Retire-To Volunteering

021 Courtney Sobieralski—Thistle Farms and the Café

Thistle Stop Café—Built By and For the Community

Courtney Sobieralski, Director of the Thistle Stop Café, enjoys talking about this extraordinary café staffed by the women of Thistle Farms, as well as volunteers from the Nashville area. Anyone who walks through the doors for a bite of nourishment, a cup of tea or coffee, or simply a brief respite, discovers a home. The Thistle Farms community witnesses to the truth that in the end, love is more powerful than all other forces, especially those that drive women to the street.

A sanctuary of healing for women survivors of abuse, addiction, trafficking, and prostitution, the Thistle Farms community of survivors, advocates, employees, interns, volunteers, and friends from all across the world are young and old, women and men. United in their desire to transform a culture that still allows human beings to be bought and sold, they believe that in the end, love is the strongest force for change in the world.

The Thistle Stop Café operates under the guiding principles of hospitality, healing, story, and chado (translated from Japanese as "The Way of Tea"). Volunteers are welcome.

Discover more at the website: www.thistlefarms.org. Or visit the Facebook pages: www.facebook.com/ThistleFarms and www.facebook.com/ThistleStopCafe. Check out the menu too and "do lunch" with a friend or simply take a break at the café.

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

020 Bill Farris—Comforting the Littlest

Children's Hospital Needs Grandfathers to "Read"

Bill Farris is no stranger to Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt in Nashville, Tennessee. In fact seven years ago he was a regular visitor to see his grandson. It was then Bill began his "reading." Today he continues comforting children in the neo-natal intensive care unit of the same hospital by holding, rocking, reading, telling stories of his youth, and humming (no singing—just humming) to babies—a blessing to him, as well.

Bill feels this volunteer activity is his way of helping the parents and grandparents who are working and not able to be there, as well as the nurses who are continuously busy as they help all their charges. Needless to say, volunteers like Bill are a welcome addition to the care of these littlest ones.

As Bill reminds us, hospitals are everywhere and most likely readily awaiting new volunteers!

For additional information about Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital and to learn more about their volunteer opportunities, visit www.childrenshospital.vanderbilt.org/uploads/documents/Volunteer_Opportunities_Spring_2017.pdf

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

019 Fern Richie–Respite for Dementia Caregivers

Sunny Day Club—A Volunteer's Perspective

Fern Richie, a Sunny Day Club volunteer buddy, enthusiastically looks forward to Mondays at West End United Methodist Church in Nashville, Tennessee. The club provides a special place for older adults, especially those who are experiencing memory loss, to enjoy caring companionship and mental stimulation. Being able to bring a loved one to the Sunny Day Club also gives caregivers a period of respite, enabling them to care for their own needs. Fern and other volunteers willingly give their time and love and are rewarded as they see the joy on the faces of the members and the thanks of the caregivers.

Recently retired, Fern (DSN, APRN-BC) has had a meaningful career as a college professor and psychotherapist. Her passion was, and is, helping young women whose lives have been affected by the intersection of mental illness, drug addiction, sexual abuse, poverty, and racism. Her volunteer work with the Sunny Day Club is an extension of her long line of volunteering over the years.

For more information about volunteering with the Sunny Day Club, please contact Erin Racine at 615.321.8500 or [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.

018 Margaret Smith—Volunteering with Owl's Hill Nature Sanctuary

Owl's Hill Nature Sanctuary—Spreading an Appreciation and Enjoyment of Nature

Since childhood Margaret Smith has cherished nature. Her maternal grandmother lived on the Cumberland River bluffs and introduced her to the world of nature through flowers and animals and the habitat they need to live. Discussions and breakfasts on the bluffs with her grandmother proved to be the instrumental in Margaret's love of nature.

After college Margaret taught elementary school, later married, had two children and went to graduate school in 1980. She graduated with a doctorate and maintained a practice in psychology for 26 years. After taking her grandchildren to enjoy the nature sanctuary's "hot chocolate tour," she started volunteering at Owl's Hill. Later Margaret enrolled in Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency's naturalist program and now is known as a Master Naturalist.

Owl's Hill is waiting to be discovered by nature lovers as well as those who haven't yet discovered they are! The staff is eager to share their awareness, knowledge, and skill. With many environmental-education programs offered for all ages, volunteers are especially important.

To learn more about volunteering at Owl's Hill, visit www.owlshill.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.

017 Jean Gauld-Jaeger—Volunteering as a Plein Air Artist

Plein Air Painters—Dedicated to Conservation and Preservation

After twenty-five years as Director of the Office of Patient Affairs at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Jean Gauld-Jaeger retired and pursued her interest in fine art. Ever the student, she has studied painting with well-respected portrait artists Michael Shane Neal, Roger Brown, Jason Saunders, Dawn Whitelaw and many others. But she is also a respected teacher, instructing others individually and through group painting classes and workshops in both her studio and other locations.

As a volunteer in The Chestnut Group, Jean channels her passion for painting into preservation of the beauty she sees. She and the other group members are plein air artists, leaving behind the four walls of their studios to paint and draw in open air. They capture the beauty of the Tennessee landscape in their artwork and sell it to raise funds to protect historical and natural sites in the state.

A recipient of several awards for her portraits and landscapes, which are on display in numerous galleries in Middle Tennessee, Jean is also past president of The Chestnut Group and is especially proud of the fact that a portion of funds earned from the sale of plein air artwork, inspired by the region's scenic richness, is made available to organizations that share a common vision: To preserve fragile local historic properties and threatened environments—habitats, farmland, and natural areas.

