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.

Nonprofit Partner Spotlight: Metropolitan Homelessness Commission

It’s a new year with new possibilities for anyone seeking employment. But before beginning the search, job seekers must have all their ducks in a row. This includes legal proof of identification, an appearance of good health and hygiene, showing the physical ability to follow through with job requirements, and, of course, confidence in acquiring the job. For the homeless population, these aren’t merely ducks… they are elephants. And reining them in without help or resources can prove to be a daunting task.

Volunteer to help guide the Project Homeless Connect attendees on February 13.

Thank goodness for Nashville’s largest homeless service provider event, Project Homeless Connect. The Metropolitan Homelessness Commission is recruiting 500 volunteers to assist individuals and families in need at this important event, which takes place on Wednesday, February 13.

This is a one-day, one-stop event providing individuals and families who are experiencing homelessness, or on the brink of homelessness, with access to a broad range of services including housing and employment assistance, medical checkups, eye screenings, foot care, legal services, employment assistance, pet care, food, toiletries, and more. The goal of Project Homeless Connect is to remove barriers to housing and employment. This is a true collaborative effort in which more than 70 agencies and hundreds of volunteers come together to provide thousands of services to an expected 1,000 to 1,500 guests.

With such a large event, your hands are certainly needed. Volunteer Vette Hughes, a Bank of America employee, said volunteering at Project Homeless Connect was a great experience for her. “The best part is to be able to help people. I love being able to give time. It has made me see that I can do more about homelessness. I am more aware - homeless people are just people like you and me. Everybody needs help sometime.”

Jason Vanover, of Reliant Bank, volunteered for the second year and said he felt like the day really made a difference to a lot of the guests. “Navigating the ID system is not an easy task. And having the right ID is the lynchpin for so many things. And the people are so appreciative.“

If you’re interested in getting involved, volunteers are needed to help with registration, crowd management, check out, guidance, setup/cleanup, and other duties. One of the main needs is for volunteer guides to pair up with the guests. As a volunteer guide, you will ensure that your assigned guest receives the proper services and respect as they navigate the event. Because so many people in our community come together and care, life is more navigable for our homeless population. You, in addition to the 500 other volunteers and 70 agencies, will help move Nashvillians who are experiencing homelessness one step forward. Read below and see how to be a part of this amazing day.

How to volunteer for Project Homeless Connect on Wednesday, February 13:
> Click here to see volunteer opportunities.
> View Project Homeless Connect’s Website.

Still have questions? Email Tojuana Jordan at Tojuana.Jordan@nashville.gov or call her at 615-880-2773.

Sunrise at the Farm

By Becca Stinson, Director of Communications for Hands On Nashville -

Last Thursday morning, I woke up extra early. Not to go for a run or knock some chores off my list before the weekend. I woke up early to dig in the dirt, see nature at its best, and step outside of the rush of the busy work week and give back. And it felt good.

Sunrise at the Farm – volunteers turning compost.

I admit that when my alarm first went off, I thought, “Why did I do this to myself?!” But when I stepped out of my car and saw the light of dawn greeting me over the vegetable rows at the HON Urban Farm, I was reminded of why I signed up. Because I love getting out from behind my desk, getting my hands dirty, learning about the world, and getting out of my comfort zone and my routine. I also love the fact that the tomatoes, squash, beans, and other delicious food grown at the Farm is donated to nonprofit organizations in Nashville serving families in need. Families who might otherwise not have access to fresh, healthy produce.

Our Farm team is making these early Thursday projects a regular thing for the next few weeks, so if you’re an early riser (or just want to pretend you are), you can sign up here. Here’s a little photo montage of my morning at the Farm, before I dashed into work.

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Becca Stinson is Hands On Nashville’s director of communications. Her favorite vegetable? Beets.

Turtles, Picnic Tables, & Summer Camp at the HON Urban Farm

By Josh Corlew, HON Urban Agriculture Program Manager -

We have a lot of visitors on the Farm, each one bringing their own special gifts. Volunteers bring their willing spirit and hard work, donors bring the resources needed to keep our program going, our apprentices bring leadership and education, and our campers bring a youthful enthusiasm and curiosity. But there are also several non-human visitors on the Farm. Here’s a picture of one of the more unique visitors that our apprentices found last week:

Hi, momma Shelly.

We named him Sheldon initially, welcomed him to our space, and went about our day. Later that afternoon we came back to find Sheldon is actually Shelly… she had dug a nest in our tomato row! We’re not sure if she’ll be back to lay eggs or raise some tiny turtles, but we’ll keep an eye out for her.

Another favorite visitor to the Farm is Sally the salamander, and she helps keep the pests at bay:

Isn’t he cute?!

Last Friday one of our corporate partners, Deloitte, joined us for a day of impact. They built five new compost bins and two beautiful picnic tables for us. Here’s one of the cedar picnic tables:

These picnic tables will provide a much-needed place to relax and take a breather for our Farm volunteers. Thank you, Deloitte!

