Knox County Youth Honoree and South Knoxville Elementary School, Avi Finley. When second grader Avi helped deliver meals for the Knoxville-Knox County CAC Mobile Meals program with others, he saw the needs of seniors in his community and decided to do something about it. For Giving Tuesday 2018, Avi set a goal to raise enough to provide meals to 200 seniors. He made campaign signs and recruited his mom to help create a Facebook post. He even promised to personally deliver every meal, as he was pretty sure he could get someone to drive him. Because of the campaign’s success, and his own donation from his piggy bank, he raised enough to provide 315 meals to seniors. It took almost a full year, but Avi delivered every meal with a smile, working during school breaks and every chance he had. On November 8, he delivered his final meals, plus a few extra. image courtesy of GVSA |
NASHVILLE, TN — Volunteer Tennessee’s Award of Excellence program recently recognized sixteen schools from across the state for their outstanding commitment to service. The 2019 Award of Excellence honorees were announced at the 2020 Tennessee Conference on Volunteerism and Service-Learning in Franklin on February 11. First Lady Maria Lee was the featured speaker during the recognition event and presented the awards to the schools with Volunteer Tennessee’s Board Chair, Tina Hodges.
“It was an honor to join Volunteer Tennessee in recognizing schools from across the state that have gone above and beyond at incorporating service-learning into their classrooms to spark community change and transform students into servant leaders,” said First Lady Maria Lee.
To be considered for the Award of Excellence, schools complete an application and submit a letter from a school administrator indicating their commitment to service. Critical areas of focus as high quality educational opportunities are food security, mentorship of school aged children, and homelessness, though all focus areas were eligible and encouraged to apply.
Volunteer Tennessee’s board of commissioners launched the School Award of Excellence program in 2017 to provide annual recognition for K-12 schools engaged in exemplary service, service-learning, and volunteerism. The purpose of this recognition is to promote youth engagement in the improvement of their local communities.
Below is a list of the 2019 School Award of Excellence Honorees:
Beacon Academy
Collegedale, TN
Central Magnet School
Murfreesboro, TN
Dover Elementary School
Dover, TN
Ensworth School - High School Division
Nashville, TN
Friendship Christian School
Lebanon, TN
Jackson Central-Merry Early College High School
Jackson, TN
Jefferson County High School
Dandridge, TN
Johnson County High School
Mountain City, TN
Lipscomb Academy
Nashville, TN
Middle Tennessee Christian School
Murfreesboro, TN
South Knoxville Elementary School
Knoxville, TN
South Pittsburg High School
Pittsburg, TN
Unaka High School
Elizabethton, TN
Union Elementary STEM and Demonstration School
Gallatin, TN
University School of Nashville
Nashville, TN
Whitwell High School
Whitwell, TN
Cocke County honorees:
Carlene Robinson – Cocke County Adult Honoree – Carlene provides numerous hours of volunteer service in Cocke County each year. During tax season, she assists seniors with tax preparation. During the Medicare/Medicaid season, she assists seniors with registration or changes. Each Thanksgiving, Carlene organizes and delivers meals to the sick and homebound, organizing the event, and recruiting volunteers to help pack and deliver over 600 meals. She also organizes a December luncheon to honor law enforcement and first responders in the county. Carlene organizes a craft bazaar with local churches to benefit charities that cater to the senior population during the holidays. Additionally, for the last ten years, she has been the primary force behind the restoration of the Tanner Building, the local school for African-American children during segregation. Not only does she volunteer her time and effort, but she does so with a passion that is rare.
Grainger County honorees:
Neely Yates – Neely Yates, a senior at Grainger High School, is a member and chapter officer of Family Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA). Through FCCLA she collects and distributes coats for families, jeans for teens, and coloring books and crayons for sick children at East Tennessee Children’s Hospital. Neely helps with a program that collects and distributes food, personal hygiene items, and school supplies to students in need at Grainger High. She helps fill student backpacks with food for the weekend. Neely also helped raise funds for the “Student in Need” fund and is a member of the Health Council, where she is dedicated to promoting a positive self-image and good health for students. Neely is also a member of Blue Springs Baptist Church, where she volunteers with community food box projects, school supply ministries, and Samaritan’s Purse shoe box ministry.
Lisa Cabbage – Lisa Cabbage was instrumental in bringing the Remote Area Medical Clinic to Grainger County in 2019. Not only did she write a three-year grant, she coordinated the project from start to finish. For the first time in 20 years, free dental, vision, and medical care were provided to the 18.3% of Grainger County residents (over 400 people) living in poverty. Lisa’s volunteerism does not stop there. She helps plan Grainger County Cancer Survivors Dinners and serves on the Grainger Association Disaster Relief team, traveling to several foreign countries to provide much-needed aid. Lisa participates in mission trips through the Grainger Association of Baptists and works tirelessly with the school established in Haiti. Lisa drives the bus for church services, spearheads the Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Box, and is very active with youth ministries.
