Doing Good

Debbie Hartman recently moved cross-country to live closer to her grandchild. Listen to this adventurous matriarch share how and why she uses volunteering to meet new friends and learn about her new community. Her volunteering experiences include the Girl Scouts of the USA , DECA , Home of Guiding Hands , Rady’s Children’s Hospital of San Diego , Kiwanis International , Ronald McDonald House , the...

Bill Crump is a career pilot, veteran, and now a retiree and volunteer. In this podcast episode, Bill shares meaningful and memorable stories from his lifetime of service. He began as a soldier in the United States Navy stationed in San Diego, California, where he volunteered for Wounded Warrior Project and Make-A-Wish Foundation of San Diego to serve children. Today, he continues his brotherhood...

In this installment of the podcast, we’ll talk to Dr. Tom Seals. He is a retired professor, husband, veteran, and, of course, volunteer who lives in Nashville, Tennessee. Although many people take their well-earned rest at the age of eighty-five, he is busy helping veterans find a sense of hope. Dr. Seals served in the Marines when he was young, and he has spent a lot of time since then working wi...

This week we’ll meet Pastor Luis Sura. This Franklin, Tennessee pastor says that he has been volunteering since before he knew what the word meant, and now he does so in an official capacity. While he holds a part-time job as an assistant pastor, he also runs the nonprofit Better Options TN, which was founded in 2016. Better Options TN has several initiatives, including mentoring and ESL classes,...

In this episode of the Doing Good Podcast , we meet Julie Ridenour from Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Julie is a longtime volunteer with multiple organizations, a mother of grown children, and most recently, a puppy raiser for Freedom Service Dogs in Colorado. Raising a future service dog has been a lifelong dream for Julie. About two months ago, she received her puppy, Salem, and will foster her until...

This week, we’re shaking things up by introducing a newcomer to volunteering: Jack Valentino. Jack lives in Nashville, Tennessee, where he attends Belmont University. As a passionate musician, he naturally gravitated towards volunteering by sharing his love for music with others. Just a few months ago, Jack began his volunteer journey with Love Learning Music, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization ded...

In this episode of the Doing Good podcast, we talk with Jill Pratt. She lives in Nashville, Tennessee. Jill is a wife, mom, and the head of The Jiselle Lauren Foundation. This organization provides grants for care not traditionally covered by insurance to families of children with disabilities and aims to “help kiddos with disabilities experience joy.” This cause is very close to Jill’s heart as h...

During today’s episode, the new Doing Good Podcast Co-Host, Emily Green, talks with La Toya Murdock. Originally from California, La Toya is long-time a Franklin, TN resident with a passion for volunteering. La Toya’s Mom sparked her inspiration for giving - to provide young people a good time - almost a temporary escape - “a moment to forget…” certain trials and tribulations in life. Today, La Toy...

In this special episode of the Doing Good podcast, we’ll get to know Emily Green, the new co-host of this podcast. She lives in Nashville, Tennessee, and is the newest member of the Doing Good team. Emily has had an interesting assortment of volunteer roles throughout her life. From helping out at a local retirement home as a teenager, to her time in a service fraternity in college, to finding her...

This week we’ll talk to Brittnie Battle, a resident of Davidson County, Tennessee who has an enormous heart for animals in need. She and her partner have two rescue dogs of their own, and they have opened their home to countless fosters over the last few years, which she says has shaped her as a person. Brittnie also serves as the Director of Outreach for Charlie’s Angels Saving Animals (CASA) Tra...

Meet Tom Ruiz, a resident of Nolensville, TN and a life-long volunteer. He has had several, varied careers, and his volunteer experiences are just as diverse. He says that he has always sought to serve others and “fill a void.” “Don’t hesitate; don’t look for a niche,” Tom says. From serving as an altar boy in his youth, to volunteering as a city councilman in Texas, to his current service at Nole...

In this installment of the Doing Good podcast, we’ll meet Amanda Root. She is a mother, wife, and the founder and executive director of the Middle Tennessee non-profit, Hope’s Bridge. The vision of the organization began in Amanda’s own family when they decided to adopt their two youngest children. Through that process, she felt called to use the knowledge and experience she had gained to help oth...

