Volunteer Spotlight: Josh Angel

Josh Angel has a quirky sense of humor, is a big Green Bay Packers fan (he’s originally from Wisconsin), is a practicing Muslim, and spends his free time volunteering in the community with Hands On Nashville.

Josh with his daughter, Jailyn. They are all smiles! “We as individuals can’t help everyone, but everyone can help someone,” says Josh.

Since he first got involved with Hands On Nashville one year ago, he’s racked up an impressive 60 hours of service, helping out the community at volunteer opportunities ranging from Helping the Hungry and Thriftsmart Assistant to Home Energy Savings projects.

“My first volunteer opportunity ever was serving dinner at the Safe Haven Family Shelter,” explains Josh. “A co-worker of mine at Asurion encouraged me to try it out, and I had such an incredible experience that I just haven’t been able to stop. Volunteering is kinda like Lays Potato Chips, you can’t have just one!” (See what we mean about the sense of humor?)

Josh has a big heart for helping others. In his spare time, he also likes to read The Qur’an, spend time with his daughter and his family, and try to live an honest, humble, and wholesome life.

When it comes to advice about getting involved and helping others, Josh encourages people who may be timid about jumping in to “just try and experience new things. Get involved with your community. Especially youth – they have such a powerful influence these days… So just get out there, and lend a helping hand wherever you can, because we as individuals can’t help everyone, but everyone can help someone.”

Josh says the best part about volunteering is the pay. (Ha! We love Josh’s jokes.) “In all seriousness,” says Josh, “the best part of volunteering is just feeling as if in some small way you’ve impacted someone’s life for the better. You’ve shown that there are still people in this world who care, who are concerned. Whether it’s a friendly smile, a warm embrace, or a hot meal.”

We would like to thank Josh and all of those who are so giving of their time, compassion, and willingness to help others. What an amazing community this is!

The Bear Hug that Reminded Me Why We Do This

By Elizabeth Madsen, HON’s Director of Nonprofit and Volunteer Relations

The group serving at Hope Lodge.

I work at a volunteer resource center – which is amazing and allows me to connect people who want to help our community to other people who could use a helping hand. What it doesn’t allow me to do is spend a lot of time volunteering. Usually. One of my roles at HON is to train and manage the dedicated Volunteer Leader (VL) corps. They are the folks you usually see at projects, making sure that you have the tools that you need, getting you signed in and generally making sure that you’re having a good time AND a meaningful experience. (It’s a big job, isn’t it?) Last month, I was blessed to volunteer four times in one week. The following is an experience I had at one of the projects.

Monday – Dinner at Hope Lodge

Hands On Nashville closes on President’s Day. We run around like crazy men and women on MLK Day, making sure that everyone else’s day off can be put to good use. By mid-February, we are all ready for a little R&R. I started my day off with a workout, then showered and signed into work email to make sure everything was running as it should.

There was an email from Keitha, one of the VLs for Dinner at Hope Lodge. She was emailing to let me know that a number of people were dropping out that afternoon and that she didn’t think we would have enough food for the Hope Lodge residents. She had already called Hope Lodge to manage expectations and was writing just to let me know.

So, I emailed her back, put on my sneakers, and headed to Kroger for brownie mix and veggies to roast. Several hours later, I had made three batches of brownies and two batches of roasted veggies. It was time to head out. In the rain. On my day off.

But, we had a great time. We had enough people and plenty of food, as it turned out. I was glad I went. It’s always nice to get out from behind my desk to see the service that we help make possible come to life. And then, it happened. I first noticed this young couple when we welcomed everyone into the kitchen to serve themselves dinner. They were about my age – I’m 33. They were staying at the Hope Lodge, a free place to stay for people getting cancer treatment who don’t live near Nashville.

It didn’t seem right. People my age shouldn’t be at the Hope Lodge. I put them out of my mind and continued on, making sure everyone had what they needed, bagging up leftovers, getting closer to a little down-time with each step. After all, this was my day off. I hadn’t planned to devote most of it to work. Finally, at 7:15 we were done. Keitha thanked us all and sent us home.

