LAUNDRY FOR 40,000? New store opening? JUST DO IT!

The Nike Factory Store in Opry Mills was one of 2,773 Nashville businesses that sustained flood damage in May 2010. And like many, many Nashville individuals and businesses hit by losses, the store’s owners and employees responded with giving instead of placing themselves first. Now, almost two years later, Nike celebrates a grand re-opening with memories of how Nike greatly re-bounded from the flood.

Beth Sessler speaks on behalf of Nike. Because of her great passion to help others and lead, Nike staff laundered and gave away over 40,000 items to flood victims.

Store manager Beth Sesler recalls how volunteers just started contributing to what turned out to be one of Nashville’s biggest clothing giveaways.

“It was several days before we could even get access to the store. We had to wait for water to recede,” she said. “We went in, and the first thing I remember is the emotion of knowing how much labor went into putting the store together. And, now, it seemed like it was all in vain.”

Beth said there had been 2 feet of water in the store, that merchandise above that level had absorbed water, “and even the paper in the shirts was wet.”

“The easiest thing we could have done, and the quickest thing as far as remediation for the space was concerned, would have been to destroy all of the merchandise,” she added.

Flood victims were able to get free clothes from Nike just days after the Nashville 2010 Flood.

Doing what’s easy is not always what’s right. Beth saw an opportunity. Their destiny became the organization of a community-wide volunteer project that placed the store’s 40,000 pieces of merchandise in the hands of flood-impacted families served by Metro Schools and local charities.

“We all knew that it had to go to the flood victims. And we had to do what we could for the community,” she recalled.

The process of preparing the Nike Factory Store’s clothing for donation had begun.

Beth’s team took merchandise from their store. Under a circus tent set up in the Opry Mills’ parking lot, they removed clothing tags, sorted the items by size, bagged the merchandise and placed it in eight portable storage units.

Then, the soiled product needed to be laundered. Beth sought cost estimates, and she connected with UniFirst, a uniform and work wear provider. To her delight, they stepped up to handle this enormous laundry project.

UniFirst’s general manager Chris Neeley said, “We were particularly eager to contribute to the volunteer efforts launched to help those who suddenly found themselves with nothing.”

Another photo showing Nike's generosity after the Flood.

With the PODs full of clean clothing, the massive re-sorting and arranging effort began. Beth recalls, “When you’re dealing with 40,000 units, that’s a huge chore. That’s T-shirts, pants and jackets. We also had socks, which probably was the biggest challenge for my team. When you talk about mating 8,000 units of socks, you can imagine. I mean, you do it at home, and there’s always that missing sock. I think out of 8,000 units, we had three missing socks. So we did pretty well on that.”

Working in concert with Hands On Nashville and Metro Nashville Public Schools, a giant clothing giveaway event was planned for McGavock Elementary School. Metro Nashville Public Schools’ students, faculty and their families, along with other flood-impacted households served by Catholic Charities of Tennessee, St. Paul A.M.E. Church and Bellevue Church of Christ were invited to attend.
On May 28, about 2,000 people entered McGavock Elementary School’s gym to take advantage of this generous offer, receiving 10 articles of clothing and six pairs of socks per member of each household.

A 150-member volunteer team was there to support Nike’s vision and ensure a special shopping experience – free of charge – that was equivalent to shopping at a Nike store.

“We served as personal shoppers, and each flood victim or family that came in that day had a personal shopper help find their products,” Beth said. “We were able to match items for them to put an outfit together, and I think that’s what made the event very special.”

Beth, who has done other volunteer work ever since she was a child, said the delighted reaction from children that day is something she will remember.

Last night was the Nike grand re-opening. Beth, Mayor Karl Dean, Brian Williams and many others told stories and reminisced on their teamwork during the 2010 Nashville flood. It was a wonderful celebration filled with pride and accomplishment. Their story will continue to be shared and remembered as one of the wonderful response efforts from the 2010 Nashville Flood. Thank you, Nike!

Music: Tying People Together

Guest post by youth volunteer Jenny Sai

Music is one of the most beautiful forms of art and communication we have. It is something that can be shared between friends, loved ones, or even teacher and student. The beautiful thing is that it can connect two very different types of people together. I have formed a unique and close bond to these children I teach at Salvation Army. They have brightened my Tuesday afternoons countless times, without even one dull moment!

Hume Fogg sophomore Jenny Sai at Salvation Army's after-school program.

It has been my goal for these kids to realize that they can express themselves in a whole new way. I always encourage the notion that there is no right way to say how you feel. One way I helped them do this was by analyzing how artists communicate with audiences through their lyrics. We listened to pop songs such as Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” and Justin Bieber’s “Baby.” They had so much fun discussing what they thought each artist was saying. We even had an impromptu game of “freeze dance” where I attempted to dance, but only managed to embarrass myself and have them laugh at me.

The kids with their rainmakers! (Check out the video below to see them in action.)

