Posts Tagged ‘Hands On Nashville’
Don’t Think You Are Done Volunteering Just Yet: Nashville Flood 2010
Saturday, August 14th, 2010
by Jamie S. Dent, AmeriCorps Program Manager at Volunteer Tennessee
On the morning of Sunday, August 8, 2010, I arrived in North Nashville to spend a few hours helping a resident still struggling to recover from the May 2010 floods.
This volunteer opportunity still had four open spots after I had signed up and I was a bit surprised that others hadn’t jumped on the opportunity to help people that were directly affected by the flooding.
At the project start time, it was already 85 degrees and the sun was reigning high in the sky.
I met the wonderful project leader, Ashley there promptly at 9 AM.
We surveyed the property and identified that the resident’s backyard contained a multitude of items that had been removed from the home sometime after the waters ravaged the property.
We quietly began to work together to move the items from the exposed ranch to the curb at street level. Shelves of books, end tables, couches, pictures, appliances and keepsakes were all piled up.
The water did not discriminate. It simply took out everything it touched.
Because of the extreme heat, we took several long breaks in the shade.
Moving heavy flood soaked items in the humid morning sun was sure taxing on our bodies.
We had that feeling in our stomach that churns when you are pushing through a hot and humid day.
Ashley was wonderful and brought plenty of water and snacks.
The resident was home and continuously expressed her sincere appreciation for the help.
We just said “no problem” and smiled as best we could in the heat, while she watched many keepsakes get hauled away.
After just under two hours of constant labor and a few needed breaks, we were able to move everything out of the resident’s back yard.
The resident had called 211 to ask for help. Then, Volunteer Tennessee, who managed the coordination of requests from homeowners and those seeking assistance, sent the volunteer need to HandsOn Nashville.
HandsOn Nashville provided project leadership and volunteers.
Without the collaboration of these agencies, many would be without access to those who want to help.
Some tend to think that because the Nashville flooding happened 90 days ago that the needs have all been met.
That thinking couldn’t be farther from reality.
I hope this article inspires the selfless part of you to consider taking a few hours out of your week or month to sign up for a volunteer opportunity.
You don’t have to put on gloves and a mask and haul out items that were affected by the flood; there are hundreds of opportunities to serve others at HandsOn Nashville’s Project Calendar.
Restoration
Sunday, June 27th, 2010
by Sheila Weinberger Cope, Social Media Volunteer, Hands On Nashville
For me, what is most memorable about the May 1st flood in Nashville is the text message I received from HandsOn Nashville on the night of May 2nd.
The message let me know that HandsOn Nashville was officially in emergency management mode. We all needed to act and act fast.
When that message arrived, I was on a gurney in an emergency room with what turned out to be one nasty case of pneumonia.
My situation didn’t matter. I tweeted and I posted about the disaster right then and there all the while with nurses doing their thing to ensure that I could breathe again.
With those tweets and posts, I put out the call for volunteers, tried to soothe frayed nerves and give hope to those who had none.
Even as sick as I was, my adrenalin kicked in and I became determined to do any and everything I could to help the city and organization that I love absolutely.
Before volunteering to do social media work for Hands On Nashville, I was, in a way, lost.
Early in my career, I was a publicist, a journalist and a photographer in New York City.
I went on to practice law and led intellectual property litigation if Silicon Valley.
Most recently, I opened and ran a yarn store that was, incidentally, very successful.
I sold the yarn store in the summer 2007
It was right after selling the shop that when my life changed completely.
In January of 2008, I was diagnosed with MS.
In response to the news, I floundered, grieved and struggled with what having MS would do to the rest of my life.
Always having been an active, go-getting, afraid of nothing, overachiever, I suddenly felt like MS took all of that away from me.
Last winter, when I saw that Hands On Nashville was looking for a social networker, I jumped at the chance.
Here was something I could do from home (my feet are totally numb so I’m not allowed to drive anymore) and something I hoped would finally give my life a purpose again.
I responded to HON’s search for (and I am quoting!) “a social networking guru” willing to devote four hours a week to posting and tweeting on their behalf.
After I signed up, I went home and then worried whether I could really do it and do it well.
Trust me when I say that in my wildest dreams, I could never have conceived of what this “little” project would become.
If I had, it probably would have scared me to death and sent me running to bury my head in the sand. But luckily, managing Hands On Nashville’s social media efforts has turned out to be my favorite volunteer project that I have ever participated in.
(And being over 40, that’s really saying something!)
I. LOVE. WHAT. I. DO.
I love it because I get to work so closely with nine of my heroes.
Those nine heroes are the people that run Hands On Nashville.
Of those nine, only four are actually full time employees.
It boggles my mind and leaves me awestruck at the end of every day.
If anyone is worthy of being a hero, it’s those nine good people.
Another reason I love what I do is because from where I sit, I get to see the big picture and the small ones too.
Whatever cynicism I had on May 1st, when the Nashville flooding started, is all gone now.
Watching, reading and hearing so many stories from so many amazing, kind, generous, unselfish, enthusiastic and devoted people has been an incredible experience.
The wonderful people of Nashville give me overwhelming hope.
They restore my faith in humanity.
They make me more proud than ever to be Nashville born and bred.
I am truly blessed beyond measure.
No words could sufficiently express my gratitude to Hands On Nashville, to volunteers from everywhere and to the 25,255 online fans and followers.
My focus now is to keep the disaster response momentum going even though life seems to be getting back to normal and enthusiasm understandably starts to wane.
It’s a challenge but I think I’m going the right direction.
