VOLUNTEER OUT NORTH
As folks from Out North, we aim to wrap our arms around the whole community by providing direct services and mutual aid that directly support our overall mission. Gideon's Army is a staff of 10 dedicated community organizers committed to the liberation of North Nashville and its people. We are small but mighty. With only 10 staff members, volunteers are essential to helping us fulfill our mission.
We love our community. If you love North Nashville and share our commitment to rebuilding the community, dismantling the school to prison pipeline, and ending white supremacy, join us.
Our volunteer team is a multi-racial space. Our community soldiers are on the ground and (especially in the context of the current health crisis) giving time remotely, building relationships and making an impact. If you’re looking to support the work of Gideon’s Army, this is the space for you.
FOR CURRENT VOLUNTEERS
PASSWORD PROTECTED
First step: Attend a volunteer training
We're all about impact. The first step to becoming a community soldier is to attend one of our virtual volunteer trainings. These monthly trainings will cover:
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Identifying your volunteer preferences and projects
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Learning more about the history and mission of Gideon's Army
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Recognizing inherited biases and your positionality
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Understanding the people and the community we serve
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Volunteer training is mandatory for anyone who seeks to work with Gideon's Army on present or future projects. After you have completed our training, you will have access to our job board.
SECOND step: GET ON THE GROUND
(OR VOLUNTEER FROM HOME!)
There are many ways you can get involved in the impactful work Gideon’s Army is doing on-the-ground. Ongoing volunteer opportunities include in-person opportunities (masks required during the Covid-19 pandemic) and remote opportunities that can be done from home.
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IN-PERSON OPPORTUNITIES
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GidsCiti Community Store Assistance
Gideon’s Army offers a free clothing store for community members out north to come and privately shop for clothing and household needs. This space, located in North Nashville on Clarksville Pike, is open on Tuesdays and Saturdays and also serves as the primary hub for Gids staff and volunteers. Assistance is needed sorting donations, helping folks shop for their needs, and organizing the store.
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Food Box Deliveries
Partners of Gideon’s Army often make food and essential items available for distribution to community members. You can help us get these boxes, which include non-perishable food items and other daily essentials, directly into the hands of community members in North Nashville.
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AT HOME OPPORTUNITIES
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Clothing Team
We have a storage unit full of donated clothing. Volunteers are needed to wash and sort the clothing by size and category (dress, pant, shirt, etc.). Keeping track of the clothing and marking if it is new vs gently used. If the clothing is more than gently used, has damage, or if you wouldn’t dress yourself or your child in it you will be asked to discard it. This project can be done without interaction with the general public, and drop-off and pickup can be arranged if desired.
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Mask Team
This team will be working from home to put together healthcare quality masks. The supplies and instructions for bleaching and sewing will be sent to team members. Your team lead will drop the package of supplies off and pick up the completed project.
This project can be done without interaction with the general public.
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Community Member Check-in
This team will build relationships with community members by checking in with the same folks each month to communicate the services we can provide and our upcoming events. This project can be done without interaction with the general public.
DEEPEN YOUR LEARNING
An important part of our commitment to having an impactful volunteer base in North Nashville is ensuring our volunteers are equipped with the knowledge to support our mission in their own communities and out North. We offer our volunteers access to our GidsEd program, a critical social justice program held virtually twice a month to build relationships with our volunteers and learn together. Some of our previous topics have included: “What is Restorative Justice?,” “Dismantling the School-to-Prison Pipeline,” “The Driving While Black Report,” and more.
READY TO JOIN us?
Have a special skill you’d like to contribute to Gideon’s Army, or want to organize a donation drive?
Email Kate at volunteer@onearmyunited.org