Check Out Volunteer Network’s Story

Today, we’d like to introduce you to Volunteer Network.

Hello, Volunteer Network, I’m so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
The idea for the Volunteer Network began back in 2020. In March 2020, the Wilson County community experienced significant damage to homes, schools, and businesses. In the days following the tornado, there was a mobilization effort with over 4,000 volunteers who registered through a portal established by the Mount Juliet Police Department. Community leaders and groups from across the county worked together to coordinate a weekend of recovery efforts. Regina Girten and Jamie Tyner, both serving as outreach directors within their churches, met as they assisted in organizing these efforts.

Following this weekend, several community leaders and groups continued to gather to learn about best practices in long-term recovery through the United Methodist Committee on Relief and the Salvation Army. Initially, these efforts were occurring in both Lebanon and Mount Juliet. Under the direction of the Wilson County Mayor’s office, these two groups merged together into one. Recover Wilson served as the Long Term Recovery Group for Wilson County for the Tornado of 2020, Flood of 2021, and Tornado of 2022.

As these efforts continued to settle, Regina and Jamie began meeting to discuss their work in serving Wilson County. As they talked about the community partners their churches supported, they realized they were duplicating some efforts. This led to them reaching out to other churches and nonprofits serving the community to begin meeting to strategize together on creating a more holistic and equitable change within our community. The idea of the Volunteer Network was born from some of the initial meetings. As an initiative of United Way of Greater Nashville, the Volunteer Network has developed an online system for community members to connect with volunteer needs posted by local nonprofits, businesses, and churches.

It is the Volunteer Network’s hope to create a landing pad where community members know they can come to serve their community in ongoing needs and in times of disaster. We are here to assist in building bridges to connect nonprofits, churches, and businesses with the broader Wilson County Community and to equip our community to best serve our neighbors in need.

Additionally, the Volunteer Network will partner with Wilson Emergency Management Agency and the first responders in the community to provide space for volunteers to give their time in the initial disaster response. It will serve as a facilitator for coordinating long-term recovery groups in times of disaster.

Alright, let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what challenges have you had to overcome?
That is a very loaded question. Our initiative was birthed through long-term recovery efforts following a disaster. Mobilizing community leaders and volunteers to serve together in moments of crisis can be challenging.

Wilson County served together so well. As time goes on after the disaster, it can be harder to get people engaged in preparedness planning. Also, as a start-up, generating ongoing financial giving through grants and individuals can be challenging. But we’ve been incredibly grateful for the people in our community and the foundations who have been willing to invest in our grassroots efforts so far! We wouldn’t be here without them! When you begin something new, you are learning new things literally from moment to moment.

So, we’ve had to digest that learning and then come up with our actions to follow. We feel proud of what we’ve been able to build in the short amount of time we have and we look forward to gaining more knowledge and building more connections in our community to serve together. Growth takes time, and we believe that time will allow us to sustain for the future.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Regina Girten, Executive Director Rev. Regina Girten holds a Bachelor’s degree from Belmont University and a Master’s from Memphis Theological Seminary. Rev. Girten was appointed by the United Methodist Church to Providence Church, where she served from 2018-2022.

Previously, she held church leadership roles in Youth and Children’s Ministry, Missions and Outreach (including a South African child sponsorship program), Volunteer Management, and Unhoused Ministry. Prior to her ministry roles, Regina served as Executive Director and co-founder of Firefleyes, a non-profit organization for the creative arts and sports in Sierra Leone, West Africa. She served as the Co-Chair for Recover Wilson County, the county’s long-term recovery team, serving those affected by the March 3, 2020, tornadoes and the flood in March of 2021.

Additionally, she served on the Board of Grace and Glory, a nonprofit based in Wilson County, TN, that funds a primary school in Haiti from 2019-2022. She is committed to developing the Volunteer Network and creating a network to connect the broad community with the needs of Wilson County. Raised in New Orleans, LA, Regina now lives in Lebanon, TN, with her husband, Jeff, and their two daughters, Evie Mae and Eliza Hope. Regina cares deeply about sustainable and equitable care for all people and building bridges to work together in the community to meet the needs of Wilson County.

Jamie Tyner, Associate Director. Jamie attended Point University and completed her Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education with a Minor in Biblical Studies in 2003. Upon graduation, she landed a position as a 1st-grade teacher at an elementary school in Georgia. While teaching, she completed her Master of Science in Education at Troy University in 2007. After living in Georgia her entire life, Jamie decided that she wanted to explore life outside of her hometown, so she broke the news to her family that she was moving to Nashville.

Jamie became a teacher at a PreK-6 private school in Green Hills and taught there for 11 years. After getting married to Will and adding two children to their family, Walker, and Lindsay, she decided it was time to be home with her kids more, so she quit teaching in May 2019 and took a job as a virtual assistant for the Executive Director of a nonprofit in Ohio. During this time, a position opened up at Cross Point Church’s Mt. Juliet campus, where she became the Local Good Coordinator in December 2019. The tornado of March 2020 fully launched her into this role as she worked closely with Recover Wilson, the county’s long-term recovery group, coordinating volunteers for debris removal.

While in this role from 2019-2022, Jamie developed a deeper passion for creating a bridge for individuals in Wilson County to connect with the needs of our community. She is excited about this opportunity to help bring change to a place that she loves so dearly.

Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
Hands-on Nashville, who initially brought us on as an initiative of their organization. United Way of Greater Nashville, which we now fall under as an initiative of their organization. Our family and friends.

Paul Kevetter, who created our logo, initial website, films, and edits our podcast, sits on our Advisory Board and is an overall support system to both Jamie and myself. Advisory Board Members: Taryn Tarter, Paul Kevetter, Gaye Lynn Wilson, Nikki Jones

The 44 organizations/nonprofits who utilize the platform to post their volunteer opportunities in varying ways. We wouldn’t exist without them! The over 1147 times a volunteer has served through our platform!

The City of Mt. Juliet, MJPD, MJFD, The City of Lebanon, LPD, LFD, WEMA, Mayor Hutto, and the Wilson County Mayor’s Office for their immeasurable support and partnership. The Mt. Juliet Chamber and the Wilson County Lebanon Chamber for their immeasurable support and partnership.

Organizations who have financially supported us: REI, Just Love Coffee Cafe, Cross Point Church, The Listening Room Cafe, Lantern Lane Farm and Counseling Center, UBS, 615 Real Property LP, The Papermill, Band Card, CedarStone Bank, Faith Lutheran Church, Detwiller Foundation, Fred and Jean Allegretti Foundation, Volunteer Center and the Community Foundation of Middle TN and Providence Wine and Spirits.

Contact Info:

• Website: volunteernetworktn.org
• Instagram: instagram.com/volunteernetworktn
• Facebook: Facebook.com/volunteernetworktn

Image Credits
Sara Rose Photography, Jamey Campbell, and Schneck Photography