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.

Nonprofit Partner Spotlight: American Cancer Society’s Hope Lodge

“If it wasn’t for Hope Lodge, I would have slept in my car at Wal-Mart.” Samuel, a guest of Hope Lodge, is one of many for whom this has been a place of refuge and hope during a very difficult time.

The mission of the American Cancer Society (ACS) is to eliminate cancer as a major public health problem through prevention, saving lives, and easing suffering from cancer through research, education, advocacy, and service. The Hope Lodge is a service of ACS, providing lodging at no cost to cancer patients and their families who come into Nashville for treatment. Each year, Hope Lodge serves nearly 1,800 people and gives 23,000 free nights of lodging annually.

One of the easiest ways to lift the spirits of someone suffering from cancer is by offering

Volunteers comfort families at Hope Lodge by providing home-cooked meals.

a home-cooked meal. Several times a month, Hands On Nashville volunteers put together a delicious dinner menu for Hope Lodge guests.

“I really enjoyed meeting and talking to the residents at Hope Lodge,” says one recent volunteer. “They brightened my day and I hope I did the same for them. I also enjoyed meeting the other volunteers.”
> Learn more and sign up here.

Not into dinner, but love the idea of bringing light into someone’s world who is dealing with illness? Consider game night, where you can play a simple game of bingo with the guests and provide a welcome break from stress.
> Learn more and sign up here.

Or give just a few hours a month driving cancer patients to their life-saving treatment as a Road to Recovery driver. Anyone who has a driver’s license, a safe driving record, personal auto insurance, owns or has access to a car, and can spare as little as one morning or afternoon a month is perfect for this volunteer opportunity.
> Learn more and sign up here.

If you’re interested in raising awareness or funds to support the work of American Cancer Society, check out Relay for Life or consider becoming an event committee member.
> Learn more and sign up here.

Read more about additional volunteer opportunities with the American Cancer Society and Hope Lodge here.

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.