Community Service

December 2005

Young Dems Brighten the Holidays with Salvation Army Angel Tree Program

During the holidays, the DCYDs volunteer with the Salvation Army Angel Tree program (link: http://www.salarmy-nashville.org/angelTree.html) to hand out presents to under-privileged families in Middle Tennessee. In 2005, the all-day event gave us a chance to help families enjoy a better holiday season. Most of the presents consisted of toys for children, clothes and other necessary items such as strollers and car seats. We had a great turnout at the Angel Tree distribution center; over 27 Young Democrats came out to volunteer.

November 2005

Monthly Social Benefiting Oasis Center’s Street Outreach Team

With winter in full swing, the Oasis Center (link: www.oasiscenter.org) Street Outreach Team desperately needed to stock cold-weather clothing items for the homeless youth they work with, such as hats, gloves, scarves, winter jackets and new socks and underwear. The Street Outreach Team works day and night to bring homeless teens off the street and into the Oasis Emergency Shelter. The DCYDs decided to help out by collecting gently used clothing donations and money for new socks and underwear at our monthly social. Dan McGuinness Pub offered $1-off a pint for anyone who brought a donation in tow. We had a record turnout, thanks in part to our friends with Drinking Liberally (link: www.drinkingliberally.org) who decided to put the word out to their followers in order to help Oasis Center meet their need.

May 2005

American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life

The DCYDs were fortunate enough to volunteer with the American Cancer Society (link: www.cancer.org) for their Relay for Life event. This overnight event, which includes a walk, entertainment and other activities, helps support ACS research, education, advocacy and patient services programs. Relay for Life is an opportunity for communities to remember loved ones lost to cancer and encourage those fighting cancer. The DCYDs partnered with various community volunteers to help the Cancer Society with miscellaneous event details and set-up. We spent the day with other volunteers putting tents up and making Luminaries containing the names of those that have fought, or are fighting, cancer.

Building Bright Futures with Habitat for Humanity

DCYD members contributed their time and skills to a very worthy cause – Nashville Area Habitat for Humanity (link: http://www.habitatnashville.org/) – while having fun and making new friends in the process. Thanks to the genius and compassion of President Jimmy Carter, Habitat for Humanity continues to provide affordable, volunteer-built housing to the less fortunate in communities across America. Our group had numerous responsibilities for our day of volunteering, including: interior and exterior painting, shelf building, and clearing and leveling yard soil in preparation for seeding. We thank the First Presbyterian Church on Franklin Road, for allowing us to join their work site and providing us with food and beverages throughout the day. Although it was a long and tiring day, the reward was far greater than the effort. DCYD left its marks on the future home of a deserving family!

April 2005

Young Democrats Help Nashville Take On Multiple Sclerosis

The sun had just begun to peak over the hills to the east, and the DCYDs were already busy at work. In April of 2005, we turned out to Percy Warner Park to lend a hand in the Mid South MS Society's (link: http://www.nationalmssociety.org/TNS/home/) annual walk/run. The event is one of the society's biggest fundraisers, drawing hundreds of walkers and runners. The Young Dems spent the morning preparing for the crowd –helping with everything from blowing up balloons for trail markers, to hanging signs and marking recycling bins. Once the event started, we passed out water, fruit and ice to the participants as they climbed the steep hills of the park.

March 2005

Preserving the Duck River Watershed: Young Dems Get Their Hands Dirty

In March of 2005, the DCYDs joined the Harpeth River Watershed Association (link: http://www.harpethriver.org/) to contribute to their preservation efforts for the Duck River Watershed, planting 250 trees along the stream bank. After a day of fun with friends and little hard work, DCYD Members walked away knowing that one afternoon would have an impact on our local environment for many years to come. The Duck River Watershed covers 2,821 square miles (8% of Tennessee’s total land area) and contains more than 4,000 stream miles. Dating back to its formation during the Ice Age, the Duck River is one of the richest rivers in North America – home to over 150 different fish species, and supplies water and vegetation to an endless number of animals. The Duck River has played an integral role in the development of the agricultural communities that helped to establish Middle Tennessee as a viable place to live.