Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Local Charities

Local charities need help in the kitchenPost Comment Volunteer opportunities feed bodies, nurture souls

Local charities need help in the kitchenVolunteer opportunities feed bodies, nurture soulsBy JENNIFER JUSTUSStaff Writer

At just 20 months old, Kelby Harvill is already a tomato lover.
Even though he's managed to clean out nearly every grape tomato from a family-size bowl of salad before lunch begins, his mother couldn't be happier to see him eating.

Although healthy now, Kelby arrived prematurely at just 1 pound, 3 ounces. The Harvill family, from Loretto, Tenn., lived in Ronald McDonald House for four months while he recovered. Now, the family — Kelby, his mother and both grandmothers — have returned to prepare lunch for those experiencing similar woes and living in this temporary residence for out-of-town families with children in local hospitals.

Meals build community
Volunteering to cook at Ronald McDonald House is one of many ways Nashvillians can give back to the community through cooking. Church groups, school groups, families and even individuals can sign up to cook for local charity organizations regardless of their skill level in the kitchen.Vickie Bosheers, Kelby's maternal grandmother, said the home-cooked meals prepared and served by volunteers during the family's stay provided invaluable support.

"We appreciated everything," she recalled as she stirred pots of potato and vegetable soup and tended to trays of homemade beef sandwiches warming in the oven. "What's neat about it is you think you're all by yourself, and you're so upset. Then you meet somebody else. It gives you a chance to talk about it."

Indeed, Mimi Sondran, who oversees a similar volunteer program at The Hospital Hospitality House, agrees that more than basic nourishment, meals give guests an opportunity to connect.
"It's an important part of our program because it provides something that really feels like home," she said. "It gives everybody a chance to sit down at night — to share a meal and talk about their day. It's not just a meal but an opportunity to build community."

Start with basics
Volunteers can choose varying levels of commitment at many local organizations. At Nashville Safe Haven Family Shelter, for example, a group of dedicated women have been cooking meals each month for almost 20 years for the homeless families living at the shelter.

"Dinner, in my personal experience, is the meal we all sat down to and talked about our day, our goals," said Jodie Wilson, 54, a member of the group. "You can't improve your lot in life if you're hungry. We've got to provide the basics."

Wilson said the group, which includes Cathy Wilson, Kathleen Herb and Kathie Henning, began when a few of its members helped their daughters with a Girl Scout service project at Safe Haven. Wilson said the women strive to provide a balanced home-cooked meal with meat, two vegetables, a potato dish, rolls and dessert.

"Sometimes we see the same faces and sometimes it's nice not to see the same faces because you know they've moved on," she said.

At Ronald McDonald House, the first family arriving for the Harvills' lunch is a grandmother and her daughter, who coincidentally delivered a baby prematurely, weighing only one ounce more than Kelby's birth weight. Just like Mandi Harvill, the baby's mother went into labor at 27 weeks.

As the families stand by the kitchen island, the new baby's grandmother, Brenda Rochelle, worries that he'll soon have to go back on the ventilator. "That's OK. We did that," Mandi said. "He needs to rest. He needs time to heal. He'll be fine."

When it's almost time to eat, Rochelle asks if there's anything she can do to help.
"No," said Kelby's paternal grandmother, Kathy Danley. "We just want to feed you."

WHERE TO VOLUNTEER
So, you've made a resolution to volunteer more often? Get cooking with these organizations:

Loaves and Fishes
256-7256, loavesandfishesonline.org
Prepare meals and serve homeless men and women at Holy Name Catholic Church, coordinated by Catholic Charities.

Oasis Center
327-4455, oasiscenter.org
Prepare and serve meals at a shelter through this organization for Nashville's marginalized youth.

Nashville Rescue Mission
255-2475, nashvillerescuemission.org
Serve meals to the homeless through this organization that offers food, clothing, shelter and recovery programs.

Room in the Inn
254-7666, chd-nashville.org
Help provide meals for homeless.

Nashville Safe Haven Family Shelter
256-8195, safehaven.org
Prepare and serve meals at this facility for families in transition from homelessness.

Salvation Army of Nashville's Soup Wagon
242-0411, salarmy-nashville.org
Prepare and serve meals to homeless from the Salvation Army's mobile canteen truck.

Ronald McDonald House
343-4000, rmhnashville.com
Prepare and serve lunch or dinner for residents of this home for parents of children in local hospitals.

Nashville CARES
259-4866, nashvillecares.org
Assemble food bags for people living with HIV and AIDS through this service organization.

The Hospital Hospitality House of Nashville
329-0477, hospitalhospitalityhouse.org
Cook and serve meals to patients receiving medical treatment in Nashville hospitals and their caregivers living in this temporary residence.

Dismas House of Nashville
297-9287, dismas.org
Cook and serve dinner to residents at this transitional home for men recently released from prison.


Hope Lodge
327-0991, cancer.org
Provide and share home-cooked meals with cancer patients living at this temporary home while receiving outpatient treatment at Nashville hospitals.

St. Luke's Community Center — Mobile Meals
324-8375, stlukescommunityhouse.org
Deliver warm, boxed meals to elderly residents in west Nashville through St. Luke's Community House, a social services agency founded by local Episcopal churches.

Volunteer opportunities through many of the organizations listed above can also be coordinated through Hands On Nashville, an organization that matches volunteers with work, at 298-1108 or hon.org.

—JENNIFER JUSTUS, STAFF WRITER