Meet Toby Swager, an avid volunteer who lives in Goodlettsville, Tennessee. Toby goes above and beyond to live out his motto “be the good.” He volunteers full-time with the local nonprofit Walking with Swager , which he founded in 2016, and still finds time to help out at his church and volunteer with the city of Goodlettsville. Walking with Swager is a multi-faceted organization with several majo...

In the newest episode of the Doing Good podcast, we’ll talk with Jacqueline McDonald. She is a mom, real-estate agent, and passionate volunteer who serves on the board of the Tennessee Action Council. She has a variety of causes dear to her heart—women with unintended pregnancies, children in foster care, underserved veterans—and she rises to the challenge of addressing them all. “Everyone has som...

In this episode of the Doing Good podcast, we’ll meet Ana Laura Sura.  Ana volunteers with Begin Anew and Better Options Tennessee where she helps recent immigrants find their feet in a new country and culture. Having walked this same difficult road decades ago, she now feels driven to make the journey easier for others. Her passion is to serve this community with humility and love.  “When I help...

Bryson McCarley is a father, husband, and business owner in Hendersonville, TN. In this episode, Doing Good celebrates Bryson’s passion of taking care of caretakers throughout his community. He serves to fundraise for many nonprofits by combining his personal passions, business mind, and resources to serve over 17,000 teachers and being “a good neighbor” through work at State Farm. This podcast is...

As a business leader, Tony Bradshaw brings a unique skillset to the nonprofits he serves – Nashville Technology Council , One Gen Away , and Tennessee Christian Chamber of Commerce . Listen to his volunteer experiences to better impact his community as well as what he suggests for others who want to volunteer to similar ways. This podcast is brought to you by Doing Good, a 501c3 nonprofit. www.doi...

In celebration of Black History Month, we would like to highlight a previously featured volunteer, Natalie Bell, and her unique passion that combines her love of history with volunteerism. Natalie is a journalist who discovered her passion through her work. She believes understanding the past is essential to understanding the present. This conversation focuses on her volunteerism in history with a...

After a troublesome divorce, Beverly Powers combined her lifelong passions for horses and volunteering to ease her own recovery as well as others’. Listen to her stories of life, love, passion, values, and personal healing in her episode of the Doing Good podcast. Learn how she volunteers at Freedom Reigns Ranch and its role throughout her self-sustaining journey, including her life coaching busin...

Paul Dougall is a father, widower, and long-time member of the Knights of Columbus . Through it and his work for Nissan North America, he shares experiences volunteering for Second Harvest Food Bank and his local chapter of Habitat for Humanity . He also individually volunteers for Nashville Rescue Mission , Hands on Nashville , and Alzheimer's Association . His stories illustrate how one person c...

Mother and daughter team, Barbara and Lauren Rapaport, have been fighting Type 1 Diabetes since 1979. They volunteer together and individually for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, or JDRF , and even helped found the Washington, D.C. chapter for this international nonprofit. Listen to their stories of living with diabetes, hear its impact on a family, and be moved by the love and respect betw...

Following a major shift in life, Karin Freeland found her passion for supporting and empowering women through her volunteerism. She is an active member and volunteer for The Junior League of Greenville in South Carolina, having worked heavily for its Nearly New Shop and various other local projects. Her experiences since volunteering have helped her learn more about her own community and herself....

Keisha Felton is a wife and mother who works full-time and founded a young nonprofit named Project E3 . It sends low-income children to summer camp to empower them with various new experiences – such as teaching them to swim or build robots. These fun social activities keep the children engaged, help prevent the academic summer slide, and perhaps open doors and imagination for future Olympians, en...

Bart Brammer lives a full life despite his early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. He has made it his mission to educate on and create awareness of the importance of catching Alzheimer’s early. He volunteers in a variety of ways with the Alzheimer’s Association , Alzheimer’s Tennessee , and Vista Points . Listen to his podcast episode to learn, understand, and be inspired. This podcast is brought to you...

I don’t rescue dogs, dogs rescue me,” says Bernice Karnett. Her mission is to help shelter dogs who have suffered from neglect, abuse, and instability find their forever homes, particularly those who are behaviorally challenged. This retired physician volunteers for Metro Nashville Animal Care and Control , Animal Rescue Corps , and Williamson County Animal Shelter . Listen as Bernice shares how s...