This week was our first week of Summer Camp at the Farm. Every day we’ll have teens from area nonprofits coming out to learn and work on the Farm. Led by our apprentices, the campers learn about the food system, how to grow food, why it’s important to eat healthy food, and how to cook some simple recipes using farm fresh produce. Our schedules are booked from Mondays through Thursdays, but on Fridays we have room for other teens to come participate. If you’re 11 through 18 and would like to join us on the Farm on a Friday, just sign up here by clicking on one of the VolunTEEN opportunities. Learn more about the HON Urban Farm here.

Josh Corlew is Hands On Nashville’s Urban Agriculture Program Manager. He oversees the organization’s efforts to engage volunteers in service opportunities that empower them to gain gardening skills, learn about healthy eating choices, and help address our city’s food access issues. An AmeriCorps alumnus, Josh also has a secret past life as a Trekkie (he’s a big fan of the TV series Star Trek, for the uninitiated among us), and he has been known to participate in death-defying canoe trips.

Make your 2012 resolution to volunteer. Change your life (and your community) and see great benefits.

Volunteering is not just about doing good for others – it actually improves your health and overall well-being, too. Why not make a regular volunteering commitment this year? (HON.org makes this an easy resolution to keep! The HON Opportunity Calendar offers up more than 300 opportunities each month.) According to this article on the Corporation of National and Community Service (CNCS) website, “those who volunteer have lower mortality rates, greater functional ability, and lower rates of depression later in life than those who do not volunteer.” Check out these 5 reasons why volunteering should be on your 2012 resolutions list:

Ready to volunteer this winter? Try helping out at a local food pantry.

Skill Development: Want to learn about your home and gain a better understanding about best practices to make it more energy efficient? Volunteer with Hands On Nashville’s Home Energy Savings program and get hands-on exposure to common issues while helping improve the energy efficiency of a low-income home in Nashville. You’ll really turn some heads as you mention the “.5 GPM dual-thread sink aerator” you now know how to install. Or… Interested in learning about vegetable gardening? Volunteer with HON’s Urban Gardening program. Or check out one of the many opportunities on the HON Opportunity Calendar.

Self-Confidence: The CNCS article says it best: “Volunteer activities can strengthen the social ties that protect individuals from isolation during difficult times, while the experience of helping others leads to a sense of greater self-worth and trust.” Just the simple step of signing up for an upcoming project can seem daunting, but accepting the challenge and making that commitment will build your confidence.

Use your specific skill and help a cause you believe in. You'll see great improvements in your life, both physically and mentally.

Personal Health: Studies looking at the effects of volunteering (specifically Arnstein et al 2002) found improvements in both mental and physical heath. Patients who volunteered for six months showed decreased symptoms of depression. Arnstein attributed success to patients “finding a sense of purpose” and “making a connection.” Additional studies have found volunteering linked to lower mortality rates and other significant health benefits when individuals volunteered around 100 hours per year (or roughly two hours per week).

Relationship-building: Volunteering exposes you to all sorts of people with all different backgrounds – and you are allowed to dabble to find which opportunity is the best fit for you. Try sorting clothes at ThriftSmart or prepare hot delicious meals for the homeless in West Nashville. Different experiences will connect you and expose you to many different people. Check out the recent blog post written by youth volunteer Allyson Burgess about her experience volunteering at Edgehill Community Center.

Another popular opportunity this winter: Try regularly serving at ThriftSmart.

Impact the Community: The most incredible reward about volunteering is the difference you make with your unique talents. Try to find ways to improve the issues you care most about and you’ll find your individual spin on how to solve problems. Regularly volunteer and you’ll see a clear picture of how you helped your fellow neighbor, family, environment, or friend. Consider lending your specialized skills to an organization that has a mission you really believe in.

 

References:
Arnstein, P., Vidal, M., Well-Federman, C., Morgan, B., and Caudill M. (2002) “From Chronic Pain Patient to Peer: Benefits and Risks of Volunteering.” Pain Management Nurses, 3(3): 94-103.

Corporation for National and Community Service, Office of Research and Policy Development. The Health Benefits of Volunteering: A Review of Recent Research, Washington, DC 2007.

Youth Volunteers to Impact Poverty Through “Hunger Banquet” Service and Learning Event

On Saturday, November 5, Nashville youth ages 11 to 18 are invited to experience firsthand the disparities that exist between the developed and developing worlds by participating in HON’s Hunger Banquet, presented by Qdoba. Participants will be divided at random into high-, middle- and low-income groups representing the demographic divisions across the world, and then fed according to socioeconomic class in order to help them understand the extent of poverty and hunger worldwide. After the meal, youth will work with Second Harvest Food Bank to sort nonperishable food donations and help feed hungry Tennesseans. This food sorting project becomes even more meaningful because volunteers gain a new perspective on global hunger and poverty during the Hunger Banquet. If you’re ready to learn about hunger issues facing millions of people, and want to be part of the solution, sign up here to be one of the 65 youth volunteers who will make a difference during the holiday season.  Space is limited.

HON is proud to partner with Qdoba and their five area locations to provide food for the Hunger Banquet.