Get Involved, Franklin!
written by Caroline Graham
I have always been taught that giving is better than receiving. And while when I was a child this concept seemed completely ridiculous, I now look back on the 22 years of my life and begin to understand, as my favorite and most rewarding memories are the ones in which I was reaching outside myself and experiencing the world through giving. But while mission trips around the globe to places as exotic as Ethiopia and Belize truly provided incredible experiences, I am beginning to learn that I do not have to travel nearly that far to make a difference. As a recent college graduate with limited resources, I have been seeking a way to get involved here, in my own community, by giving back the resources I do have to give to support organizations I am passionate about.
Thus was born the idea for the Involvement Guide. As I began working with FranklinIs and learning about the site and its capabilities, I began to brainstorm, and the Involvement Guide was the result. My vision is to create a site where locals can come and find a list of locally-based nonprofits and philanthropic organizations, seeking out where they can get involved and incorporate their own interest and passions, whether you love kids, pets, history, people, etc. If your heart lies overseas and yet you find yourself unable to travel, learn about how to get involved in locally-based organizations that do work in places around the globe. Or, if you love the greater Nashville community, learn about all the fantastic organizations that give right here at home. And, as so many of us are limited on resources right now, learn how to give of the resources we do have, whether it is time, finances, a pickup truck for moving, goods, etc. My dream is for the Involvement Guide to be just what it says: a guide for locals to learn where and how to get involved in this great community we all call home. So check the guide frequently for updates, spread the word, and spread the love.
