Retire-To Volunteering

031 Paulette Broadbent–Sewing American Girl Doll Outfits

American Dolls–Recipients of One-of-a-Kind Handmade Outfits

Paulette Broadbent isn't your average seamstress. She has been sewing since she was twelve years old. Her grandmother and mother knew this seemingly "lost art" might be a worthy hobby for a young girl. It wasn't long before Paulette was using her babysitting money to buy patterns and material to create clothes for herself as well as Raggedy Ann dolls and robes for her family!

Paulette's passion for creating led her to sew her wedding dress and years later numerous dresses for her daughter and tiny clothes for her Barbie doll. With the granddaughters came a new opportunity. To the delight of the girls, their American Girl dolls are now the recipients of Grandma's one-of-a-kind outfits.

But Paulette doesn't just sew to benefit her own family. She also creates and donates doll clothes to churches for their silent auction fundraising. Additionally, she sells the special outfits and tithes the income. The remaining money helps keep her sewing more!

For more about coming podcasts, sign up for Ed's free Retire-To newsletter: retire-to.com/ed-s-newsletter and visit retiretovolunteering.com.

030 Everett Davis–Bookkeeping & Morgan Scott

Two Different Ways of "Doing Good for Someone Else"

In Everett Davis's own words, he gravitates to "doing good for someone else." Retiring after a career in a bank's accounting department, Everett found that his expertise in the world of finance (his "head" knowledge) led him not only to volunteer to help his local church with its general ledger but also to assist the broader world of Christian churches. When the international organization, World Convention, needed a financial person, Everett was asked to share his time and talents. World Convention works globally to connect various branches of Christian churches in fellowship, understanding, and common purpose for the sake of unity in Christ Jesus.

Through their local church, Everett and his wife, Judy, also give their hearts to a very different volunteer opportunity. After a series of visits to the most poverty stricken counties of Tennessee, Morgan and Scott, Everett and Judy realized this project was an outreach to which they wanted to devote their time and energy. The Morgan-Scott Project serves the counties' elderly, disabled, and unemployed persons through activities, training, assistance, and support to help break the cycle of poverty and enable people to help themselves.

Ambassadors for the Morgan-Scott Project, Everett and Judy have been instrumental in recruiting volunteers and donors in Nashville. Storing clothing, shoes, and appliances…actually most anything…in someone's garage is the norm. When the storage space is filled, a caravan of volunteers travels to Morgan and Scott counties with their wares—all of which will be sold in a store similar to Goodwill—to benefit both the Project, as well as the families who live in these impoverished areas.

For more information about these two organizations, visit worldconvention.org and morganscottproject.org.

For more about coming podcasts, sign up for Ed's free Retire-To newsletter: retire-to.com/ed-s-newsletter and visit retiretovolunteering.com.

029 Anna Kapoor—Volunteers in Mission

Volunteers in Mission-Making a Difference Domestically and Internationally

Anna Kapoor is making a difference wherever she goes. Professionally she has served as a registered nurse in oncology, and now as a retiree she volunteers with the United Methodist Volunteers in Mission (VIM). Having been part of 18 mission trips, she currently arranges specific trips, especially for the Mexico Medical Mission. She knows from her own participation that volunteers of all kinds are needed, not only medical but also those in a helping capacity. Anna promises that no previous experience is necessary—just a willingness to serve.

United Methodist Volunteers in Mission exists to promote, encourage and enable Christians to exemplify "Christian Love in Action" through short-term mission service at home and abroad. It provides opportunities for service by developing and nurturing relationships with domestic and international leaders. The VIM program continually nurtures their contacts with these leaders to respond to the needs of local communities. The organization also provides comprehensive training resources for team leaders to help them prepare their teams for the mission field.

For more information visit their website www.umvim.org or contact UNITED METHODIST VOLUNTEERS IN MISSION, 100 Centerview Drive, Suite 210, Birmingham, AL 35216. Phone 205-453-9480 or email [email protected].

For more about coming podcasts, sign up for Ed's free Retire-To newsletter: retire-to.com/ed-s-newsletter and visit retiretovolunteering.com.

028 Bob Lewis—Council on Aging

Middle Tennessee Council on Aging

Bob Lewis's education in management plus his career experiences in large corporations, including Xerox and Northern Telecom, prepared him well for his volunteering in retirement. Having moved to Nashville, he soon discovered this was the place to put down roots and work on behalf of the community.

For many years now, Bob has volunteered for Middle Tennessee's Council on the Aging. He volunteered in several different programs and found a special match for his managerial and strategic planning skills as he served on the COA's Board of Directors for a six-year term. He is also active in Toastmasters, honing his communication skills. He is pleased to say that both competencies are ways he is able to give back to the community.

