Volunteer Network

We connect people in our community
with volunteer opportunities.

We don't do anything alone...we do everything together. The Volunteer Network exists to connect Wilson County residents with volunteer needs so that we can create more efficient and effective change for our community.

Wilson County is growing at a fast rate and with this growth comes an increase in need.

The Volunteer Network believes we create more sustainable and equitable change when we do things together. By serving as the formalized volunteer mobilization space for ongoing needs, and in times of natural disaster, we increase the chance of meeting the holistic needs of our residents.

Our History

Recover Wilson team members

Chairs: Rev. Regina Girten and Michael Moscardelli
Construction: Westminster Home Connection and a subcommittee of contractors and churches willing to provide repairs and rebuilds
Care: Lantern Lane Farm and Counseling Center
Case Management: Tornado Recovery Connection and the TNUMC (which would turn into Disaster Recovery Connection), with a team of fourteen case managers
Funding: Led by Community Foundation of Middle TN, Michael Moscardelli, and a subcommittee of community churches
Communications: Community Foundation of Middle TN
Materials Management: Community Resource Center
Debris Removal: Hands On Nashville provided assessments, Jamie Tyner and Cross Point Church coordinated the jobs
Volunteer Management: Lutheran Disaster Response, Providence Church, Cross Point Church, The Glade Church, and Everyone’s Wilson
Additionally Represented on the Team: Mayor of Wilson County, Representatives from each city's Chamber of Commerce, Representatives from Wilson County Schools, Everyone’s Wilson, Each Help Center in the county, Wilson County Civic League, and pastors from several churches across the county

The history of the Volunteer Network actually began back in 2020. In March 2020, the Wilson County community experienced significant damage to homes, schools, and businesses. In the days following the tornado, there was a mobilization effort with over 4,000 volunteers that registered through a portal established by Mount Juliet Police Department. Community leaders and groups from across the county worked together to coordinate a weekend of recovery efforts. Regina Girten and Jamie Tyner, both serving as outreach directors within their churches, met as they assisted in organizing these efforts.

Following this weekend, several community leaders and groups continued to gather to learn about best practices in long-term recovery through the United Methodist Committee on Relief and the Salvation Army. Initially, these efforts were occurring in both Lebanon and Mount Juliet. Under the direction of the Wilson County Mayor’s office, these two groups merged together into one: Recover Wilson. Recover Wilson served as the Long Term Recovery Group for Wilson County for the Tornado of 2020, Flood of 2021, and Tornado of 2022.

As these efforts continued to settle, Regina and Jamie began meeting to discuss their work in serving Wilson County. As they talked about the community partners their churches supported, they realized they were duplicating some efforts. This led to them reaching out to other churches and nonprofits serving the community to begin meeting to strategize together on creating a more holistic and equitable change within our community. The idea of the Volunteer Network was born from some of the initial meetings. The Volunteer Network has developed an online system for community members to connect with volunteer needs posted by local nonprofits, businesses, and churches.

Today

It is Volunteer Network's hope to create a landing pad where community members know they can come to serve their community in ongoing needs and in times of disaster. We are here to assist in building bridges to connect nonprofits, churches, and businesses with the broader Wilson County Community and to equip our community to best serve our neighbors in need.

Volunteer Network will partner alongside Wilson Emergency Management Agency and the first responders in the community to be the space for volunteers to give their time in initial disaster response and will serve as the facilitating organization to coordinate Long Term Recovery Groups in times of disaster.

To hear more about the beginning of the Volunteer Network, listen to the first episode of our podcast.

Meet the Team

Regina Girten, Executive Director

Rev. Regina Girten holds a Bachelor’s degree from Belmont University and a Master’s from Memphis Theological Seminary. Rev. Girten was appointed by the United Methodist Church to Providence Church where she has served for the last four years. Previously, she held church leadership roles in Youth and Children’s Ministry, Missions and Outreach (including a South African child sponsorship program), Volunteer Management, and Unhoused Ministry. Prior to her ministry roles, Regina served as Executive Director and co-founder of Firefleyes, a non-profit organization for the creative arts and sports in Sierra Leone West Africa. She served as the Co-Chair for Recover Wilson County, the county’s long-term recovery team, serving those affected by the March 3, 2020 tornadoes and the flood in March of 2021. Additionally, she serves on the Board of Grace and Glory, a nonprofit based in Wilson County, TN that funds a primary school in Haiti. She is deeply committed to developing the Volunteer Network and creating a network to connect the broad community with the needs of Wilson County. Raised in New Orleans, LA, Regina now lives in Lebanon, TN with her husband, Jeff, and their two daughters, Evie Mae (7) and Eliza Hope (2). Regina cares deeply about sustainable and equitable care for all people and building bridges to work together in the community to meet the needs of Wilson County.

Jamie Tyner, Associate Director

Jamie attended Point University and completed her Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education with a Minor in Biblical Studies in 2003. Upon graduation, she landed a position as a 1st-grade teacher at an elementary school in Georgia. While teaching, she completed her Master of Science in Education at Troy University in 2007. After living in Georgia her entire life, Jamie decided that she wanted to explore life outside of her hometown so she broke the news to her family that she was moving to Nashville. Jamie became a teacher at a PreK-6 private school in Green Hills and taught there for 11 years. After getting married to Will and adding two children to their family, Walker (7) and Lindsay (3), she decided it was time to be home with her kids more so she quit teaching in May 2019 and took a job as a virtual assistant for the Executive Director of a nonprofit in Ohio. During this time, a position opened up at Cross Point Church’s Mt. Juliet campus and she became the Local Good Coordinator in December 2019. The tornado of March 2020 fully launched her into this role as she worked closely with Recover Wilson, the county’s long-term recovery group, coordinating volunteers for debris removal. While in this role for three years, Jamie developed a deeper passion for creating a bridge for individuals in Wilson County to connect with the needs of our community. She is excited about this opportunity to help bring change to a place that she loves so dearly.

Volunteer

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300 N Maple St, Suite 4-100, Lebanon, TN 37087