Knox County honorees:
Avi Finley – When second grader Avi helped deliver meals for the Knoxville-Knox County CAC Mobile Meals program with others, he saw the needs of seniors in his community and decided to do something about it. For Giving Tuesday 2018, Avi set a goal to raise enough to provide meals to 200 seniors. He made campaign signs and recruited his mom to help create a Facebook post. He even promised to personally deliver every meal, as he was pretty sure he could get someone to drive him. Because of the campaign’s success, and his own donation from his piggy bank, he raised enough to provide 315 meals to seniors. It took almost a full year, but Avi delivered every meal with a smile, working during school breaks and every chance he had. On November 8, he delivered his final meals, plus a few extra.
Richard Duncan – Richard has been volunteering with Centro Hispano de East Tennessee for six years, serving in a variety of roles. As an ESL teacher, Richard instructs about 80 students annually in four levels of English classes. He developed Centro’s grant program, participating in every stage of the process including research, writing/reviewing grants proposals, and presenting information and reports to grantors. He has been a key player in tripling Centro’s income in the last three years. As a retired attorney, Richard provides pro bono legal advice to Centro’s clients. He established Centro’s Consultas, which are free legal consultations that take place eight to ten times per year. As approximately 23% of the inquiries at Centro regard legal issues, these consultations have been a great benefit. Additionally, Richard represents the organization at community events, which has resulted in many new partnerships. He embodies Centro’s mission of “Every Latino in East Tennessee thriving culturally, educationally, and economically.”
Sevier County honorees:
Allison Bate – Sevier County Youth Honoree – Allison is in her second year of serving as a CAC AmeriCorps member with the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) where she has delivered curriculum-based education to thousands of people of all ages. Allison has been very instrumental in assisting GSMNP with its social media platforms and helping the park gain more exposure. Allison was recently featured on a WBIR segment titled “Girl Returns Heart-Shaped Rock to Smokies with an Apology” and was able to speak to a broader television audience about leave no trace principles.
Carol Hickman – Carol Hickman has been a Girl Scout volunteer for the Smoky Shadows Service Unit in Sevier County for nine years. She currently serves as a program mentor, meeting with the girls weekly. Carol serves as a supportive adult for the girls in her troop, running program activities and planning events to enhance their experience. She works very hard to provide fun and educational opportunities for both the girls in her troop as well as all the girls in the Sevier County service unit. Carol also runs a cookie cupboard each year as part of the cookie program. Carol enjoys planning and hosting events for the Sevier County service unit including carnivals, festivals, and special celebrations like World Thinking Day, where girls learn more about other countries and cultures while celebrating international friendship. Recently, Carol organized a large STEM event for Girls Scouts to complete their “Think Like a Programmer” Journey for more than 90 girls. The event introduced the participants to programming and building robots.
Volunteer Tennessee is the 25-member bipartisan citizen board appointed by the Governor to oversee AmeriCorps and service-learning programs and to advance volunteerism and citizen service to solve community problems in the Volunteer State. For more information, visit www.volunteertennessee.net.
The Governor’s Volunteer Stars Awards also includes business and non-profit categories. One business and one non-profit were selected from each of Tennessee’s three Grand Regions for their outstanding community involvement and service. The business honorees included: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee, East Tennessee Business Honoree; Southeast Venture, Middle Tennessee Business Honoree; and Medtronic, West Tennessee Business Honoree. The business awards were sponsored by Advance Financial. The non-profit honorees included: Centro Hispano de East Tennessee, East Tennessee Non-Profit Honoree; Nashville Conflict Resolution Center, Middle Tennessee Non-Profit Honoree; and Beautiful Spirited Women, West Tennessee Non-Profit Honoree. The non-profit awards were sponsored by Friends of Volunteer Tennessee.
“Each year, 1.6 million Tennessee volunteers give more than 137 million hours of service, contributing the equivalent of $3.3 billion to Tennessee’s economy. They are the backbone of our great state, and by giving of their time and talents to fulfill needs that would otherwise go unmet, they truly embody the spirit of giving,” said Volunteer Tennessee Executive Director, Jim Snell.
Volunteer Tennessee coordinates the Governor’s Volunteer Stars Awards at the state level. Volunteer Tennessee is the 25 member bipartisan citizen board appointed by the Governor to oversee AmeriCorps and service-learning programs and to advance volunteerism and citizen service to solve community problems in the Volunteer State.
