Service Opportunities

 

Enter to learn… ....Go forth to serve.   

studentsThe TSU Center for Service Learning and Civic Engagement is open to all students at Tennessee State University.  We focus on getting students safely involved in the local community through:

  • on-ground and virtual service (volunteering)
  • service-learning classes
  • other unique opportunities

And - check out the many benefits to you, as a student, for participating in community service, service-learning, and/or civic engagement by clicking on Student Benefits!

Need to verify your service hours for a class, organization, scholarship, etc.? Download the Verification of Service Hours Form and have it signed off by the service supervisor. 

Upcoming Service Opportunities

second harvest college week flyer

Join TSU Students, Faculty, and Staff for Tigers Serve Day at Second Harvest Food Bank. Wednesday, March 20, 2024, TSU will take over the food bank in their college gear to sort and pack food donations in the fight against hunger. Two shifts are available (Morning Shift 9am-11:30am, Afternoon Shift 1:30pm-4:00pm). Both shifts take place at the Martin Distribution Center, 331 Great Circle Drive, Nashville, TN. Sign up today! https://secondharvestmidtn.volunteerhub.com/vv2/lp/tsucollegeweek/ 

 

On-Campus Service Opportunities

Tiger Pantry provides TSU students with food insecurity or general needs with food items. Volunteers are needed to sort donations, clean up, etc. To volunteer call 615-963-2261

Local Service Opportunities (Metro Nashville Area)

American Baptist College is looking for help with cataloging and processing books, dusting book cases, discarding old books, moving library furniture, and painting accent walls. This opportunity is available Monday-Friday between 10am-5pm. For more information, contact Ms. Angel Pridgen, Director of Library Services at 615-687-6946. 

Robert Churchwell Elementary School is a Service-Learning partner looking to instill college and career readiness skills in their students through mentoring. TSU students can sign up to be a Lunch Buddy, visiting students in grades Kindergarten-5th Grade during their lunch time to read, talk, play games, and more. Interested students can email Tiffany Rhodes at tiffany.rhodes@mnps.org to sign up and find a lunch time that works best for them. 

Saddle Up 's mission is to impact the lives of children and young adults with disabilities by providing opportunities to grow and develop through therapeutic, educational and recreational experiences with horses. They are looking for regular volunteer Side walkers, Horse Leaders Monday-Saturday, and Horse Feeders on Sundays. Time commitment is flexible based on your availability. Volunteer training is provided based on position. Complete the New Volunteer Training Interest Form or email Sally Stoange, sstonage@saddleupnashville.org, for more information. 

Nashville Sports Council works to bring sporting events to the Greater Nashville Area in order to create a positive economic impact. Volunteers have opportunities to work various roles at events such as SEC Men's Basketball, St Jude's Rock N' Roll Nashville Running Series, Big Machine Music City Grand Prix, and more! A two-shift minimum during the event week is required. For more information, email Rachel Schuchert at rschuchert@nashvillesports.com, and visit the Nashville Sports Council Volunteer page to find upcoming opportunities. 

Safe Haven Family Shelter is the premier shelter-to-housing program for families experiencing homelessness in Middle Tennessee, with 37 years of experience of proactive programs, evidence-based practices, and trauma-informed care. Volunteer opportunities include providing dinner to families in the shelter, assisting with administrative and inventory needs, working with children in the program, and working special events/seasonal activities. Training is required and volunteers must commit to shifts once per week or once every other week . For more information, email Amanda Wood at volunteermanager@safehaven.org, or complete your volunteer application here. 

Tennesee Justice for our Neighbors provides free or low-cost, compassionate immigration legal services, advocate for immigrant rights, and educate the public and faith-based communities about issues related to immigration. Volunteers can do in-person outreach work, language interpretation (primarily Spanish to English), or remote work including research, script writing, graphic design, translation, and more. To sign up, email Hannah Smalley at hannah@tnjfon.org. 

Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee is one of the largest and most comprehensive food bank and distribution centers nationwide. Their mission is to provide food to people facing hunger issues and work to advance hunger solutions. Volunteers can assist the center by inspecting, sorting, and boxing food for distribution. Volunteers must sign up for shifts in advance and can be done Tuesday-Saturday 8:30-11:30am and 1:30-4:00pm, and Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday 5:30-8:30pm. To sign up visit https://www.secondharvestmidtn.org/act/volunteer/ or email Courtney Blaise at courtney.blaise@secondharvestmidtn.com 

Girl Scouts of Middle Tennessee is a premier leadership organization for all girls to have the opportunity to pursue greatness, create sustainable change in their communities, and actively transform the world around them now and for future generations. They are looking for volunteers during specific program throughout the year including set up, clean up, leading activities and more. Background checks are required and will be provided by the organization. To sign up visit https://gsmidtn.org/volunteer/ or email Alice Fair at afair@gsmidtn.org.  

Healing Minds and Souls is looking for volunteers to assist with several of their programs that help the community through educational programming, food, and resource distribution, and more. Volunteers can assist at the resource center, deliver meals to residents within the 37208-area code, or perform administrative duties. Volunteer shifts are available on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 9:00am-1:00pm. To sign up email Ella Clay at eclay.hms@gmasil.com. 

There With Care is on a mission to provide a wide range of thoughtful and fundamental services to families and children during the critical phase of medical crisis to ease the burden of life's day-to-day obligations with compassion and care. Volunteers will need car insurance, an active driver's license, and reliable transportation in order to pick up and deliver packages to families . To volunteer, email Madison Bounds at madison@therewithcare.org. 

Cheekwood is a botanic garden and historic estate with art exhibits, seasonal and cultural events, and lots of children's activities. Their volunteer experience includes learning about gardening, arts, and history. There are several Fall and Spring events that require occasional volunteer, and ongoing volunteer applicants. To sign up, visit the Cheekwood Volunteer website or email Amy Walter at awalter@cheekwood.org. 

Nashville Diaper Connection ensures that every baby in Nashville has enough diapers to remain clean, dry, and healthy by providing them to community partners. Volunteers can prepare diapers for distribution, administrative work, and more. To volunteer, visit the Nashville Diaper Connection volunteer site or contact Renee Watkins at renee@nashvillediaperconnection.org. 

Cumberland River Compact is focused on enhancing the health and enjoyment of the Cumberland River and its tributaries through education, collaboration, and action. Volunteers can assist with cleanup, planting, event assisting, and more by signing up on the volunteer website HERE. Volunteers can also email Ky Mundy at ky.mundy@cumberlandrivercompact.org. 

Dream Streets serves under-resourced families in West and North Nashville to protect and empower individuals living in distress. Volunteers can spend time organizing and distributing fresh food or hanging with elementary and middle school students in the after-school program providing tutoring and meal prep. Shifts are available Monday-Saturday. To sign up, visit the Dream Streets volunteer site or contact Liz Loxley at liz@dreamstreetstn.com. 

Book'em serves low-income youth in Davidson County by igniting children's passion for reading through book ownership. Volunteers read to children in metro classrooms, organizing book donations, and distributing books. Volunteer time varies based on program. To find out more information on each program and to complete a volunteer application, visit their website HERE, or contact Monica Jones at monica@bookem-kids.org. 

Nashville Dolphins provide swimming and water safety classes and aquatic competition opportunities to special needs swimmers from all over Tennessee. Volunteers build friendships with participants in order to teach them to swim and learn water skills. Volunteers should be willing to stay with their assigned swimmer through the length of the program (11 classes). To learn more and sign up, visit the Nashville Dolphin volunteer website or contact Pam Walston at pam@nashvilledolphins.org. 