For information on Council on Aging of Middle Tennessee, visit their website: www.coamidtn.org.

For more about coming podcasts, sign up for Ed's free Retire-To newsletter: retire-to.com/ed-s-newsletter and visit retiretovolunteering.com.

027 Betti Lose—Food Programs

Joyfully Serving the Community—St. Luke's Community House

Community volunteer Betti Lose goes above and beyond in everything she does. St. Luke's Community House presented her the Joe Sowell Legacy Volunteer Award, the agency's highest volunteer award, which is given annually to a volunteer who gives of herself or himself, champions St. Luke's to others, and sets a great example of servant leadership. Sounds like Betti Lose, for sure.

Betti enjoys the variety of opportunities at St. Luke's, helping the many people served by that organization. On any given day, she might do administrative tasks, schedule free VITA income tax preparation, assist a senior citizen playing bingo, or shelve books in the wonderful preschool library. She is also the volunteer coordinator for St. Luke's food programs.

She is continually impressed with the staff, facility, and other volunteers who help the people who live in the neighborhood. Betti says, "I'm embarrassed to be honored for doing something I love doing. My heart is so filled—I haven't words to describe how I feel."

St. Luke's mission is both to help low-income families, seniors, and other individuals in West Nashville achieve their potential and to prevent problems that threaten the stability of families and community, such as food insecurity. From the many ways the agency reaches out, it seems they are accomplishing their mission every day!

An overview for the food programs at St. Luke's is listed below. Visit their website www.stlch.org for additional information, as well as their front office at 615-350-7893. Christie Bearden, Volunteer and Community Engagement Manager, can be reached directly at 615-324-8375 or [email protected].

Food Bank—Weekdays • 9:00 a.m.–1:30 p.m. St. Luke's partners with Second Harvest Food Bank to provide emergency food boxes to families and individuals in need. Food boxes provide three meals for two days for each person in the household.

Mobile Meals—Weekdays. This service delivers hot, nutritious meals and a friendly visit to seniors and homebound individuals living in West Nashville.

For more about coming podcasts, sign up for Ed's free Retire-To newsletter: retire-to.com/ed-s-newsletter and visit retiretovolunteering.com.

026 Kim Kline–Saddle Up!

Volunteering with Horses

As the Volunteer Services Director since 2007, Kim Kline has been helping nearly 500 people a year provide various riding programs to over 145 children and youth per week. Kim says, "Saddle Up! could not do what it does without lots of volunteers." Each of those riders need from one to three volunteers every time they are at Saddle Up!

Saddle Up!'s mission is to provide children and youth with disabilities the opportunity to grow and develop through therapeutic, educational, and recreational activities with horses. Founded in 1990 and incorporated in 1991, Saddle Up! is Middle Tennessee's oldest and largest recreational therapeutic riding program, and it is the only one exclusively serving children and youth with disabilities. The organization operates year-round on their 34-acre, farm near Franklin, Tennessee. For many of the riders, Saddle Up! is one of the few, if not the only, recreational programs available to them.

In this interview Kim introduces several of the many volunteer opportunities available at Saddle Up!, talks about what these volunteers do, and proudly presents the training programs available. With horseback riding lessons and programs, including Therapeutic Riding, Equine Assisted Learning, and Equestrian Club, as well as Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy, Saddle Up! needs volunteers with a wide range of skills and interests. In her words, "You don't have to know anything about horses or children to volunteer at Saddle Up!. We'll give you enough information and enough practice to be safe and effective around horses and children." What you can do as a volunteer ranges from helping as the person leading the horse or assisting the rider (as a sidewalker) to mucking stalls, mowing pastures, or providing office or fundraising assistance.

Check out the volunteer page at www.saddleupnashville.org or email Kim ([email protected]) to discuss your interest. To find other equine-related programs in your area, visit the website of the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship (www.pathintl.org).

For more about coming podcasts, sign up for Ed's free Retire-To newsletter: retire-to.com/ed-s-newsletter and visit retiretovolunteering.com.

025 Jacquie Sojourner–Archiving

Church Archive and History—A Unique Passion Fulfilled

Jacquie Sojourner, a graduate of Drew University's college and graduate school, has a passion for history. Fulfilling that, she is in charge of West End United Methodist Church's Archives and History Committee. She and other volunteers on the committee collect, preserve, and display materials of the church and beyond, including Vanderbilt University and the Tennessee Conference of The United Methodist Church. Keeping these records provides others with a window into the past, which can light the future.