I believe I‘ve landed where I was meant to be, doing what I was meant to do.
This project has restored me.
I’m finally ready to go back to living my life without letting my MS limit me.
My friends keep telling me how wonderful it is to have “me” back.
Sheila Weinberger Cope will be recognized at the 2010 National Conference on Volunteering and Service as today’s Daily Point of Light Award winner. Neil Bush, Chairman of the Points of Light Institute Board of Directors will present her award at a HandsOn Network Affiliate luncheon. Her award will be accepted on her behalf by Brian Williams, Executive Director of Hands On Nashville.
In the 58 days since the disaster, Hands On Nashville has recruited 16,422 volunteers to serve in 925 project sites and contributed 67,857 volunteer hours to flood relief and recovery efforts. Their extraordinary social media campaign, led by Sheila, has helped galvanize 25,000 plus on-line fans.
The Long Haul
Tuesday, May 25th, 2010
by Melissa Grober, Director of Partnerships, HandsOn Network
I thought it was pretty cool that hair and pantyhose could be combined to absorb oil in the Gulf (called a “hair boom”).
Apparently, so did a lot of other people, as suddenly I saw people in the online community running off to donate their hair to the oil spill clean-up efforts.
How disappointing, then, that the hair boom is a bust.
According to Unified Command, commercial sorbent boom is much more effective at absorbing oil and has the added advantage of not sinking the way hair boom does.
Another case of good intentions gone wrong.
This happens a lot in the disaster world.
The past several weeks have been challenging for many of our affiliates, particularly in the southeastern part of the country.
Between major flooding, tornadoes, storms, and the oil spill, we’ve had more disasters to respond to in 30 days than we had in all of last year!
(Perhaps an exaggeration, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it were true…)
The oil spill in the Gulf presents a special kind of challenge to volunteers.
Many people want to help the wildlife and help to clear oil from the shore. But volunteers sometimes end up doing more harm than good, both to themselves and to the wildlife they want to help.
This is why Unified Command has decided to use only highly trained paid workers to handle the clean-up efforts.
Our affiliates, however, are working hard to find appropriate ways for volunteers to address critical needs in the Gulf.
Most disasters are not like the oil spill, however.
Communities affected by disaster often need a lot of volunteer support.
Since the flood disaster in early May, Hands On Nashville has signed up 15,000 volunteers. They have coordinated 830 projects, and their volunteers have contributed an amazing 63,000 hours of service since the flooding began.
Photo by Nathan Johnson, Hands On Nashville Volunteer
Hands On Nashville has done such a good job coordinating volunteer efforts that it was highlighted by FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate for their exemplary work.
The remarkable efforts of the many volunteers in Nashville and HandsOn Nashville got a huge shoutout from NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams last night!
While our affiliates have done a great job in coordinating the work of people who want to help so far, much of the work is still to come.
Our strength as a network in responding to disasters lies in our efforts to promote not just immediate response but also long-term recovery.
Organizations like the American Red Cross and The Salvation Army are great at serving the immediate needs of people affected by disaster, like shelter, food, and urgent care.
We often work side-by-side with these organizations, providing food and water to emergency workers and handing out supplies. And when the immediate needs have been handled and the media attention subsides, our local affiliates and volunteers continue the long, hard work of recovery.
We coordinate volunteers to help with mold abatement in flood-damaged houses.
We help to rebuild damaged schools and community centers. And we provide job training and skill-building resources to people who have lost their jobs.
We’re connected to the needs of communities and we meet those needs through our greatest asset—people who care.
We drive people with good intentions to good volunteer opportunities, and we’re in it for the long haul.
An Open Love Letter to Hands On Nashville
Friday, May 14th, 2010All of us at HandsOn Network stand in awe of the citizens of Nashville, their spirit of community, the incredible leadership demonstrated by Hands On Nashville and the example they set for us all.
Photo by Nathan Johnson, Hands On Nashville Volunteer
Seemingly forgotten or somehow overlooked by the mainstream media, Nashville residents pulled together because service and volunteerism is at the very heart of the city’s soul.
As soon as the flood hit, Hands On Nashville sprung to action.
Between May 2, 2010 and yesterday, Hands On Nashville organized 11,862 Nashville volunteers to respond to those in need of flood relief.
Already, Hands On Nashville volunteers have contributed 50,210 volunteer hours at 612 Nashville locations.
That has all happened in the last eleven days.
Eleven. Days.
According to Independent Sector research, the time these volunteers have contributed has an associated economic value of $1,046,879.
Hands On Nashville is coordinating 49 flood relief projects today, right now.
Won’t you join us in giving them a virtual standing ovation?
- Photo by Nathan Johnson, Hands On Nashville Volunteer
This is an open love letter, a nation-wide letter of thanks and praise for Hands On Nashville.
We want to share this post with the tireless staff and the thousands of Nashville volunteers as a sign of deep respect and admiration.
Please help us celebrate the way they’ve made such a significant difference in Nashville by leaving your thanks and praise as a comment at the end of this post.
Since Hands On Nashville was founded in 1991, their volunteers have worked year-round, 365 days a year, to make Nashville a better place.
Please visit www.hon.org for more information about Hands On Nashville, to sign up for volunteer opportunities and e-mail updates, to see a list of flood volunteer needs, or to donate to HON to support flood-related volunteerism.
“Like” Hands On Nashville on . Follow them on . Follow the flood relief conversation on Twitter by searching #WeAreNashville; #NashvilleFlood; and #NashvilleFloods
