Contributing to the community’s strength and recovery from Hurricane Helene, Tusculum University students spent another day serving others as they demonstrated their commitment to civic engagement.
Tusculum held a second Nettie Fowler McCormick Service Day Friday, Oct. 18, and dedicated it primarily to assisting community organizations. Two of the places served – Trinity United Methodist Church and a former skating rink now being used by Crossroads Cowboy Church – performed work directly related to Hurricane Helene relief.
Students also assisted the Greeneville/Greene County Public Library with its library book sale and Gifts for Kids, a nonprofit organization that provides a brighter Christmas for Greene County children in need. The other project was to clear debris and create new pathways to reopen Tusculum’s nature trail that runs from the Doak House Museum to the Paul E. Hayden Educational Wetland.
“We are thrilled to help the community recover from the devastating effects of the hurricane and improve the quality of life,” said Dr. Scott Hummel, Tusculum’s president. “Tusculum is intricately tied to the community and values the support it receives from our friends and neighbors. With Greene County and other parts of the region needing considerable help, we welcome the opportunity to lend a hand and will continue to remain involved in the recovery process.”
Tusculum held its first Nettie Day of the year Friday, Sept. 27, just as the aftereffects of the hurricane were about to considerably alter life in East Tennessee. Once Greene County lost water service, Tusculum converted to online instruction through Tuesday, Oct. 15, and gave residential students the option to return home during that time. About 25 students remained on campus, and several of them participated in the dissemination of bottled water to community members.
When water service was restored and students began to return, athletic teams, such as men’s basketball, women’s lacrosse and women’s soccer, participated in additional relief events. Tusculum as a whole also quickly scheduled the second Nettie Day for additional members of the Tusculum family to participate in assisting the community.
Natasha Fatkin, a volunteer with the Crossroads Cowboy initiative, said the facility on the Andrew Johnson Highway, is helping coordinate where relief supplies brought to the building later go. Some organizations needing supplies are contacting Crossroads, and Crossroads is also reaching out to churches, fire departments, community centers, nursing homes and health clinics in East Tennessee and Western North Carolina to ask what they need.
Crossroads Cowboy is receiving the requests and volunteer drivers throughout the United States are delivering the items. Tusculum students helped Friday with sorting items brought to the facility so they can be quickly loaded and distributed. This is the location where the athletic teams assisted prior to Friday.
“What is really meaningful is being able to give back to the community that has given so much to me through Tusculum University,” said Miles Crouse, a sophomore seeking a bachelor’s degree in biology with a pre-medical, dental and veterinary concentration, who volunteered at Crossroads Cowboy. “It was nice because part of my work involved working with horse feed and dog feed, items I am passionate about. I like to volunteer at animal shelters. With Nettie Day, we are able to give back with items that interest me.
“It’s so important because at the end of the day, Jesus said, ‘Love thy neighbor.’ This is part of that. This is alms giving. This is a different way of worship and helping out one another.”
The story was much the same at Trinity United Methodist on Tusculum Boulevard. Becky Mallory, a church member, who is spearheading the hurricane relief project at the church, said the Trinity United Methodist has served as a hub for donations for East Tennessee and Western North Carolina residents.
Like Crossroads Cowboy, the relief effort has grown considerably at Trinity United Methodist from its beginnings of accepting donations and distributing items from the church. As the level of donations mushroomed, Trinity began placing the donations in its warehouse. People are able to come to a room next to the fellowship hall and obtain items, and the church restocks it from the warehouse when needed. The church also sends items to other locations as well.
“People have just given us so much,” Mallory said. “It’s just unbelievable.”
Tusculum students as well as member of the university’s TRIO programs helped sort the items in the fellowship hall and putting them into boxes.
“Helping makes me feel like part of the community,” said Alishia Burrell, a freshman also seeking a degree in biology with a pre-medical, dental and veterinary concentration. “Coming here and being able to participate in a local church I’ve never been to just feels nice. It makes me fulfilled. It is good to do something to help other people.”
Eli England, a freshman biology major who plans to enroll in a physician assistant program after graduation, spent his time at Trinity United Methodist loading and unloading pallets.
“It’s good for everybody to come and work together to help give back after what happened with the hurricane and the flooding,” he said. “It teaches me that everybody needs to give back whenever possible and to be engaged within the community.”
Gifts for Kids launched more than 30 years ago and serves at-risk families in Greene County at Christmas. The organization has since expanded its efforts to provide clothing for families and toiletries in the school systems. Tusculum students and staff from the Bonner Leader Program and the university’s Center for Civic Advancement were present to help Gifts for Kids with a variety of tasks Friday.
Jancie Painter, vice president of the board of directors, said Gifts for Kids provides gifts for children age 2-10. Gifts for Kids takes donations of new and gently used toys, warm apparel, jeans, pajamas, dolls, bicycles and any other items a child can use.
“We accept monetary donations as well, and we need them badly this year because our outreach is exceeding the numbers that we expected,” Painter said.
Previously, families needed to be registered with the Department of Human Services, but Gifts for Kids has removed that qualification to help more families. Painter said that change was made due to need. She said some families do not go to DHS because they think someone else deserves the assistance more than they do.
Nettie Day is one of Tusculum’s most treasured traditions and is held annually in memory of Nettie Fowler McCormick, one of the university’s earliest benefactors.
“This was an excellent day of follow-up service to our first Nettie Day and reinforced our relationship with the community,” said Dr. Shelby Ward, the CCA’s coordinator and an assistant professor of political science. “We are grateful to return to some locations we have served in the past and to partner with new ones. As the recovery from Hurricane Helene continues, a lot of work remains, and we are thankful to assist. Participating in another round of Nettie Day amplifies for our students the value of community service as part of their development as career-ready professionals.”
More information about the university is available at www.tusculum.edu.