And as I walked out of the kitchen, the guy my age came over, wrapped me in a bear hug, and thanked me. He had expressed his thanks all evening, but this was it for me. My coworkers can tell you that I value my personal space. But as Alex squeezed me tight, thanking me for feeding him and his companion, I fought back tears. Six hours of standing, cooking, serving and cleaning disappeared and all I felt was thankful. I am thankful for my health and thankful that at HON we make these moments possible every day.

A native Texan, Elizabeth Madsen serves as HON’s director of nonprofit and volunteer relations. She helps HON’s Nonprofit Partners think about ways to engage volunteers in meaningful service work, manages the Volunteer Leader Corps, and sends you an email every time you sign up to volunteer. (Okay, fine.  A computer does that last part.) Elizabeth is training to complete her first half marathon in June.

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 Spotlight: Jess Peoples (a.k.a. Jumpin Jess)

By Jess Peoples, Communications Manager at Hands On Nashville--

Girls, running, positivity, cheering. It all seemed like old hat to me. So I dove right in, joined Girls on the Run (GOTR) as an assistant coach at J.T. Moore Middle School, and committed to mentoring a group of 9-year-old girls from September through December 8, coaching them along with additional coaches and volunteers to complete a real 5k (that’s 3.1 miles!). Just last week, I ran with Amazing Anajah (we give them superlatives to add that extra boost of confidence and positivity… and I am, of course, Jumpin Jess), and we completed our first practice 5k. Every girl on my 10-person team did awesome!

Jumpin Jess and Amazing Anajah after the practice 5K race – way to go, ladies!!

This experience has been challenging, yet so rewarding. The consistent commitment to connect to community and see life through the eyes of a child has grown me to be more understanding, patient, and simply a better contributor to our community. You’d think since I work at Hands On Nashville, I’d get my community fill as I work. Something is simply different about the choice you have outside of work, though. GOTR is that something for me.

The challenge keeps me on my game and my brain turning. While I love running, I’ve never had to think more creatively than when I’m with these girls. Like typical 9-year-olds, their daily feelings are worn on their sweats. Good days are blissful. Bad days, well, feel like I am pulling a fish out of the Atlantic. Asking for a little pep is sometimes intimidating, but when I finally figure out what really makes them smile, score!

Super Sam and Hilarious Hannah take a break from running to smile for the camera.

I had this vision I could be this ultra-hero and champion them onto the best life ever. Running, I know from experience, has helped me through so many struggles and has kept me healthy in my 28 years of life. What I didn’t realize was that it is more about community, more about listening. They need a mentor, a friend. Didn’t you when you were 9? Heck, I think I still do now.

Since I’m not a parent, I hadn’t thought intensely of all the delicate risks and dangers that play into the lives of 9-year-old girls. From afar, it seems so simple. But, with peer pressure, self-esteem issues, and just plain being at the wrong place at the wrong time, these girls can, and quite possibly will, encounter their own trials. That’s where Girls on the Run comes in and fills that extra bit of need. Some of these girls have already been through pain and struggle. For whatever reason, their confidence might be low and, at this age, they are desperately seeking positive reassurance and friendship. Each week, we go over lessons from a guidebook GOTR provides to us. Each lesson talks about identity issues girls of all ages continuously struggle with and have to confront in one way or another.

Head coach Jennifer, Amazing Anajah, Graceful Grace, and her running buddy Mighty M.T. after the practice 5K.

In a positive, safe, and loving way, we discuss these issues and talk about how to combat them. We practice saying “no” to the negative things of this world like peer pressure, drugs, gossip, and more. Being a Girl on the Run means being a positive leader and a good friend. Being a Girl on the Run means confidence, security, and trust.

Just when we were finishing the practice 5k this week, Anajah pulled on my sleeve. With a smirk, she reminded me that not only did she finish the 5k without walking, she was going to be an Olympic runner one day. Dreams can come true. She has goals, excitement for life, and an enthusiasm to do the right thing. She knows that this group is safe and that we all care. We want her to succeed.

