On December 9th, what's believed to be an EF-2 tornado tore though Madison, Hendersonville, an EF-3 is believed to have gone thorough Montgomery County. Our neighbors in Gallatin and Sumner County also received damage from this horrific storm. My heart goes out to everyone impacted, I'm very lucky to say my family and I are safe. (Note, right now organizations are working to identify areas for volunteers, please do not drive into tornado impacted areas on your own to help. I will update this article once officials allow it.)

If you or someone you know needs shelter the American Red Cross Tennessee Region is set up in three locations: 

• Clarksville: Northeast High School, 3701 Trenton Road
• Hendersonville: Cornerstone Church, 1410 Stop 30 Road
• Nashville: Madison Community Center, 550 N. Dupont Ave

The Red Cross says residents can go to these shelters if they are displaced, to report damage, receive food, or go for any medical needs (including lost prescriptions or medical equipment.) The Red Cross also says they  have metal health and spiritual care available.

Independent Operations include:

• Dickson YMCA: 225 Henslee Drive, Dickson, TN
• The Center: 401 N. Main, Springfield, TN (ID Required)

You can find more from TEMA here.

The Community Resource Center is accepting monetary donations, they currently need personal hygiene items, clothing, shoes, diapers, totes with lids, batteries, flashlights, and more. You can view the list below.

The Margaret Maddox Family YMCA, located on Gallatin Road, is also accepting donations for those affected by the tornados. They are looking for basic necessities including:

• Cleaning Supplies
• Paper Towels
• Women & Men Hygiene Products
• Diapers (all sizes)
• Coats, Gloves, Socks, Underwear
• Sleeping bags, Blankets
• Towels and Wash Cloths

YAIPak Outreach in Clarksville is opening their warehouse daily this week (posted 12/10/23) from 8AM-4PM for volunteers and donations. They are accepting basic necessities, along with small generators, work gloves, plywood, hammers, nails, and rope. Other businesses are also collecting donations including Artlink Clarksville, Sanctuary on Main, Holistic Health Center, and Sunny Day Studios.

For those with pets, Pawster Nashville is providing temporary care for animals. You can contact them at [email protected], text 615-434-4913, or complete an intake form by clicking here. To report a lost or found pet, you can contact Metro Animal Care and Control or Friends of MACC.

Nashville Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster have also been activated.  If you need assistance now or during the recovery process you can visit their website through this link. Nashville VOAD says right now it will take them 72 to 96 hours to get back to requests. The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee and United Way of Greater Nashville are also setting up funds to help victims. You can visit their websites for more information and/or to sign up to volunteer.

If you have been displaced or need food assistance, The Store is offering help. You can give them a call at 615-460-8331 or email [email protected].

The Rearden Barn Company is offering free tree removal, roof tarping, clean up, and more. Contact Jake Rearden at 629-888-7663 or at [email protected]

This year and years prior In Your Community, Tennessee has spoken to many wonderful non-profits and organizations that are striving to help Tennesseans. To end 2023, wow that's weird to say, I have compiled a list of 6 recent interviews if you need assistance, looking to join or volunteer to make a difference in your community.
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​Operation Stand Down Tennessee focuses on engaging, equipping, and empowering military veterans and their families through their crisis, career, and connection services. Federal funding allows this organization to help Veterans with temporary financial assistance if they struggle with rent, utilities, and security deposits. Operation Stand Down also offers some services to surviving spouses, however, federal money cannot be used for that. CEO Eden Murrie says their biggest goal is to connect veterans with other veterans. Murrie says they hold events just for that, such as going to a brewery, a picnic, or gun range. She knows some vets want that connection, and some don't, but even if you do not want to meet up every day or at every event, occasionally talking about the past and going to events can be nice.

Mundito Spanish ​is a language and culture learning organization for children. Founder and Lead Teacher Casey Cabbage says the program targets kids in grades K through five. The program consists of 90-minute sessions, in the first 35 to 40 minutes the kids will learn vocabulary, and numbers, and just work towards objectives, next during a break the children will have traditional Spanish food as a snack so that they can learn more about the culture. 

The Urban League of Greater Chattanooga ​helps people of color, women, and other disadvantaged persons achieve economic self-reliance, parody, power, and civil rights. According to Candy Johnson, President and CEO of ​the Urban League of Greater Chattanooga, the organization has three empowerment centers they offer to residents. This includes the Center for Education, Workforce, and Family Empowerment; the Center for Economic and Black Business Success; and the Center for Equity and Inclusive Leadership. The Urban League of Greater Chattanooga also cares about the health of those in the community, they have created a pre-diabetes prevention program that uses the curriculum of the CDC.

East Nashtivists began with the craving for community, togetherness, and advocacy. The group has since expanded, making its name known across Middle Tennessee. The group attends legislative sessions at the Capitol but has partnered with other organizations like Inclusion Tennessee and the Tennessee Equality Project to fight for LGBTQ+ rights. East Nashtivists​ meets the second Wednesday of every month at East Nashville Beer Works from 5 PM until 8 PM. Even if you are not in the East Nash area, you are encouraged to come and join and help make a difference in the community.

​​ArtsBuild's mission is to build and encourage a stronger community through creativity and learning through the arts. Art conveys with children beginning at a young age, and the non-profit encourages their creativity through their "Imagine" program. Through this they provide a field trip in the arts for every child in Hamilton County Schools. According to ArtsBuild President James McKissic, they conducted 14 thousand field trips for 14 thousand students in 2022. Another way this organization supports dreams is through the ​Racial Equity Grants for Individual Artists (REGIA) program. This program renews grant-funded support for artists of color, building on ArtsBuild’s Equity in the Arts grant program.

​Emerge Tennessee is a premier training program for Democratic women in the state and part of a national organization called Emerge America. According to Executive Director Freda Player, they have trained around 5,000 women nationwide, and more than 1,000 were elected to office. In Tennessee, Emerge has trained nearly 150 women, and 40 have been elected or appointed to office.  Through Emerge Tennessee's signature candidate training program, women will go through a six-month, 70-hour program that will teach them how to fundraise, spread their story, find their win number, use digital media, and more. Women will speak to a variety of campaign and election experts, along with other women who have been elected or appointed to office.

All previous articles are linked, along with their websites if you would like more information. Happy Holidays!