Today we’d like to introduce you to Chris Barnhill
Hi Chris, 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?
I grew up a preacher’s kid in Texas. Ministry and service to others was a core component of my upbringing. I went to as Bible college in Oklahoma thinking I would follow in my father’s ministry footsteps, and did spend the first several years of my career as a Youth Pastor. From there I segwayed into various parachurch ministries and have been serving as Franktown’s Executive Director for the past nine years.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
No, it has not been a smooth road. Running a nonprofit is vastly different from ministry. Seminary school doesn’t teach you about strategic planning, budgeting, dealing with personnel issues, fundraising, or dealing with strong personalities on a Board of Directors. I went back to school and got a specialized MBA; one that focused on nonprofit management.
When I first came to Franktown there had been some turmoil a few months before, and even though the organization had started in 2005, it felt more like a startup. We spent the first year recruiting Board members, developing collateral material, doing a strategic plan, creating a web page… The work we did was “all hands on deck” boots on the ground – if the bus needed gas, or a mailer needed to be stuffed and stamped, we all pitched in.
The fundraising component is always the most difficult – we do great work and change lives, but how do you quantify the growth of a child’s character…or their improved outlook on life…or the restoration of hope in their lives? And even if lives are being changed, if those positive changes don’t directly impact the donor, they won’t know it…unless you tell them. Raising money for a church where the members attend, or for a school where the children of the donor attends is easier than raising funds for a building or for a program that the donor doesn’t necessarily see. We must communicate the results well in order to make them want to donate again.
As you know, we’re big fans of FrankTown Open Hearts. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Franktown Open Hearts mission: ‘We bring hope to Williamson County’s inner-city youth by giving them the educational and vocational tools necessary to positively impact their lives’. FTOH is a faith-based organization dedicated to assisting the disadvantaged, underserved children in Franklin, by giving them the same resources, opportunities and encouragement as more affluent children receive.
Our History: Founded in 2005, Franktown Open Hearts was originally established to serve children in the inner-city communities of Franklin, TN. Because Franklin and Williamson County are recognized as one of the most affluent areas in the state of Tennessee, most people don’t even realize public housing developments exist in this area. This results in the residents, and particularly the youth, being underserved with regards to social and academic resources.
What We Do: We provide a nutritious meal, educational programming and character-building activities to school-age children weekday afternoons/evenings during the school year; weekdays during the summer months; along with vocational training and experiences on Saturdays throughout the year.
Educational Programming includes: tutoring, STEM class, Robotics, a Reading Program, computer classes, business/finance class, leadership development, public speaking.
Vocational Programming includes: automotive repair, woodworking, art, welding, culinary, recreation, hunting/fishing, and sewing.
Franktown serves approximately 170 school-age children, living in government subsidized or low-income housing. 100% of the children we serve live below the poverty line, with the average annual income being $12,563. Twenty-six of our families make less than $10,000 a year. 99% of the children we serve in a single parent home; and 47% do not live with either parent (being raised by an older sibling, and aunt, or a grandmother) – all are minorities. Many of the adults in the community have graduated high school; almost 50% are unemployed.
Impacts: After several years of service to these youth, the successes of Franktown have made a strong positive impact on these communities. Seventy-nine teens have become Christians since 2020; most have improved their grades in school; 100% of our graduates ‘launched’ (attending college, enrolled in trade school or an apprenticeship, or gained immediate employment); and 100% of our parents would recommend Franktown to others. *In 2022, Bill Lee awarded Franktown the ‘Governor’s Award of Excellence’ for exceptional service to the community and State.
What does success mean to you?
This is the first ministry that I have led where I am blessed to actually see the impact we are making; and I get to see it right away. Exposing these kids to culture and the arts… exposing and training them in the trades… showing them that they CAN learn skills and have a fulfilling career… seeing their confidence and self-esteem grow… teaching them a work ethic. It is truly rewarding to witness them develop and change right before my eyes.
When I see a lightbulb go off in the face a child after they master a new skill, and the confidence that comes when a student realizes they ARE smart, and CAN learn new and exciting skills. They begin to see all the options that are open to them IF they learn a work ethic and IF they apply themselves. The connection is made between “work’ and ‘reward’.
For Franktown, success if defined by students that graduate and break the cycle of generational poverty; graduates that become successful in their chosen career paths and come back to volunteer at FrankTown, and teach other how to do the same thing. Success is a 100% graduation rate; teen pregnancies that are avoided; by crimes that aren’t committed; by producing Christian adult leaders in the community.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://FranktownOpenHearts.com
- Instagram: franktownopenhearts
- Facebook: franktownopenhearts
- Youtube: franktownopenhearts