More information about volunteering with The Chestnut Group is on their website: http://chestnutgroup.org. Jean's information can be found on her website: http://artbyjaeger.com.

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

016 Taylor Davenport—Volunteering with Project Transformation

Purposeful Ministry—Project Transformation

As a year-round Fellow with Project Transformation Tennessee, Taylor Davenport has been inspired by the many volunteers (homework helpers, encouragers, and mentors) in the program. Project Transformation's mission is three-fold: To engage young adults, like Taylor, in purposeful ministry and leadership, to support underserved children and families, and to connect churches to communities in need. As one of the young adult interns, Taylor works with volunteers to provide authentic, hands-on, high-quality programs for children and youth both during the summer and the school year.

In addition to leading the children and youth, Taylor and the other interns also value learning from them, going the extra mile with home visits to gain a deeper understanding of the dynamics of the families.

A 2015 graduate of the University of Mississippi with a BS in Integrated Marketing Communications, Taylor is currently pursuing her Masters of Education in Nonprofit Leadership at Belmont University. When she's not coordinating volunteers, preparing marketing material, or studying, she enjoys cheering on the Ole Miss Rebels.

Potential Project Transformation volunteers can contact Taylor at [email protected] or 615-810-9620. Additional information can be found at the Project Transformation's website www.pttennessee.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.

015 Lori Bumgarner—Volunteering with Senior Olympics

Senior Olympics—Lifetime of Sports

Lori Bumgarner is the owner of paNASH, a passion and career coaching service. Certified both as life coach and a transformational coach, she works with people going through life and career transitions, helping them discover and pursue their passions.

Author of the Amazon #1 bestselling book, Advance Your Image, Lori has been featured in The Wall Street Journal's blog. She is also a regular contributor to The Daily Positive and Arianna Huffington's Thrive Global.

Finding her niche as a volunteer in the Senior Olympics has proven to be a perfect match, given her love for sports and her desire to relate to older adults. Her personal mission is to boldly pursue her passions and purpose, and to teach, encourage, and inspire others to do the same, resulting in lives overflowing with joy, peace, and fulfillment.

You can visit Lori's web site at www.yourpassioninlife.com or email her directly at [email protected]. To find out more about the Senior Olympics programs and volunteer opportunities, visit the National Senior Games Association website: www.NSGA.com. You will be able to find specific information for your state.

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

014 Grace Smith–Volunteering with Middle Tennessee Council on Aging

The Council on Aging of Middle Tennessee—Trusted Leader and Catalyst

A long-time volunteer of the Council on Aging (COA), as Executive Director Grace Smith brings more than two decades of experience in senior advocacy. A licensed master social worker and a program manager for the Meharry Consortium Geriatric Education Center, she also sat on the board of the National Association for Geriatric Education and led the Mental Health Association's geriatric outreach and caregiver support programs. She put that experience to work again as a volunteer, serving as chair of the COA Leadership Council and most recently as vice-president of its board.

Grace's interests and skills are well-matched with COA's mission: To strive to ensure that the community values, honors, and supports older adults and caregivers by addressing unmet needs through information, advocacy, and education, and by being a catalyst for comprehensive solutions.

According to Grace, "This is an exciting time of growth in the greater Nashville area, and the COA will continue to be a trusted leader in addressing the unmet needs of seniors and caregivers, including transportation and easily accessible resource information." For specific information about COA's work on transportation, listen to Ed Cole's interview ("010 Senior Ride Nashville") for additional volunteer opportunities.

For more information about the various volunteer possibilities through the Council on Aging of Middle Tennessee, visit their website www.coamidtn.org and/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.

013 Shara Parker—Sunny Day Club, a Respite for Alzheimer's and Dementia Caregivers

Sunny Day Club—A Co-founder's Perspective

From her own 13-year experience with her husband's dementia, Shara Parker co-founded the Sunny Day Club at West End United Methodist Church in Nashville, TN.

Sunny Day Club members get a social outing, physical and mental exercise, and acceptance, as well as new friends. Their caregivers have a breather, a known block of time that they can count on to do whatever they need just to keep the household going—running errands, grocery shopping, resting. The volunteers, who give their time to the club also receive a gift, watching the joy on the faces of the members, which is priceless.

Sunny Day Club meets each Monday from 11:00 A.M. –2 P.M.

For additional information or to volunteer, please contact Erin Racine at 615.321.8500 or [email protected].

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

012 Wesley Paine–Volunteering at the Parthenon

Being a Docent at the Athens of the South's Parthenon

Wesley Paine is Director of the Parthenon in Nashville, TN, the world's only full-sized replica of the ancient Greek temple. An accomplished actress, as well as museum director, Wesley brings dynamic communication skills and a wealth of knowledge to the role of docent, whether it is at the feet of the forty-two foot Athena in the Parthenon or in a lecture hall or clubroom. As a speaker and cultural interpreter for nearly forty years, she has been fueling the enthusiasm and deepening the understanding of children and adults for the ancient civilization that built the original Parthenon and to whom our civilization owes a great debt.

At the Parthenon, volunteers also have the reward of seeing eyes light up with awe and understanding. As docents, they tell visitors about its history both in Nashville and in fifth century B.C. Athens, Greece. Tourists are often surprised to discover yet another treasure in Nashville's Parthenon: the visual art collection. The docents frequently find they've turned casual visitors into appreciative admirers.

If you are interested in volunteering, email [email protected]. The website is www.nashville.gov/parthenon.

The membership/support organization, The Conservancy for the Parthenon and Centennial Park (www.conservancyonline.com), is also good place to find out what's going on.

For more information, check the Facebook page called The Parthenon in Nashville and the one for The Conservancy: www.facebook.com/conservancynash.

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