GOTR is looking for more coaches to sign up for the upcoming spring season. Are you up for the challenge?

> Volunteer as a head coach.

> Volunteer as an assistant coach. 

> Download Hands On Nashville’s Holiday Guide for additional GOTR needs and other needs in the community.

> Learn more about GOTR Nashville.

Check out this uplifting video about Girls on the Run!

Volunteer Spotlight: Stephen McClure

Stephen McClure is one of the dedicated community volunteers who works behind the scenes to make Hands On Nashville Day happen.

Marketing manager at HealthStream, Stephen says of his first HON Day, “The spirit of enthusiasm and service was infectious.”

“[Hands On Nashville Day] was one of my first volunteering experiences in Nashville, and it really inspired me to get involved in the community,” Stephen remembers.

This Tullahoma, Tenn., native has served on the Hands On Nashville Day planning committee since 2006, when he focused on recruiting new team leaders for the event. This year, he’s reaching out to schools about whether they’re interested in having projects. “It’s great to talk to principals about how important HON Day is to their schools. I really get a sense that they appreciate the value of volunteer hours in improving their schools.”

Stephen and the rest of the 15-member HON Day planning committee are passionate about making Hands On Nashville Day a success, because they see it as more than just a service event.

Stephen, pictured here in the back row, with a great crew of HON Day volunteers in 2008. Marketing manager at HealthStream, Stephen says of his first HON Day experience, “The spirit of enthusiasm and service was infectious.”

“Hands On Nashville Day opens a door for many people,” Stephen says. “It helps them get in touch with the emotional value of volunteering, and especially shows just how easy HON makes it to get involved. When my friends and colleagues tell me that they’ve begun volunteering on their own as a result of their initial HON Day experience, I really feel like I have helped something important happen.”

Will Stephen have a team for Hands On Nashville Day this year? “Definitely. I’m combining my personal team with a group from HealthStream.”

> Read more about Hands On Nashville Day, including how you can join Stephen and other volunteers in an uplifting morning of service to help Nashville schools.

Hands On Nashville Day is truly a grassroots effort, powered by many passionate community members and organizations. THANK YOU to Stephen and the entire 2012 Hands On Nashville Day planning committee for your enthusiastic spirits and your support of Middle Tennessee’s volunteer community. You all are amazing!

Co-chairs:
Shelley Madison and Leanna Pelham

Hands On Nashville Day 2012 is set to be the biggest yet! We hope you can join us. Registration opens Tues., Sept. 4 at HON.org.

Brittany Smart
Tiffany Day
Megan Roller
Natasha Powell
Drew Brooks
Alix Brody-White
Kiara Henry
Tony Garcia
Stephen McClure
Tanisha Hall
Amy Crownover
Kristen Kilpatrick
Jennifer Renshaw

Volunteer Spotlight: Will Hedgecock

Will Hedgecock has a new philosophy in life. “Wake up early on a Saturday, give four or five hours of service to your community, and be back by noon to lay out by the pool, and feel good about having helped out with the added bonus of knowing you’ve gotten at least two days’ worth of exercise under your belt!”

This 26-year-old achiever isn’t all about pool time, though. Working on his Ph. D. in Electrical Engineering at Vanderbilt, he is all about challenging himself to take on new adventures. In addition to loving the outdoors (he can often be found on a trail, riding a bike, or navigating a river in a canoe), Will is not afraid to experiment when it comes to choosing service projects on the HON Opportunity Calendar. “I’ve been very active within the organization, trying out various opportunities – some of which I knew I’d enjoy and some which were outside of my comfort zone,” says Will. From Urban Farm projects to helping with benefit concerts like the “Moograss” Festival, he’s excited to make a positive difference in the community.

