Back-to-school season stirs up a mix of emotions for students: the dread of homework, the excitement of reuniting with friends, and the hope of a fresh start. But for some kids, those feelings are a luxury. Before they can consider any of these things, they're wrestling with circumstances that no child should have to face: where their next meal is coming from, whether their worn-out shoes will last the year, or where they'll sleep that night.
That's where Nashville Community Connections steps in.
NCC partners with Metro Nashville Public Schools to ensure children experiencing housing instability have what they need to show up and be ready to learn. Working directly with each family's unique circumstances, the organization connects students with school supplies, clothing, hygiene products, food, transportation, and more. It all began with a single act of generosity: a mom named Jami Oakley, who started a school uniform donation drive at her son's school and sparked something much bigger.
“I had no idea when I started collecting school uniforms at my son's elementary school that we would be here 10 years later and doing so much and having such a big impact in the lives of families,” Jami explains. “I think the sweet and beautiful thing about this story, which is so reflective of how good Nashville is, is that we were only able to rise up and grow as the community responded. We kept growing with school uniforms, then leaned into another need, and people leaned in with us.”
The impact speaks for itself. Over the past decade, NCC has served more than 33,000 students, distributed more than 168,000 articles of clothing, partnered with more than 250 organizations, and grown to offer 10 programs, with roughly 40,000 articles of clothing going out to students each year. On July 14, the organization marked a milestone: ten years of showing up for Nashville's kids. And if Jami's story is any indication, the next ten years are only going to be bigger. At the heart of it all is a simple understanding of what students are really carrying.
“You're out in the world navigating emotions for the first time and navigating people and learning every day, and it's a lot,” Jami says. “I think that's why a lot of our programs and our support resonate with people because everybody's been a student and things were not so easy all the time, and if I didn't have a pair of shoes that fit, that would have maybe sent me over the edge.”
No need is too big or too small for NCC. Through partnerships with organizations like Soles4Souls, which provides brand-new shoes to students in need, NCC can meet kids where they are and then look a little deeper. Something as simple as a pair of shoes can open the door to a much bigger conversation.
“Shoes in particular are a good window in,” she says. “It's a really good entry point into ‘Hey, let's talk about other things. What else is going on? How else can I help you?’ So a lot of these things serve in that way.”
Each of their programs is designed to meet students wherever they are and follow them as far as they need to go. Among the organization's most noteworthy efforts are their partnership with the MNPS’s HERO programs, which include the HERO Family Fund that provides critical flexible funding to meet immediate needs for families. NCC’S newest initiative, Beyond Graduation, extends that support past the high school finish line, helping young people find their footing as they step into the next chapter of life.
“We're so lucky that people trust us,” Jami says. “The families we serve trust us to share their needs with us, and we're able to make a lot of good things happen.”
For more information on how to volunteer, host a drive, or stay up to date with Nashville Community Connections, follow them on social media or visit their website.
@nashvillecommunityconnections
nashvillecommunityconnections.org
"We kept growing with school uniforms, then leaned into another need, and people leaned in with us.”
“We're so lucky that people trust us,” Jami says. “The families we serve trust us to share their needs with us, and we're able to make a lot of good things happen.”