Guest Blog from Stephanie Allen

Stephanie is a Leadership Academy participant and Legal Program Manager in MTAS.

Public Service by Day.  Community Service by Night.

 

Many people we work with at IPS spend most of their days and nights giving back to our state and their local communities. Most likely, you are one of those people. According to the Corporation for National and Community Service (“CNCS”) one in four adults (or 26.5 percent) in America volunteered through an organization in 2012. In Tennessee, that percentage is a little lower at 24.8 percent, which leaves Tennessee ranked at 37^th among the 50 states and Washington, D.C. While I do not have numbers to prove it, I am certain that the percentage of IPS employees’ involvement is much higher and can probably be attributed, at least in part, to our knowledge of local communities and the needs of our community. Many co-workers have spoken of leaving the world a better place than they found it or, as a more personal benefit, a way to connect to others in the community. I asked some of our colleagues to share ways that they are involved with community or charitable organizations. Some of us have joined organizations that work throughout the year for a certain cause. Others of us have developed family traditions of volunteering for events or seasons.  Here are just a few examples of how are colleagues are giving back to the community:

·         Warren Nevad, management consultant with MTAS, volunteers with Big Brothers Big Sisters of East Tennessee. Warren has a little brother who he takes to movies and UT sporting events, shows him how to work out at the YMCA, and even helps him with homework. Warren has spoken on many occasions of how much his little brother has grown since they met and how much satisfaction Warren gets out of helping someone who might not otherwise have a good male influence in his life. If you’re interested in being a Big Brother or Big Sister, you may contact Warren for more information.

·         Sherri Brown, MTAS administrative specialist, and her family volunteer for the Empty Stocking Fund (“ESF”) by working Wing Fest, which raises funds for the ESF, and filling boxes during the holiday season. In addition, Sherri and her granddaughter use their crafty talents to knit “kemo caps” for the Blount Memorial Cancer Treatment Center.

·         Keith Groves, CIS resource program manager, is on the board of Area Relief Ministries of Jackson, which focuses on homeless and youth work including two after school programs for 50-75 youth. 

·         Brad Harris, financial consultant with MTAS, works with several organizations including the Civitan Club in Athens. The Civitan Club primarily serves adults with developmental disabilities.  Brad shared that “working with them is one of the greatest joys of my life and helps to keep me grounded.” Brad also works with Centers of Hope Missions International and Community Partners in Christ. If you are interested in any of these groups, Brad explained that they are all open for volunteers.

 I received numerous other examples of how our colleagues are volunteering time.  In case you are interested in getting involved in any of these organizations or in other opportunities, I have listed more examples at the bottom of this blog article.

 Recognizing that interests and abilities might be different, I wanted to make sure you were aware of a few opportunities to give back that cost you nothing and take virtually no time:

 

·         Like to shop online?  Give back *for free* through AmazonSmile and register for a charitable beneficiary instead of just plain old Amazon. According to AmazonSmile’s FAQ page, “AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support your favorite charitable organization every time you shop, at no cost to you. When you shop at smile.amazon.com, you’ll find the same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to your favorite charitable organization. You can choose from nearly one million organizations to support.” 

·         Like to run, walk, or bike and have a smart phone? Download the free Charity Miles app and use it when you’re running, walking, or bike to earn 10-25¢ per mile. According to Charity Miles’ FAQ, “Charity Miles is a free iPhone and Android app that enables people to earn corporate sponsorships for charity while walking, running or biking. Just launch the app, choose a charity and either walk, run or bike. The selected charity then earns money for every mile covered.  Walkers and runners earn 25¢ per mile; bikers earn 10¢ per mile.

·         Like to take a mental break at least once a day for 30 seconds?  Visit First Tennessee’s 150 Days of Giving webpage and vote for your favorite charities to receive $5,000. According to the website, between March 13, 2014 and August 21, 2014, “First Tennessee will be 150 years old on March 25, 2014! To celebrate our long tradition of serving our communities, the First Tennessee Foundation will give away $5,000 to a different Nonprofit Organization every day for 150 days.”

