Volunteer
Mayor Dean: Founding Member Of Cities Of Service
Mayor Karl Dean joined New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and mayors from ten cities across the country on September 11, 2009 to launch Cities of Service. The founding mayors met for a half-day summit at Gracie Mansion where they signed a Declaration of Service, a commitment to finding new ways to tap the power of volunteers to address each city’s most pressing challenges. Cities of Service has now grown to be a bipartisan coalition of mayors representing more than 38 million Americans in 80 cities, who will work together to engage millions more volunteers in service.
"Nashville has seen and experienced first-hand the amazing power of volunteers. Over 17,000 people have stepped up to help Nashville recover from the historic flood that hit our city in May. Volunteers can play a big role in making a city a better place to live, and as in our case, they can be the difference between simply surviving a disaster and being able to recover from one."
Thank you,
Karl F. Dean
On Martin Luther King Day, 2010, Cities of Service and the Rockefeller Foundation announced that Nashville was one of 10 cities selected nationwide to receive a two year grant to hire a Chief Service Officer dedicated to developing and implementing a strategic service plan that will focus on educational volunteerism and environmental projects applied toward flood recovery and prevention. In May, Laurel Creech was appointed as Nashville’s Chief Service Officer. She will design and manage the city’s service plan working directly with community leaders in all representations of our city. On June 30, 2010, Mayor Dean joined Mayor Bloomberg in New York City to announce the next ten Cities of Service leadership grants at the National Conference on Volunteering and Service.
Nashville’s Service Plan will launch in September 2010. For further information, please contact Laurel Creech.
Flood Response & Recovery
A tremendous thank you to all the volunteers who selflessly assisted those in need during and after Nashville’s May flood. In partnership with Hands On Nashville, over 17,000 volunteers descended on the streets of Nashville to help people recover from flooded and destroyed homes throughout all areas of the city. Because of this unprecedented number of volunteers, almost every home was de-mucked down to its studs within two weeks after the flood. And the nation saw these great acts of kindness:
“Everywhere we went today, we saw people volunteering- church groups, and neighbors helping others clean-up and dry out. It’s horrific to see but yet it’s amazing to see the volunteers who have come out. I’ve never seen anything like it.” Anderson Cooper, CNN
“Now all across Nashville, the path to recovery is flooded with waves of people. Such generosity and sacrifice quickly rose to the surface even before the water receded – good samaritans simply to ease a neighbor’s pain. So many people making a difference, proving everyday why they call TN the volunteer state.” Brian Williams, NBC Nightly News
Volunteers are now needed to restore and recover the homes and spirit of our city. Find out how you can help by going to Hands On Nashville.
Mayor creates program for Metro employees to volunteer in Schools
On February 3, 2010, Mayor Karl Dean signed an Executive Order formalizing a new program that will allow Metro employees to volunteer in Nashville Public Schools during the work week.
The Executive Order specifies that Metro employees can receive up to 2 hours of paid administrative leave every week for their participation in the program – 1 hour to volunteer and additional time up to an hour for travel to and from the school. The program is intended to generate more hands-on community support in schools by making it easier for thousands of Metro employees to volunteer their time.
Here are some Metro employees’ experiences from their school volunteerism:
Volunteering at Warner School is the highlight of my week! I enjoy every minute of it. It is such a joy to see children so excited about learning. I can’t wait for the school year to start! – Jennifer Ward, Register of Deeds
"The whole experience was great! I enjoy working with children. The class I worked in was a 4th grade class at Dan Mills Elementary School. I would assist a few students at a time. Everyone was great to work with from the office staff, principal, librarian, etc. Since these are Metro schools we should take an interest and help these schools. All it cost was a little time and it made a big difference. The school as well as myself are thankful for the Mayor's initiative to step up and help with the schools! This is what this state is all about - Volunteering! Let's continue to step up and step out for schools!" – Sherry West, Metro Planning Department
Metro employee volunteer projects in high need Metro Public Schools will be available for registration in September 2010 at Pencil Foundation.
NASHVILLE RISES TO THE CHALLENGE
Let us know about your school volunteer experience (e-mail the mayor)
Partner Volunteer Placement Organizations
Mentor or Tutor a Child
Other Volunteer Opportunities
