NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Hands On Nashville announced several volunteer opportunities Tuesday afternoon for people to help those who are in need after a devastating wave of tornadoes ripped through parts of Middle Tennessee over the weekend.
NewsChannel 5's Carrie Sharp spoke with Hands On Nashville's CEO, Lori Shinton, about what these opportunities will look like and how people can help.
"You know, baby formula diapers to food assistance. We're seeing the whole gamut of needs that people are expressing right now," Shinton said.
This time, volunteering looks a bit different than the 2020 tornadoes — Shinton says there will be a volunteer reception center away from the impacted area where volunteers will show up, be trained on their job for the day, then move into the neighborhoods and get to work.
Work includes initial cleanup, heavy machinery cleanup, tree pickups and transporting supplies such as water tarps and food. It will also mean talking with survivors about how to request assistance.
"I think what's important for people to understand is we're gonna need volunteer opportunities throughout that recovery process," Shinton said. "Yes, it's important right now, but it's gonna be just as important three months from now and six months from now, and the same thing is true for giving."
She said they expect at least two years of efforts for recovery, so monetary donations are just as important as volunteering.
They are also offering volunteer opportunities in Clarksville.
"The initial opportunity is to say, Hey, I want to volunteer here. We'll email those people that have raised their hands and anybody else. And so that'll be an ongoing process for Clarksville. We also plan to do that for Robertson County, and we are also trying to lend some support to Sumner County," Shinton said.
If you want to help with disaster relief after the tornadoes, you can visit Hands On Nashville website for more information.
Fostering Hope provides Christmas for kids in foster care. I'm delighted to see Fostering Hope expand this year to expand their reach to now include kids in Foster care in metro AND foster kids in East TN hard hit by Helene.
-Bree Smith
