organization called The Nashville Food Project, which quickly became one of my favorite volunteer opportunities.

The Nashville Food Project is designed to create healthy food and deliver it by truck to the low-income areas of Nashville to ensure that everyone, regardless of their income, has access to a nutritious meal. The food they turn out of that tiny kitchen is amazing – like summer stir fry with beef or vegetarian lasagna. From the minute I walked into their offices I was hooked!

My shelf at The Nashville Food Project

There was fresh produce on every shelf and everything was incredibly well organized. It was clear that the team had fully embraced the idea of providing a rewarding and seamless experience for their volunteers. After a couple of times of volunteering, one of the project leaders suggested that I look into becoming a volunteer leader myself so that The Nashville Food Project, in cooperation with Hands On Nashville, could offer more meals each month. After a little arm twisting (ok, definitely no arm twisting required), I signed up to run the project on the fourth Sunday of every month for six months. Two months in, I moved back to Memphis, but I love the project so much that I continue to drive to Nashville each month to work with the project. If my count is correct, Day 25 of Mission Memphis marks my fifth time to lead a group for the Nashville Food Project.

The Nashville Food Project approach

This incredible project is housed in a small, unassuming building in the corner of a church parking lot. When I walk in for the project, there is a row of clipboards and one has my name and the date for the delivery. On a nearby shelf, another sheet displays what I’m supposed to prepare and take for the trip that day, and tells me the places we’ll be visiting.

About 70-80% of the food served is hot (like the veggie lasagna mentioned above), but on the weekend shifts we stick to sandwiches and fruit. Shortly after I get there, the volunteers start to show up to prep the sandwiches for the trip, which usually involves making 60-80 turkey sandwiches. One of the volunteers, Brittany, is there consistently each time I’m working, despite the fact that she is working two jobs and putting herself through school. While you can’t see all the sandwiches in this picture, the wonderful volunteers assembled 60 sandwiches for the delivery.

Volunteers Tram Giroir, Brittany Orpurt, Lisa Freeman

Generally, I experience a volunteer opportunity from the perspective of the volunteer, rather than the volunteer coordinator. This project is one of the few instances where I feel like the volunteer experience is up to me – that it’s my responsibility to make sure that each volunteer feels valued and appreciated. It always makes me a little nervous because I put a lot of pressure on myself to provide a meaningful experience. It’s nerve-racking because you never know who is going to show up (or if they’re going to show up), and most of the people I interact with are new to the project. When we get new volunteers, I make an effort to point out the map wall (as I call it), which highlights the different areas served by the project and includes a brief description of each location.

Map wall at The Nashville Food Project headquarters

When we have it, I also like to point out all the fresh produce that’s donated (hundreds of pounds) or grown in the garden out back.

Homegrown and gleaned produce at The Nashville Food Project

Before we leave, we take a few minutes to talk about guidelines for the volunteers and what to expect from the experience. I explain that most people will be very gracious and friendly, but sometimes people are grumpy and that’s ok. I tell them that I’ve never had any trouble on one of the deliveries and that it’s likely to be a rewarding experience, but sometimes people can be unpredictable and if anyone feels uncomfortable that we’ll leave. I just want to make sure that everyone feels as prepared and comfortable as possible especially if this will be their first client-facing experience in the area of hunger and poverty.

After prepping the sandwiches and covering the basics, we grab the fruit, hardboiled eggs, and any special produce and load up one of the two trucks for delivery.

Ready to roll with The Nashville Food Project truck

Once we get to the site, we’ll set up an assembly line to hand out the food, which on this run included turkey sandwiches, string cheese, apples and oranges, and hardboiled eggs.

Lisa Freeman, Adam Anghilnate, and Jessica Summers assembling a bag of food

Usually we also take bananas and those tend to be the most popular. I quickly learned that the soft foods tend to go quickly because many of the people who receive food might be missing most or all of their teeth. The first time I realized this I was shocked – not because their teeth were missing, but because it was so hard to tell! Many people alter the way they talk in an effort to hide their mouth. I’ve had entire conversations without realizing that someone was missing their teeth.