Will encourages others looking to get involved to first start with some issue or place that has meaning to them. “I was excited to see a Radnor Lake volunteer day,” Will says. “This is a park several of my friends and I have visited many times, and I thought it’d be not only fun to help out there, but also to give back to a resource that I’ve had the opportunity to enjoy. Since then, I’ve found a number of Nashville non-profits that I really enjoy volunteering for that I never would have even known about without Hands On Nashville.”

Once you volunteer with something familiar, Will encourages you to “branch out and try something new. You just might find a hidden interest you never knew you had!”

“I’m definitely glad I started volunteering with HON, and I’m grateful for the experiences I’ve had with the organization so far. Looking forward to many more volunteer opportunities in the near future!”

Do you have an interest in volunteering and trying out something new? Try working on the Urban Farm, helping with the Clay Shoot Fundraiser, or how about Blind Golfing?

Volunteer Spotlight: Kacie Kleja

Kacie Kleja plays a mean game of bingo. And while she’s at it, she’s giving seniors the valuable gift of human connection.

Kacie is a natural connector, and for the past three years, she’s been meeting new people and deepening relationships through service. Her regular commitment to Game Night, which takes place at Bordeaux Hospital, and Bingo Party at J.B. Knowles has become part of who she is, and she’s loved every moment.

“My favorite part of volunteering is the people.” -Kacie Kleja

Her service passion started in 2008, when a Hands On Nashville representative spoke to a group of HCA employees at the annual Caring for the Community Campaign. “It sparked my interest in finding additional volunteer opportunities in Nashville,” she comments, “and I was easily able to find project matches through the Hands On Nashville website.”

From there, she found her volunteering niche through playing bingo with senior citizens. At each project, Kacie takes time to engage with new people – her favorite part of service. “The residents look forward to having a night of fun and conversation,” she says. She also notes that both Bingo and Game Night “are great interactive activities with the people that live there. For some of the residents, it is truly the only interaction that they have. On multiple occasions I have had [residents] tell me that they wait all month for the activity. They are so appreciative of the volunteers.”

Volunteers bringing smiles to seniors at Game Night.

Kacie and the other volunteers have added so much value to the residents’ lives.

If you’re looking for a similar regular volunteer opportunity, Kacie recommends checking out the Hands On Nashville website and seeing which opportunities look intriguing. “There are a lot of projects that do not require a specific skill set, which makes it very easy to find a project match!”

Thanks to Kacie for her enthusiasm and commitment to providing companionship and valuable activities for our community’s senior citizens. Interested in joining her? Bingo Party at J.B. Knowles occurs on the third Wednesday of every month from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Game Night occurs on the fourth Tuesday of every month from 6 to 8 p.m.

Mr. Danridge and the Case of the Caulking Gun

Guest post by volunteer Jessica Siegel -

If you had asked me last month what a caulking gun was used for, I would have made up an answer that was 99% likely to be wrong – but not anymore!

In late February, I joined six of my coworkers from the Grand Ole Opry to help Hands On Nashville make a home more energy efficient and weather proof, and that’s how I met Mr. Danridge* and learned exactly what one does with a caulking gun!

Having no home improvement experience beyond painting, I was a little nervous as I drove up to Mr. Danridge’s East Nashville home to join the HON crew. However, as soon as we began our initial project overview, our leader Jaclyn put my mind at ease. Many of the projects were simple tasks that just took a few minutes to learn, but make such a big difference in the homes once they are installed! It was amazing to learn that by simply replacing the shower heads and adding some thermometers to the refrigerator and weather stripping to the doors, Mr. Danridge would be saving a significant amount in bills each month. I even purchased a reusable air filter for my own condo this week, thanks to what I learned at the HON site!

Having some fun with the caulking guns!

After completing some of these minor tasks, I moved on to my big project of the day – caulking the living room to seal out any air that may sneak in through the cracks in the wood paneling. After several attempts, and a lot of caulk on my clothes, I think I finally perfected the art, and we got some great photos in the meantime!

It was truly inspiring to meet Mr. Danridge, a kind older gentleman suffering from dementia, and to talk with him about his home and his family, knowing that we were helping improve his home and lessen his financial burden. It was also unique to spend time outside of work with my coworkers, doing good for others.