I also wanted them to experience all ends of the musical spectrum, so of course, they had to be exposed to classical music. We listened to excerpts from Glazunov’s Seasons: Autumn and En Bateau by Debussy. Both of these compositions contain grand imagery. I had them draw a picture of the scene they imagined in their head when I played these songs. I ended with themed music and showed them how music could make a movie scary. They had to draw a picture of that too. I saw many monsters and knives and blood. It was a great breakthrough for me seeing how integrated the kids could get with the music.

Other projects I have done with them have involved making homemade instruments. I hoped that with the actual making of the instrument, they would have a more intimate idea of where these instruments came from and how they were made. One lesson I did was musical instruments of antiquity where the kids made Greek panpipes. We also made rainmakers one day. By the end, my students all appreciated the materials we usually take for granted and had a bigger view of where instruments evolved. Not only were they exposed to a variety of cultures, they also learned that music tied people together even in the earliest of times.

Jenny Sai, a sophomore at Hume Fogg High School, is one of 12 HON Youth Volunteer Corps Interns, serving in the inaugural 2011-2012 class. Each month, she plans and leads an arts- and music-focused activity that engages the children served by the Salvation Army’s after-school program.

Nonprofit Partner Spotlight: Radnor Lake

Radnor Lake State Natural Area was designated as Tennessee’s first natural area and protected ecosystem in 1973. More than one million people visit this 1,260-acre urban sanctuary for wildlife and waterfowl each year.  Friends of Radnor Lake is a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting, preserving, and promoting the natural beauty of Radnor Lake through land acquisition, environmental education, and park support.

Volunteers play a vital role at the park removing exotic plants, mulching trails, and planting native vegetation.  More than 1,000 volunteers helped to rebuild damaged trails after the May 2010 flood.  In 2012, park staff are coordinating a long-term volunteer project that involves clearing approximately four acres of invasive exotic bush honeysuckle and creating a new trail to the historic valve-house and caretaker residence.

Volunteers, along with the Radnor Lake Ranger Staff, meet on the fourth Saturday of each month (except December) from 8 a.m. until noon at the Visitor Center off Granny White Pike (click here to sign up and volunteer). Friends of Radnor Lake provides bottled water, insect repellant, gloves, and other supplies so volunteers can show up ready to work. Groups wishing to schedule specific days outside the monthly volunteer day should contact Park Manager Steve Ward at steve.ward@tn.gov or 615-373-3467. For more information, visit www.radnorlake.org.

Need inspiration? Watch HON’s new video “Be the Change”

Check out Hands On Nashville’s new creative video, featuring incredible Middle Tennessee volunteers. If you are as inspired as we are, make plans to volunteer at a local nonprofit to start 2012 off right! Visit www.HON.org to view opportunities, including ways to serve  on MLK Day weekend Jan. 14-16.

Your gift of time is changing lives. Thank you.

One of the joys of our work here at Hands On Nashville is that we get to thank people for their caring hearts and their gift of time. As 2011 draws to a close, I want to share a very special “thank you” relayed to me by a flood survivor I met recently as volunteers completed work on her home.
When I arrived, I was met by an energetic woman in her 70′s. Fifteen volunteers busily completed finishing touches on her home. Looking for someone to hug, she found me and wrapped me in a heartfelt embrace.  After shedding a few tears, she told me her story.

This woman and her family, like so many others, were displaced during the flood in May 2010. The home had been her grandmother’s, and she lived there with one of her children and her two grandchildren. Not knowing what to do after the water receded, she packed up her family and began a journey that included living with friends, a rental home, a hotel, and finally ended back in the part of her home that had been unaffected. Then, she was able to identify help and begin the recovery process. Today was the day, however, that she thought would never come. The day, in her words, that “our house becomes a home again.”

She gave me a tour of the home and pointed out the new carpet volunteers had installed and the new paint and plumbing that had been finished. She also talked about the familiar noises the house makes, the spot you can sit in during the summer and feel the cool breeze blow through the kitchen window, and the places where memories of her grandmother still linger. Our tour ended, and as I walked to the front door some of the volunteers gathered to ask a few questions. As we talked, the homeowner quietly began to cry. She said through teary eyes, “I can’t believe that total strangers would come into my home to help. I just can’t believe how kind people are.” Those words have stayed with me: total strangers here to help. That is volunteerism. That is the spirit of service.

To the total stranger who shows up to help: Thank You. Rarely are volunteers put on a grand stage and thanked in the way they deserve. But still you show up to help your neighbors and your community with your gifts of time and your caring heart. Whether you help flood survivors, sort food, mentor a child, or work in a community garden, it is your individual effort and the combined efforts of this remarkable volunteer community that change lives every day.

Brian Williams
Executive Director, Hands On Nashville

 

Get connected to 300+ volunteer opportunities every month on our Opportunity Calendar at HON.org. Be the Change. Volunteer.