One of the many amazing things about this project is that I get the opportunity to visit the same sites each month, which gives me the opportunity to build relationships with the people we serve and to learn their stories. For example, one of our regular characters is Jack – an overweight Chihuahua who rides around contently in his owner’s wheelchair. Jack’s owner has a cowboy hat and a long beard and he seems happy to let Jack steal the show. I’ve seen them on every trip. Everyone knows him, but no one knows his real name. We all call him “Jack’s owner” and he typically peppers us with jokes on our visits.

The other incredible thing is what the experience does for the volunteers. When we leave from the church parking lot, everyone is pretty quiet, because they’re strangers to one another. So, I tend to run my mouth and ask everyone lots of questions to get them talking. On the ride home, my poor emcee skills are thankfully not needed – everyone talks about their common experience and swaps stories about the trip. The whole process is designed to build community in more ways than one.

I love this project for many reasons. I think there are two main things that really got me hooked in the first place. I love the idea that everyone is deserving of a good, nutritious meal rather than the scraps and cheapest food available. Everything that comes out of the kitchen at The Nashville Food Project is thoughtfully prepared to be good! It sends the message that we’re all equal and that everyone is worth the extra effort necessary to offer wholesome food. Second, this is a wonderful experience for volunteers because it gives you the opportunity to interact with the clients and it challenges your perception of what poverty looks like. It’s a rewarding experience for everyone involved. I wish I could duplicate this group and drop one in every city.

I could go on about this project forever. I love The Nashville Food Project. But instead, I’ll leave you with my favorite parting words from the Executive Director of The Nashville Food Project, Tallu Quinn:

“The daily story of the meals we serve reminds us of what we can do with that excess, of how we can reconfigure our lives with imagination so that we might be more concerned with others around us having enough than with making sure we ourselves have plenty.”

Interested in volunteering at The Nashville Food Project with Sarah? 
> View upcoming opportunities and sign up.

Volunteer Leader Spotlight: Kristen O’Hare

Guest blog post by Kristen O’Hare
I got to know Hands On Nashville 10 years ago as a Belmont University student.  Then, I would volunteer periodically and participate in events like Hands On Nashville Day, our community’s largest day of service in Metro Schools.

My real and meaningful relationship with Hands On Nashville began with a simple text message I received on May 3, 2010.  It read, “Sandbaggers are needed immediately in Metro Center to stop the levee from breaking.” While my own apartment had water from Mill Creek filtering in through the front door, I felt an undeniable need to respond to that text; so, I drove to Metro Center.  As I approached the volunteer site, Metro Police warned me that if the levee were to break, we’d all be in danger. With a smile and a nod, I joined dozens of other volunteers.

“The pride I had looking at the volunteers around me was overwhelming.”

With the toss of my first sandbag, something inside of me changed. I could actually feel it. With every additional sandbag I touched over the next 6 hours, the pride I had looking at the volunteers around me was overwhelming.  We were wet, cold, tired, and covered in sand fleas; yet we kept working.  Each of us wanted to lessen the impact of the 1,000-year flood.

We came together as strangers, but we left as neighbors.  For me, the dirty water from the flooded Cumberland River washed me clean.

In the weeks following the flood, I’d deliver food and water; tear down homes; and set up distribution centers.  I even honed my skills driving a big rented Budget truck to deliver supplies. Volunteering had become by passion, and I was glad that Hands On Nashville provided me so many opportunities to make a difference.  In fact, through my HON flood volunteerism, I connected with the Red Cross.  Today, after months of training, I am a certified Red Cross first responder.  I assist in a variety of disasters – from house fires to floods – and I’m grateful for the opportunity to help people when they most need me.

I am also proud to serve as a Hands On Nashville volunteer leader.  One Saturday every month, I guide other volunteers in cleanup projects at the Nashville City Cemetery – our city’s oldest public cemetery.  Due to its historical and architectural significance, the Nashville City Cemetery is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  Many prominent figures are buried there – from Nashville’s founders Charlotte and James Robertson to two of the original Fisk Jubilee Singers.