YWCA Nashville & Middle Tennessee has helped women, girls, and families in Nashville build safer, more self-sufficient lives. Through monitoring the challenges of social change, they develop programs and services to meet the evolving needs of women and their families. Volunteers will help with special projects, hands-on maintenance or storage organization projects and program support. Volunteer shifts are available Monday-Friday. For a list of volunteer opportunities, visit their website here. 

Tennessee Resettlement Aid seeks to fill gaps in the current refugee resettlement system with direct aid to Afghan allies and their families. They provide culturally appropriate food, clothes, and home-good to new arrivals, as well as facilitate access to other critical services through partner organizations. Volunteers can pick up shifts as Storage Unit Aids sorting donations or delivering large items off-site. To read more information on volunteer needs visit their volunteer website or email amanda.fisher@tennesseeresettlementaid.org. 

The Land Trust for Tennessee is an organization that strives to conserve the unique character of Tennessee's natural and historic landscapes and sites for future generations. Volunteer opportunities happen throughout the year that involve conservation education, gardening, invasive removal, and monitoring protected properties. A list of volunteer opportunities and how to sign up, can be found on their website here. 

FiftyForward supports, champions, and enhances life for those 50 and older. Through a new program, volunteers can help teach digital literacy by answering questions seniors have about utilizing and navigating technology safely. To sign up, email Traci Bennett-Hobek at thobek@fiftyforward.org. 

An Array of Charm (AAOC) Camps for Youth Development works to empower disadvantages youth by equipping them with the academic competencies, social skills and leadership training required to create permanent, positive changes in their lives. Volunteers can work before-school (6:30-7:30am), or after-school (2:30-5:30pm) shifts. Background checks are required. To sign up, email Caroline Davis at caroline@aaoccampus.org. 

Preston Taylor Ministries is looking for volunteers for mentoring and after-school homework help. Volunteers are asked to commit to working one week at a time, Monday-Friday 3-6pm. To see a list of volunteer locations and to complete the volunteer application, visit their Link Tree here. 

Shower the People provides mobile showers and hygiene services to the unhoused community throughout Davidson County. Looking for volunteer Shower Squad members who are hard-working individuals to help check-in guest, hand out hygiene supplies, distribute food, and clean the showers in between guest. Shifts can be Wednesday evenings from 5-8pm or Thursday mornings from 8:30am-1pm. To sign up, email Kate Pluister at kate@showerthepeople.net. 

United Way of Greater Nashville unites the community and mobilizes resources so that every child, individual and family thrives. UWGN is looking for volunteers to become trained tax preparers or intake processors for the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program that runs at TSU. For more information on roles and requirements, visit www.volunteerforvita.org. 

PENCIL works to link community resources to Metro Nashville Public Schools to help young people achieve academic success and prepare for life. There are several opportunities in their supply store, tutoring, or creating educational videos. Visit www.pencilforschools.org/volunteeer/ to learn about each opportunity. For questions, email Zoe Trageser at ztrageser@pencil615.org. 

Faith Family Medical Center provides hope and healing to hardworking neighbors in need by providing comprehensive health and wellness services to low-income, uninsured, or underinsured individuals and families in the greater Nashville area. There is a vast variety of assistance needed doing administrative work, event ambassadors and Spanish speaking interpreters. It is asked that students commit to at least one semester of consistent volunteering. to sign up, email alaymanwires@faithmedical.org. 

Backfield in Motion is an organization that focuses on education through mastery of literacy and numeracy skills for at-risk youth that leads to a high school diploma, a foundation for higher education, and the on-job skills needed to enter the world of work while using athletics as an incentive for academic improvement. For more information on how to get involved, contact Micah Kimble at micahk@backfieldinmotion.org. 

Catholic Charities Refugee and Immigration Services helps newly arrived refugees by providing them with housing, employment support, and other avenues to assist them in becoming self-sufficient in the U.S. Volunteer can apply to be mentors to a family, acting as friends and guides in their support network. Volunteers can also assist with family move-in or sorting warehouse donations. For more information or to sign up, visit their volunteer website here, or email Christopher Alford at calford@cctenn.org. 