About the 2019 Governor’s Volunteer Stars Business Honorees
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee – East Tennessee Business Honoree – BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee (BCBST) is committed to improving Tennesseans’ health and well being, which extends to their philanthropic and volunteer focus areas. This means making sure their neighbors have enough food, providing outdoor spaces where they can be active and build relationships, and supporting education to strengthen communities for the next generation. BCBST TeamBlue volunteers stay committed to Chattanooga area through projects such as painting the BlueCross Technology Academy at Red Bank High School, cleaning and organizing the shop at the Habitat for Humanity Restore and organizing a food drive benefitting the Chattanooga Area Food Bank. BCBST utilizes its online portal, TeamBlue Connect, to allow employees to easily search and sign up for activities, track hours, and share experiences. In 2019, TeamBlue volunteers participated in 320 service activities for 557 organizations across the state and contributed more than 10,000 hours of volunteer service.
Southeast Venture – Middle Tennessee Business Honoree –Southeast Venture strives to do more than provide innovative commercial real estate development and design services in Nashville and Middle Tennessee. The company is also very active in its community, supporting causes such as the YMCA of Middle Tennessee, Rebuilding Together Nashville, Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital, and Greater Nashville American Heart Association’s annual Heart Walk. The company also participates in the Architects, Construction workers and Engineers (ACE) Mentorship program. The mentorship program allows high school students to learn from professionals in each of the ACE industries, with the goal of helping students take steps toward a career in one of these industries. Students who complete a project and present it at the end of the program have the chance to win scholarships toward college. The mentors have volunteered a total of 220 hours with this program over the past 3 years.
Medtronic – West Tennessee Business Honoree – The sixth tenet of the Medtronic mission is the maintain good corporate citizenship as a company. Since 2012, more than 7,056 Medtronic volunteers have logged nearly 19,040 hours of community service in the Memphis area. Medtronic employees have provided volunteer hours and matched dollars to local agencies such as Porter-Leath, Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, The Salvation Army and Girls, Inc. Some of Medtronic’s volunteer efforts center around STEM -- science, technology, engineering and math. Medtronic volunteers lead the way in a fun approach called LEGO Mindstorm. The Memphis Middle School LEGO Mindstorm Competition began in 2014 as an outreach event to promote STEM engagement. The format was simple — provide a Mindstorm EV3 kit, a competition format, and a STEM mentor. The results were overwhelming. What started with a group of 3 teams grew to 50 teams, 250 students, and over 60 volunteer mentors.
About the 2019 Governor’s Volunteer Stars Non-profit Honorees
Centro Hispano de East Tennessee – East Tennessee Nonprofit Honoree – Centro's mission is to connect, integrate and empower the Latino community through education and engagement; information and referral services; and community strengthening initiatives. And, the agency serves as Knox County's hub for bi-lingual volunteer services and abridge for English speaking non-profits, businesses, and government agencies to connect to the Hispanic community. Centro leverages approximately 200 volunteers to serve in the local community as tutors and facilitators in the agency’s workforce development, health education and youth education programs. In Centro's expanding partnership with Knox County Schools (KCS) and United Way, 80 volunteers received orientation and training to assist in afterschool enrichment and tutoring programs at elementary schools. These volunteers permit KCS to communicate with Latino parents with limited English skills, educate parents about their children's school, and help close the achievement gap for Latino students.
Nashville Conflict Resolution Center – Middle Tennessee Nonprofit Honoree – Since 2000, Nashville Conflict Resolution Center (NCRC) has empowered vulnerable participants to resolve their issues through mediation. The sliding-scale mediation program benefits over 700 primarily low-income, underserved families/groups per year and has an extremely high success rate of resolution in over 82% of cases thanks to NCRC’s cohort of approximately 70 trained community volunteer mediators giving over 1300 hours of time annually. The Middle Tennessee and Davidson County communities benefit from NCRC volunteers’ mediation when citizens are able to de-escalate conflict safely, restore family stability, and gain skills in future conflict management and positive parenting. NCRC client beneficiaries provide feedback which indicates a reduction of stress after mediation and their interest in using mediation to resolve conflict again. Additionally, NCRC volunteer mediators provide relief to the courts and save taxpayer dollars by helping families resolve crises outside of litigation, preventing the need for further court action.
Beautiful Spirited Women – West Tennessee Nonprofit Honoree – Beautiful Spirited Women (BSW) was founded in 2009 by Crystal Chatman to help provide resources for girls age 4-19. The organization’s mission is to uplift the spirits of women and youth to higher levels by rebuilding and maintaining collaborative fellowship with others worldwide. BSW volunteers also offer a myriad of free resources for girls to grow by helping to coordinate mentoring events, community projects and access to numerous travel opportunities. BSW volunteers help their young female participants develop character and leadership skills through self-sufficiency and ownership. Participants agree to an accountability clause to be a part of the youth program. BSW and its volunteers exposes girls to various careers by connecting their participants with female professionals. One of the agency’s greatest accomplishments is assisting 15 girls to become “Girlpreneurs”. Through the work of the BSW team, these girlprenuers have created businesses from skincare products to flavored lemonade.