This project is a perfect match for my skills.  As a museum curatorial assistant at the Grand Ole Opry, I have expertise in the preservation and restoration of historic artifacts.  During this project, I teach other volunteers  how to slow the deterioration of headstones.  By clearing away magnolia tree seeds, nuts, and other natural materials, we do our best to maintain this important piece of history.

But, for me, being a HON volunteer leader is even more than completing important service projects.  When I put on my volunteer leader shirt – the one with the handprint surrounded by little circles – I do so knowing that I represent not only Hands On Nashville, but all of the volunteers that go out and give of themselves in their free time.  That’s powerful.

Interested in leading a volunteer project?
> Click here and learn how to get started.

Volunteer Leader Spotlight: Adam Jones

The Goalball team takes a break to pose for the camera. Hi, team! (Adam is second from the right.)

It’s one thing to know how to play ball, but to play without using your vision is an extra challenge most people don’t experience. Volunteer Adam Jones takes pleasure in putting on goggles covered in duct tape and playing goalball with Tennessee Association of Blind Athletes (TNABA). It forces him to get outside of his comfort zone and use his other senses to make his way around the court. And, he feels good about helping the athletes prepare for their next tournament.

Adam moved to Nashville in 2009, looking for ways he could get engaged with the Nashville community. He found Hands On Nashville’s website and, after trying a few different volunteer options, found himself frequenting the TNABA court. By 2011, he was leading these volunteer opportunities as a HON Volunteer Leader, making a huge difference in the lives of these athletes. Adam comments that he loved this particular volunteer experience because “it combines my love of sports with my fervor for volunteering.”

Adam in action playing goalball with the TNABA players. Go, Adam!

While some people find it daunting to play a new game like goalball, Adam encourages more people to sign up and take a chance, especially if you love competition. Adam says, “New volunteers should not be afraid to dive in completely. Try to beat the TNABA athletes when you play them. They are most assuredly trying to beat you.”

The best part about volunteering is “helping to fill a need,” says Adam. He encourages everyone to find an organization or an activity they love and spend time volunteering there. He says, “Whether the need is great or small, local or international, being able to help by giving of myself is both rewarding and uplifting. I appreciate the work that you do at HON and look forward to volunteering with you more in the future.”

Check out the following opportunities where you can volunteer with TNABA this fall:
> Thursday, October 25, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
> Saturday, November 3, 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
> Saturday, November 17, 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Volunteer Leader Spotlight: Kymberly Anderson

This mother, entrepreneur, native Nashvillian, and world traveler has a big place in her heart for volunteerism and Music City.

“I was married in Japan and have literally been around the world with my six boys 25 times,” says Kymberly Anderson. She’s been on many worldly adventures, but has always found her way back to Nashville and the people here who make it a wonderful place to live. “[Volunteerism and] Hands On Nashville have made such a great impact on me and my city!” she exclaims. “I was born and raised here. I lived and traveled all over the world, but always return to Nashville!”

While not on the move, Kymberly has been involved with HON since the mid-1990s when she served as a member of Hands On Nashville’s board of directors and in various volunteer roles. When the 2010 flood hit Nashville, Kym stepped up her commitment in a big way and served as a Project Coordinator helping with flood cleanup on Blue Hole Road for three weeks.

“After [helping with] the flood, I knew I had to get back full time with HON and find my groove.” She found a true sweet spot leading volunteers to serve hot meals to Nashville’s homeless and working poor through Catholic Charities’ program Loaves and Fishes, and she’s been doing it for the past two years. “Loaves & Fishes is one of the most fulfilling projects that HON is involved with. I have [led volunteer projects many times] over the years, and I’ve found such a deep connection at Loaves & Fishes.” Her favorite part is the interaction. “I love the stories and seeing everyone each and every month,” she comments. “We are surrounded by so many grateful people.”

If you are trying out a new service opportunity like Loaves & Fishes, Kymberly encourages you to go with the flow. “Even though your project may not run as smoothly as you anticipate, the end result is phenomenal to others. And, wear comfortable shoes!”

“With HON, we can and do make huge differences within our community. HON is so well run, the projects give you the freedom to express your individualism, and the end results actually change someone’s life besides your own,” she says. “I am very proud to be involved with HON, and will continue to be a Volunteer Leader for the next 20 years!”