 

For all of you who give back to your community in one way or another in addition to your role in daily public service, I want to personally thank you for giving of your time, energy, and resources to make our communities and this state a better place than it was yesterday. I found this quote very fitting for our colleagues at IPS:

“Those who can, do. Those who can do more, volunteer.” – Author Unknown

 

 

Below are other examples of community volunteers, their organizations and information on how you can get involved (if available). If you are involved in any community service and would like to share with others how to get involved, please share that information in the comments.

 

·         Stephanie Allen, MTAS legal program manager, volunteers with the Junior League of Knoxville (“JLK”) by serving on the board, fundraising, volunteering on projects, and researching community needs, and Alpha Omicron Pi Fraternity (“AOII”) by serving as an advisor and volunteer working with college students on leadership, organizational management, and crisis prevention skills. For women in the Knoxville area, you may apply for JLK membership in February and March of each year. Everyone may contribute to JLK by donating to JLK, make JLK the beneficiary of your AmazonSmile orders, and by voting for JLK on First Tennessee’s 150 Days of Giving.

 

·         Rhonda Campbell-Clay, IPS development director, volunteers with the National Coalition of 100 Black Women – Greater Knoxville Chapter by holding HIV/AIDS awareness workshops for African American women (aged 14- up), providing HIV/AIDS testing at community health fairs, and holding workshops on financial planning for AA women. African American women are invited by current members during open enrollment period in the spring.

 

·         Macel Ely, MTAS training program manager, volunteers with Barnabas Ministries International, which is a worldwide missions organization founded by his parents, and the Victoria Houston Memorial Foundation, which is a foundation for assisting families who have children with pediatric cancer, in memory of his 3-year-old niece who died of neuroblastoma. You can get involved by making a monetary donation, volunteer your time, or help with fundraising efforts.

 

·         Pat Hardy, MTAS municipal program manager, volunteers with Habitat for Humanity by building houses and fundraising; Interfaith Hospitality Network by housing a group of homeless three or four times per year, and special fundraising efforts (an example of which can be found here).  You can get involved by making a monetary donation, volunteering your time, or helping with fundraising efforts.

 

·         Kelley Myers, MTAS codes coordinator, volunteers through the Smoky Mountain Paralegal Association, which supports different causes throughout the year such as Big Brothers Big Sisters, Mission of Hope, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, etc., as well as with Graveston Baptist Church, which supports the Corryton Food Pantry, Medical Clinic, as well as other charities. 

 

·         Justin O’Hara, MTAS IT Consultant, volunteers with the Boy Scouts by helping with the Board of Reviews for scouts who are ranking up and with camping trips.

 

·         Kim Raia, CTAS GIS consultant, volunteers with Little River Watershed Association by coordinating work plans, chairing meetings, writing grants, fundraising, managing the website, managing the volunteers, etc. You can get involved by going to the website and Facebook page, joining a river clean-up or other event, participating in a paddle trip, donating through Campus Chest, or volunteering with Stream Monitoring Program. 

 

·         Susan Robertson, IPS information specialist, volunteers for Alzheimer’s Tennessee and as an Alzheimer’s Awareness Advocate in Tennessee and Southwest/Central Virginia by raising money for both organizations and participating in fundraising activities such as the awareness walks.

 

·         P.J. Snodgrass, MTAS training consultant, volunteers with the University of Tennessee Gardens with planning committees and at fundraising events. The UT Gardens is free and open to the public and hosts many educational classes such as Books and Blooms to get children in the garden and close to nature. Information on how to volunteer can be found at UT Gardens.

 

·         Dale Wolfe, MTAS business manager, volunteers with Remote Area Medical Clinic by helping with registration and crowd control, serving on the board as treasurer, producing promotion videos, and facilitating founder’s visits on UT campus. You can get involved by contacting Dale for the volunteer coordinator’s contact information.