A job well done - The crew added an insulating wrap to Mr. Danridge's water heater to make it more efficient. HON's Jaclyn Khoury, left, provided expert guidance.

Thanks Hands On Nashville for the opportunity, and I look forward to more caulking experiences (or whatever the project may call for) with you!

*Name has been changed to respect privacy.

Jessica Siegel is Events Assistant at Grand Ole Opry. Thanks to Jessica and all of the Grand Ole Opry employees who volunteered at Mr. Lockridge’s home! Interested in getting involved in HON’s Home Energy Savings Program? Learn more here.

The Grand Ole Opry volunteer crew, after a satisfying day.

Think, Work, Serve. More Than Just a Motto.

By Erika Burnett, Hands On Nashville’s Service Learning Manager at TSU –

I chose to attend Tennessee State University because of its rich legacy as a Historically Black College and University. TSU, like most HBCUs, is located in the heart of the inner city. Historically, Black colleges were founded in areas inhabited primarily by minority populations, and those who were most vulnerable and lacking resources. For their local communities, these universities served as an academic resource, a place of employment, medical, and legal assistance, and a pillar of pride. HBCUs were established to have a direct impact on their communities through service!

Visiting with youth from Meeting Point Kampala - a school & orphanage in Uganda - during a field day sponsored and coordinated by a group of Vanderbilt students.

The words “Enter to learn, go forth to serve” are inscribed on the front of the building where I spent the majority of my time during my matriculation. Of course I learned that hard work and academic rigor has its rewards. But the most meaningful lessons were those not found in my text books: the essence of leadership is servitude; community is more than a geographical proximity; service has no end, there is always more to do, more to give, more to strive to change. To find ourselves we must first lose ourselves in worthy causes. I found myself and my passion through service.

My passion led me to serve as an AmeriCorps member, to East Africa as an advocate, and drove my work at the Oasis Center here in Nashville as a program coordinator, among many other pursuits.

Tackling the invasive plants at Radnor Lake during a recent service opportunity with TSU students.

My journey has now come full circle as I currently serve as the Service Learning Manager at TSU.  I recently led a volunteer project at Radnor Lake with a group of students. The weather was cool, the sky was cloudy, and it was a Friday afternoon! The odds were NOT in our favor. Yet, it was a most fulfilling experience to watch 15 young adults (many of whom had never been exposed to this type of environment) excited as they learned why invasive plants are harmful and their eagerness to remove them! One student shared her thoughts: “the overall experience was great and I walked away knowing I made an improvement, served the community, and learned why and how my help was appreciated.”

In Jena, Louisiana, in 2007, rallying in support of racial justice after the Jena 6 incident.

Whether it’s walking to Samaritan Ministries to serve lunch, hosting an HIV awareness campaign, or feeding the stray dogs that roam around campus, TSU students are being the change they want to see in their local Nashville community and in the world. As my alma mater celebrates its Centennial year, I am grateful to serve as a bridge connecting thinking to service. I am encouraged, that without publicity or notoriety, without titles or accolades, Tennessee State University continues to cultivate a spirit of leadership as students enter to learn, and go forth to serve.

A walk (and a smile) for breast cancer awareness. Who says volunteering always has to be so serious?!

As Service Learning Manager at Tennessee State University, Erika Burnett oversees the collaboration between Hands On Nashville and TSU to engage university students in meaningful volunteer service throughout the Nashville community. Previously, Erika worked at the Oasis Center as a Youth Engagement Program Coordinator. Prior to Oasis Center, she worked as the Community Outreach Coordinator for the YWCA of Middle Tennessee. A graduate of Vanderbilt and TSU, Erika loves to dance and is the co-founder of a ministry-based dance company. She re-joined Hands On Nashville’s staff in September 2011 after completing her AmeriCorps term at HON in 2007. Learn more about Hands On Nashville’s collaboration with TSU or e-mail erika@hon.org.