The Doing Good Blog

Community & Social Services, Location-Specific

Showing Up Where It Matters: Heidi Siefkas on Volunteering, Resilience, and Community

January 4, 2026

  For Heidi Siefkas, volunteering isn’t an add-on to life—it’s a way of staying grounded, connected, and present in it. A four-time...

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Community & Social Services, Location-Specific, Volunteerism & Community Action

Blooming Justice in Nashville’s 37208: How Housing, Health, and Community Grow Together

November 18, 2025

On this episode of the Doing Good podcast, host Megan McInnis welcomes Dr. Rolanda Lister, a maternal–fetal medicine specialist, and Shawna Clay,...

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Faith & Spirituality, Location-Specific, Volunteerism & Community Action

Feeding Nashville with Heart: The Story of Corisa “Pine” Lewis

November 4, 2025

“Hospitality isn’t just a table setting—it’s a way of life.” This week on the Doing Good Podcast, host Megan McInnis sat down...

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Location-Specific, Volunteerism & Community Action

Living Is Giving

December 5, 2024

Bill Crump has worked hard, and now he’s playing hard. This career pilot flew for the United States Navy. While stationed in...

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Animals & Environment, Community & Social Services, Location-Specific

Bernice Karnett: Helping Dogs Become Dogs Again

October 17, 2023

By Callie Carlucci Bernice has a catchy mantra to describe her work with animal rescue: “I don’t rescue dogs, dogs rescue me.”...

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Education & Youth, Government, Military & Public Service, Health & Wellness, Location-Specific, Volunteerism & Community Action

Shavonya Washington

July 12, 2023

Shavonya Washington has always had a big heart, and even before she started volunteering, she shared it with her community. From being...

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Community & Social Services, Location-Specific

Service in Her School

June 7, 2022

Written By: Emma de la Pena Many can look back on memories in their lifetime and think about their first strike of...

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Education & Youth, Health & Wellness, Location-Specific

Offering Opportunities, Reaching Potential

May 3, 2022

Growing up with a sister with Down Syndrome, Elizabeth Graham Pistole has a strong passion for helping individuals with special needs grow...

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Community & Social Services, Education & Youth, Health & Wellness, Location-Specific

Volunteering with Friends – It’s Just Fun!

April 5, 2022

Written by: Terri Seydel In many ways, Phillip Hyams is a typical American teenager, balancing his time between school, sports, and friends....

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Community & Social Services, Culture & History, Education & Youth, Location-Specific, Volunteerism & Community Action

Giving the Gift of Time

April 2, 2022

Life experiences are often the best teachers and influencers of how we form our values and priorities. This has become powerfully evident...

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Community & Social Services, Culture & History, Education & Youth, Location-Specific

Featured Volunteer: Robin Cole

March 10, 2022

Our featured volunteer Robin shares her story of why she volunteers with Read to Succeed!

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Community & Social Services, Location-Specific, Volunteerism & Community Action

Out of Blessings Came a Call to Volunteer

March 1, 2022

Written by: Terri Seydel Volunteers don’t often have the privilege of knowing the positive impacts of their work. This is not the...

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Arts (Visual & Performing), Community & Social Services, Culture & History, Location-Specific, Media & Innovation, Volunteerism & Community Action

Volunteering to Change the Course of a Life

February 15, 2022

Written by: Terri Seydel Would you like to change any of the decisions you made as a teenager? We’d probably all like...

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Animals & Environment, Education & Youth, Health & Wellness, Location-Specific, Volunteerism & Community Action

A celebration of the community

September 1, 2020

With the recent World Humanitarian Day celebrated on August 19th, we can appreciate the fundamental values of differences in one another. We...

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Animals & Environment, Community & Social Services, Culture & History, Education & Youth, Faith & Spirituality, Family & Personal Life, Health & Wellness, Location-Specific, Science & Technology, Volunteerism & Community Action

A Celebration of the Community

July 1, 2020

As the middle of the year approaches, Doing Good takes a moment to reflect on this year’s outstanding service-oriented volunteers in the...

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Community & Social Services, Location-Specific, Volunteerism & Community Action

Happy to Serve

April 1, 2020

Written by: Emerson Loundenback When it comes to superpowers, Kaitlyn Jolley doesn’t have just one.  She’s a middle school teacher, an advocate...

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Education & Youth, Health & Wellness, Location-Specific

It’s a small world, after all

January 1, 2020

Yoga proved helpful in Sheila Habacker’s recovery from her bone marrow transplant. After fully recovering, she became certified as a yoga teacher...

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Health & Wellness, Location-Specific

A New Perspective

August 2, 2019

Written by: Katie Christ For Jordan Thomas, volunteering is not something he does on the side, it is a way of life....

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Education & Youth, Health & Wellness, Location-Specific, Volunteerism & Community Action

How Sports Initiate Change

June 2, 2019

June Volunteer of the Month: Jimmy Pitts Jimmy Pitts loves sports almost as much as he loves service. Between coaching basketball and...

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Community & Social Services, Education & Youth, Faith & Spirituality, Health & Wellness, Location-Specific, Volunteerism & Community Action

Love in the Unreached Places

May 3, 2019

Marilin Kelley is spreading love in Nashville. A recent Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) mathematics graduate, Marilin is preparing for graduate school...

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Education & Youth, Family & Personal Life, Location-Specific, Volunteerism & Community Action

A Calm Light for Others

March 3, 2019

Alli Crews is a light in Nashville, Tennessee. She was born in Murfreesboro and adopted at a few weeks old. She was...

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Arts (Visual & Performing), Education & Youth, Location-Specific, Volunteerism & Community Action

Helping Others Feel Loved Through Music Education

February 18, 2019

Maya Angelou once said, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will...

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Health & Wellness, Location-Specific, Media & Innovation, Volunteerism & Community Action

Vet, Teacher, IT Director, and Volunteer

November 5, 2018

Written by: Anna Lopez Tommy Wolosin is Nashville’s Volunteer of the Month. The Director of Technical Sales and Marketing started his volunteer...

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Education & Youth, Health & Wellness, Location-Specific

June Nashville Volunteer of the Month

June 15, 2018

Written by: Meg Provenzale Anna Claire Bowen has been named Nashville’s Volunteer of the Month. Anna Claire owns her own private practice and...

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