Loaves and Fishes occurs on the 4th Saturday of every month from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. If you want to participate, click here to sign up for this project. HON’s Volunteer Leaders and volunteers are an integral part of Hands On Nashville’s mission to impact community needs through volunteerism. Thank you, Kym, for your leadership and volunteerism.

Volunteer Leader Spotlight: Camilla Baird

Eight years ago, Camilla made the big move to Music City. This “concert junkie,” as she calls herself, was out to see new things and put her mark on the world.

It turns out that her passion for live music wasn’t the only thing that made Camilla fall in love with Nashville. The city’s culture of service also made it a great fit for this spunky St. Louis native. Camilla’s fond childhood memories of her parents showing her the importance of serving others inspired her to get involved in community service in her new city. Shortly after moving to town, Camilla found herself involved in all sorts of community happenings that helped those in need.

Nashville CARES became a regular project for Camilla.  “After moving to Nashville,” she mentions, “it was important to follow their lead and give back and grow my roots here.”

For the past 6 months, Camilla has stepped up even more and taken a new role at Nashville CARES as the Volunteer Leader. Each week, she leads volunteer groups in helping to pack food that is given to individuals and families in need. She loves this project because “it serves so many in the Nashville area and beyond.” The CARES packages provide food to help an HIV/AIDS victim and/or family member for weeks. “It feels so good to know that my minor efforts are helping in a major way to provide essential nutrition for those in need,” says Camilla.

Camilla moved here eight years ago and it took her a few years to find her niche at Nashville CARES. Why? Because she was eager to experiment with all the HON.org opportunities. Camilla encourages everyone to “be open and willing to try new things until you find a good fit.” With so much need and an accessible opportunity calendar at anyone’s fingertips, there is certainly something for everyone to try. “I love feeling like I made a difference, even if it’s just a little part of my time,” says Camilla.

Making CARES Packages occurs every Tuesday from 6 to 7:30 p.m. If you want to participate, click here to sign up for this project.  HON’s Volunteer Leaders and volunteers are an integral part of Hands On Nashville’s mission to impact community needs through volunteerism. Thank you, Camilla, for your leadership and volunteerism!

Serving Up Love at Hope Lodge

Volunteer Spotlight: Kevin Groom
Kevin Groom makes a mean home-cooked meal, and the cancer patients and their families that he cooks for each month at Hope Lodge savor every bite.

This IT expert and country music lover started volunteering with Hands On Nashville in 1997, a few years after moving here. Looking for an opportunity to meet new people, learn more about Nashville, and connect with others to whom he might lend a helping hand, Kevin got involved by helping to plan Hands On Nashville Day two years in a row.

Then in 2000, he got even more involved by serving as co-chair of the event. “This was my most memorable volunteer experience,” Kevin says. “We had almost 1,000 volunteers working on about 50 projects throughout Nashville that year. Helping to plan the event was a huge time commitment and required a great deal of effort. But on the day of the event, the members of the planning committee traveled around to several projects to take pictures and meet the volunteers. Visiting all the different sites really helped me to see just how great an impact Hands On Nashville really has on the city.”

In 2007, Kevin began volunteering regularly at The American Cancer Society’s Memorial Foundation Hope Lodge. This amazing organization provides free housing for out-of-town patients undergoing cancer treatment and their families. HON volunteers provide home-cooked meals to help make the guests’ stay more comfortable.

“I like volunteering at the Hope Lodge because it’s a great opportunity to help others and immediately see a benefit,” he says. “After spending all day at the hospital, the families really appreciate having a home-cooked meal instead of having to prepare something themselves or go out to a restaurant.”

Kevin also learns a lot from the people he serves, and says they serve as an example for how to deal with adversity.  “I’m always amazed at the positive attitudes of the patients and their families even though they are going through such tough times. “

Kevin’s advice to new volunteers? “Sign up for several different projects to see which ones you like the best. Volunteering is an excellent way to gain life experience and meet people from all walks of life.”

