Volunteer Impact Newsletter October 2022

Happy Fall!

Welcome to the third quarter Volunteer Impact Report of 2022. We are excited about the great things happening in the volunteer program, and for your wonderful contributions of time and effort. Last quarter we welcomed 209 new volunteers in the volunteer portal! We had 284 active volunteers who contributed 4,010 hours of volunteer service to GNRC opportunities!

Thank you for participating in volunteer opportunities with GNRC. Your investment is crucial to making Middle Tennessee the place to be! Below are highlights of recent events, volunteer activities and impact. 

GNRC Annual Luncheon

GNRC held its Annual Luncheon in September at Geodis Park, the home of Nashville's Soccer Team. It was lovely to convene not only the full Regional Council body but also community partners and friends. We celebrated the accomplishments in the last fiscal year, were inspired by a keynote from Bill Dodge, honored annual award recipients for their commitment to improving the lives of Middle Tennesseans. At the conclusion of the luncheon Geodis Park Tours were offered (see some pics from behind the scenes below). The luncheon also included swearing in of GNRC's new officers. Congratulations to Dickson County Mayor Bob Rial for being elected the new chair of the Regional Council. He is joined by City of Clarksville Mayor Joe Pitts as vice chair and Cheatham County Mayor Kerry McCarver as treasurer for the 2023 fiscal year. I encourage you to check out GNRC's Annual Report at www.gnrc.org/annualreport for more details on last year's impact.

Thank you to Cindy Weidmann for capturing the event in pictures for us!

Letter Campaign

While COVID-19 might not be as prevalent in our everyday lives as it was in 2020 when we started the Letter Campaign, the impact of your letters is still as meaningful. Loneliness is still something many live with and your letters bring joy and encouragement, brightening their days. Thank you for your continued support in making letters to seniors a reality! Over the summer you have sent 3,486 letters to seniors and disabled individuals in nursing homes and assisted living facilities across Middle Tennessee. This puts us at a grand total of 54,410 letters since the start of the campaign in April 2020. Thank you!

Volunteer Training Conference

In September, a group from GNRC's Medicare Counseling Team participated in the Statewide Volunteer Conference for Medicare Counseling Volunteers at Fall Creek Falls State Park in Spencer, TN. We learned a lot, planned strategies for the Annual Open Enrollment Period for Medicare Drug and Advantage Plans, shared ideas with other volunteers and program managers across Tennessee, laughed, made new friends and enjoyed the beautiful state park before and after the conference. It was lovely to spend time together! 

In the last quarter Medicare Counseling Volunteers have spent 2,249 hours counseling 1,411 clients, completing administrative tasks and attending events to share about the program and raise awareness. 

Friendly Visitors with the Guardianship Program 

Our Friendly Visitors for GNRC's Guardianship for the Elderly program have been busy over the past three month, making 50 visits to clients in nursing homes, and assisted living facilities and group homes. They have provided companionship, championing for each clients' needs by being proactive in communicating with GNRC's Conservators about any issues they may be experiencing. A total of 69.4 hours were spent volunteering for this program.

GNRC Office Move

GNRC's office in Downtown Nashville was successfully completed at the end of September. Thank you to the volunteers who helped us get there! We are grateful for your continued support at our Metro Center office with scanning, filing, shredding and moving files into boxes. These important preparations for the second part of the office move in December 2022 are crucial in making it a smooth transition that doesn't take too much time away from serving our clients. Thank you to the 11 volunteers (you know who you are) for spending 64.25 hours helping GNRC get ready for the move.

As always, thank you for taking the time to review how GNRC volunteers have made an impact this last Quarter. We're so grateful that you have chosen to spend your valuable time with us!