Greater Nashville Regional Council assist local communities and state agencies in the development of plans and programs that guide growth and development in the most desirable, efficient, and cost-effective manner, while ensuring the continued long-term livability of the region. They are looking for volunteers for the aging and disability program visiting, writing letters, marketing and more. For more information visit www.gnrc.org/volunteer or contact Rebecca at rnofi@gnrc.org. 

Dismas House is a residential reentry program in Nashville that serves men returning to the community directly from state correctional facilities and supports them as they navigate the challenging transition back into their community. Volunteers can assist in administrative work, mentor, or assist in community dinner planning/preparation. To sign up, visit their volunteer portal here, or contact Phillip Hill at phill@dismas.org. 

Play Like a Girl is dedicated to leveling the playing field for girls by harnessing the collective power of women volunteers and male allies to unite around gender inequality and the critical role they play in inspiring the next generation or woman leaders. Volunteers can facilitate sports and STEM education activities, support fundraisers and community events, as well as graphic design and administrative task. TO find out more visit www.iplaylikeagirl.org/volunteer or email volunteer@iplaylikeagirl.org. 

National Museum of African American Music , the only museum of its kind preserving and celebrating the history of Black music in America. General attendants and floater volunteers needed to work with visitors and provide general assistance as needed. Volunteer shifts are a minimum of 3-4 hours. To sign up, email scobb@nmaam.org. 

Family & Children's Services offers more than a dozen different services creating a safety net to ensure that all children and families can be safe and healthy. Volunteers are needed to work as counselors in the Crisis Contact Center providing telephone and text-based crisis intervention to callers. 40+ hours of training is required, and volunteers must maintain a consistent schedule in the center . For more information and to apply, visit https://www.fcsnashville.org/intern-vol/. 

The Branch of Nashville provides a food bank and English Language Learning classes for member of the community. Volunteers can assist in sorting the food pantry, delivering food to adults with disabilities, as well as administrative task. To sign up, email slbeau41@gmail.com. 

Barefoot Republic Camp is looking for Summer Camp counselors and regular assistance for task such as organizing, inventory, event volunteers and other special service projects. For more information, or to sign up, email Ricky Howard at ricky@barefootrepublic.org or Samantha Check at samantha@barefootrepublic.org. 

Trueway Church is looking for assistance from college students for the preparation and distribution of groceries/meals to local families in need. Distributions happen regularly, and interested individuals can call Dr. David Russell Williams for more information on volunteer dates, 615-244-6725. 

 

Virtual Service Opportunities

Hands on Nashville offers a long list of virtual volunteer opportunities. Click Here to see how you can sign up today. 

Greater Nashville Regional Council provides volunteer opportunities both virtually and in-person through their different programs, events, and campaigns. Visit their website here to see a list of virtual volunteer task. 

Points of Light connects you with a variety of short-term or long-term tasks. To explore remote opportunities, Click Here . 

DoSomething empowers young people to enact social change both online and off. Volunteer online through one of their campaigns to help solve real-world problems.

Idealist is a database of volunteer opportunities. Visit their website to find local in-person and remote volunteer opportunities.

 

Check back here as more opportunities will be loaded as they become available.

What Students Say...

energy audits Here's what students have said about their service-learning experience .....

“More service-learning project components need to be implemented because it helps students face real world problems and gives them a sense of 'real time' job performance.”

“This course was amazing, and has truly helped me make the connection between the theory that I learned in class and the experience that I had in the community setting. This was one of the best classes that I have taken this semester. I will continue to explore more about nonprofit service in the community.”

“Projects that involve service-learning are an amazing way to think outside of a student's personal environment, think about how they can make a difference in someone's community, and actually give students the inspiration and initiative they need to  become a role model for the community.”

 

Gratitude of Those Served...

 Gratitude

 

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