Posts Tagged ‘Nashville Flood’
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.
