On this episode of the Doing Good podcast, host Megan McInnis welcomes Dr. Rolanda Lister, a maternal–fetal medicine specialist, and Shawna Clay, fund administrator for the 37208 Fund. Together, they share how two very different paths—clinical care and community investment—intersect to support justice, healing, and hope in Nashville’s 37208 zip code.
Dr. Lister cares for women experiencing high-risk pregnancies, often navigating complications like diabetes, heart disease, or autoimmune conditions. Over the years, she learned that medical expertise alone isn’t enough—many outcomes depend on whether a mother has safe housing, food access, and the ability to get to appointments. For pregnant women experiencing homelessness, these unmet needs can quickly lead to dangerous complications such as preterm labor, untreated infections, or unsafe sleep conditions for newborns. As Dr. Lister explains, stable housing can be as critical as any medication she can prescribe.
This insight inspired the creation of Bloom (Building Life Opportunities and Options for Mothers), a nonprofit dedicated to helping previously homeless and postpartum mothers achieve stability and eventually homeownership. One of Bloom’s early initiatives—the Celebration of Black Motherhood—brought together over 300 attendees, providing education, encouragement, and more than $70,000 worth of baby essentials. One mother even discovered severe preeclampsia at the event, crediting Bloom with saving her life.
Supporting organizations like Bloom is exactly why the 37208 Fund exists. Shawna Clay describes the fund as a participatory grantmaking model where community members—those who live, work, serve, or worship in 37208—decide how resources should be invested. Created in response to research showing the zip code’s disproportionately high incarceration rate, the fund intentionally uplifts the neighborhood’s “quiet, consistent acts of love.”
To date, the 37208 Fund has awarded over $335,000 to more than 49 grassroots projects, with hopes of reaching $450,000 by year’s end. Projects range from cooking classes and financial literacy workshops to school pantries, songwriting camps, and scholarships for local students. What stands out to the committee, Shawna says, is heart—projects that center the community and meaningfully improve the lives of neighbors.
Bloom is one of those projects. With support from the fund and additional partners, Bloom purchased its first home on a five-acre property in Jolton. The site includes housing for mothers, a flower farm, and an upcoming drive-through farm stand where moms learn floral design, earn wages, and build economic mobility.
To learn more or support Bloom, visit momblooms.org or follow @mom_blooms on Instagram.
To explore the 37208 Fund, visit 37208fund.com or follow @the37208fund on social media.
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