The resources include not only the written word, but also visual, pictorial, and digital material. Genealogy records, including wedding and baptism information from members of the church, are also part of the collection. On the horizon for celebrating the church's 150th anniversary is audiovisual material, possibly a film, as well as a book. Finding creative ways to bring the past forward to delight others is part of the fun of this volunteer job.

Storing and restoring historical information is a service many churches, schools, civic groups, and other organizations would greatly appreciate from a volunteer.

For more about coming podcasts, sign up for Ed's free Retire-To newsletter: retire-to.com/ed-s-newsletter and visit retiretovolunteering.com.

024 Bob Day–Parthenon Docent

Serving as an Ambassador—Educating Visitors

As one of Nashville's ambassadors, Bob Day loves his "work." His volunteer job takes him and his wife to the museum as docents. Having participated in the docent program training, the two of them now serve as ambassadors promoting awareness and providing education about the Parthenon, Nashville's full-scale replica of the ancient Greek temple. The couple have been so inspired about what they have learned that they have traveled to Greece and Italy to see firsthand places and objects de art previously they only enjoyed from a far!

Docents play a vital role in offering quality programming to Nashville's visitors. They are teachers, guides, givers of directions, and public relations experts. The Parthenon program, which started in September 1998, is now in its third decade. Docents there are asked to work four to eight hours a month and commit to one year in various volunteer duties.

Bob reminds everyone. "There is a museum out there looking for you!"

Twice a year, the Parthenon offers training classes. To obtain further information and participate in this fascinating program, contact the Parthenon ([email protected] or 615-862-8431). Or reach out to a museum of interest to you in your area.

For more about coming podcasts, sign up for Ed's free Retire-To newsletter: retire-to.com/ed-s-newsletter and visit retiretovolunteering.com.

023 Karen Stevens–Fundraising Events

Event Coordinator—aka Fundraising Extraordinaire and Community Volunteer

Not everyone enjoys coordinating events, but Karen Stevens does. From an early age organizing a party seemed to be in her DNA. Her earliest memory, around the age of six, was creating her mother's birthday party at one of her mother's friend's home and wrapping presents (which she found in her mother's vanity drawer) as birthday gifts. On another occasion, realizing her younger sister didn't have an "appropriate" birthday cake, she created a drum cake for her party. Who would have ever guessed these would be preparation for her passion?

Karen is no stranger to the non-profit world. Helping organizations increase revenue is her way of making a difference. From Vanderbilt University School of Nursing to Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Magdalene, Habitat for Humanity, Siloam Family Health Center, Room in the Inn, Nations Ministry Center, Luke 14:12, and Music for the Soul, she has helped increase their financial support by "throwing a party"!

The one-hour free-ask event is a favorite. When CEOs, boards of directors, and volunteers embrace the concept, the work begins. Karen guides them through a series of steps, coordinates data keeping, and manages venue details. She creates a great opportunity for organizations—many of which don't have a development person on staff—not only to increase revenue and grow their volunteer base, but also to educate guests about the nonprofit's mission and impact in the community. Needless to say—a win/win for everyone!

For Karen, volunteering in the community is the norm. No perimeters. Seeing a need is the only criteria. No excuse for not having enough to keep busy. What groups might just be waiting for you? What's your passion? What new experience would you like try? Visit Hands On Nashville's (whose tag line is "Be the Change. Volunteer") website: www.hon.org for ideas.

See you in the community…volunteering!

For more about coming podcasts, sign up for Ed's free Retire-To newsletter: retire-to.com/ed-s-newsletter and visit retiretovolunteering.com.

022 Chuck Jaeger—Docent with Nashville Symphony

Introducing Guests to the Schermerhorn Center

Since 2009 Chuck Yaeger has volunteered as a docent at the Nashville Symphony's home, the Schermerhorn Center. He is quick to say that he and other docents are introducing guests to the building! Whether a passionate symphony lover or simply a curious tourist, visitors love hearing about the history of the building and its creation. Docents are asked to keep their tour to an hour although it could easily last three, given the volume of questions from the enthusiastic guests.

The Nashville Symphony offers a wide variety of opportunities to engage volunteers from Nashville and its surrounding communities. If you would like to support the performing arts through volunteer service, they would like to partner with you. Nashville Symphony volunteers can customize their schedules to fit their lifestyles.

For more information, visit their website www.nashvillesymphony.org where you will find the "support" tab …click, and you'll find "volunteer"…click, and variety of opportunities and a volunteer form will be available.

For more about coming podcasts, sign up for Ed's free Retire-To newsletter: retire-to.com/ed-s-newsletter and visit retiretovolunteering.com.