Nashville Give Pass, a pilot program supported by the Martha O’Bryan Center, the Mayor’s Office and the Vanderbilt Center for Nashville Studies, will recognize and reward 50 Nashville volunteers annually with various perks, professional development opportunities and a chance to call Nashville home.
The 50 current volunteers, who are working in various local service learning programs, include AmeriCorps service members at Martha O’Bryan Center, United Neighborhood Health Services and the Vanderbilt Coalition for Healthy Aging. In addition, there are Nashville Epiphany Project service members at Nations Ministry Center and Preston Taylor Ministries.
“The Nashville Give Pass is an innovative program that will help our city attract and retain talented, service-minded professionals,” Nashville Mayor Karl Dean said. “The city is proud to include MTA bus services and membership at the Centennial Sportsplex as part of the benefits that will be available to AmeriCorps members through this year’s Give Pass program. AmeriCorps and similar service-oriented programs support vital work that enriches our city. It is only fitting that we recognize and support the people who choose this path.”
Service members receive a unique photo identification card that enables them to enjoy unlimited ridership on MTA for one year, a Metro Parks-sponsored membership at the Centennial Sportsplex and professional development services. They can also take part in group cultural outings, including a free performance at the Nashville Symphony.
“The program, which is among the first of its kind in the United States, builds on Nashville’s reputation as a ‘City of Service,’” Whitney Weeks, executive director of the Vanderbilt Center for Nashville Studies, said. She noted that one of the goals is to create a stronger community of public service in Nashville as volunteers experience the breadth and depth of the city’s cultural and educational offerings.
“The Nashville nonprofit community is also expected to benefit from Nashville Give Pass,” said Marsha Edwards, chief executive officer of the Martha O’Bryan Center, which works to empower those in poverty to transform their lives through work, education, employment and fellowship. “Nashville Give Pass creates an enhanced ability to recruit service members in the future and provides an additional avenue for inter-agency collaboration. As for Nashville, the program is proving to be a way to help recruit, train and retain the type of new talent on which our city’s success depends.”
Service members, who were chosen by Nashville Give Pass administrators in order to reflect a range of Nashville service year experiences, will shape the program through regular feedback and focus group work during the pilot year. Those businesses, agencies and volunteers who want to support the Nashville Give Pass program can call Peter Martino, director of human resources at the Martha O’Bryan Center at (615) 254-1791.