Interested in joining Kevin and the other cooks at Hope Lodge? Dinner at Hope Lodge occurs on the third Monday, and the first and second Wednesday of each month from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. 

Volunteer Leader Spotlight: Mario LaGrone

Mario and his team taking a break to strike a pose as they volunteer at Haywood Lane fire station over MLK Day Weekend.

Let’s face it, life gets busy. For Mario LaGrone though, that’s no excuse. Preparing for medical school, working, and raising a daughter keep his schedule jam-packed, but he still manages to find time to give back to our community and make good friends while he’s at it. This Hands On Nashville Volunteer Leader of three years consistently inspires others with his upbeat attitude and spunky spirit.

The best part about Mario is his passion to assist those in need. It’s hard to be around him and not feel inspired by his positive energy. Last month during MLK Day weekend, Mario served as Volunteer Leader for a painting project at the Haywood Lane fire station. When his group of volunteers finished their assigned work early, he was surprised when they didn’t jump on the opportunity to leave and go enjoy the beautiful day. In unity, the group told him, “we will leave when you leave.” Mario says, “I could not believe… a group of volunteers I’d only known for two hours felt so committed to me, Hands On Nashville, and the project.” This group wanted to make a difference and they stayed the entire shift to complete other improvement work. “This was one of my proudest moments,” Mario says. “I had the best team of volunteers and, more importantly, friends.”

Watch out, fire trucks. Mario and his team were busy helping Nashville's Haywood Lane Fire Station on MLK Day weekend.

Mario has always been interested in being a part of the community,  but he never anticipated having so many new relationships in his life. “When I volunteer, I feel that I am helping out my own family. … I am able to interact and meet and thank each one of my volunteers,” he says. And, he gets to do what he loves to do: “share many smiles along the way.” Mario encourages anyone who is looking to give back to “get up and get involved in helping your community. There is always a need for great volunteers who want to make a difference.”

Mario LaGrone is a special events Volunteer Leader for HON, and has led Hands On Nashville Day and MLK Day teams in a variety of service projects over the years. Watch out, though! Word on the street is that Mario will soon be making more frequent appearances as a Volunteer Leader for regular Opportunity Calendar projects.

Volunteer Leader Spotlight: Megan Zarling

“I may not change someone’s entire life, but I can be the change for that moment or day,” says 33-year-old Megan Zarling as she reflects on her new role as Volunteer Leader with Hands On Nashville.

This sense of purpose and mission wasn’t always so apparent, though. After working in the music business for 10 years, Megan found that she wasn’t quite as fulfilled by her work as she used to be. She was raised to believe that it’s important to “put others first,” yet she saw herself growing more and more distant from that philosophy. And trying new sushi restaurants with her husband wasn’t enough to tame the adventurer inside.

In May 2010, Megan found herself in her first volunteer experience when Nashville was hit by the flood. The volunteer relief efforts reinvigorated her spirit of community and motivated her to give back. “I could not believe the amount of work HON [volunteers] were able to take on. The results [of flood relief efforts] were mind boggling to me.” In June 2011, Megan decided to dive headfirst into the nonprofit world and make volunteering a more consistent centerpiece of her life.

After trying a few different volunteer opportunities, she found her fit at Nashville Cares where she leads volunteers making care packages for HIV/AIDS affected families. “Before we start, the wall is lined with empty shelves. By the time we leave, those shelves are packed with food bags,” she says. “It’s an amazing feeling to know the food bags we put together will feed Cares’ clients for the next several weeks.”

This busy wife, mother-to-be, workout enthusiast and dog-lover encourages anyone who will listen to integrate service into their lifestyle, too. “It only takes a little time and an open mind to volunteer. There is literally something for everyone. The best part about volunteering is at the end knowing you did something for someone else.  The feeling of being selfless for a brief period of time is priceless.”

Making CARES Packages occurs every Tuesday from 6 to 7:30 p.m.  If you want to participate, click here to sign up for this project.  HON’s Volunteer Leaders and volunteers are an integral part of Hands On Nashville’s mission to impact community needs through volunteerism.  Thank you, Megan, for your leadership and volunteerism!