Nashville is a place I’m proud to call home. I believe our community represents some of the kindest and most generous residents anywhere in the country, demonstrating how volunteering and philanthropy go hand in hand.

Still, too many of our neighbors are being left behind despite the focus on volunteering and philanthropy. According to a recent Vanderbilt poll, over 40% of Tennessee families with children are food insecure – a rate that has not improved year over year.

Thousands of Metro Nashville Public School students have experienced homelessness over the past year, and Tennessee continues to rank towards the bottom of the list nationally when it comes to overall health, underscoring the need for additional volunteering and philanthropy.

One of the most critical ways we can improve our communities is by unifying and focusing our efforts across a range of stakeholders – private industry, public sector, individuals, nonprofit organizations, and more. In partnering together, we can collectively do more.

The Interconnectedness of Volunteering and Philanthropy

For more than a century, a key facilitator of this model has been United Way of Greater Nashville. They bring decisionmakers to the table to develop and scale solutions across nine Middle Tennessee counties that can affect lasting change as it relates to poverty, childhood development, health and housing, merging volunteering and philanthropy for impact.

This November marked Bridgestone’s annual United Way campaign, which has now donated more than $15 million to United Way of Greater Nashville since 2015. This year alone, we raised more than $2.4 million through our teammate giving drive, Bridgestone Americas Trust Fund grants, and our annual charitable golf tournament.

But corporate philanthropy needs to be about more than fundraising. It’s not realistic to believe all of us will always be in a position to donate money to a worthy cause. Creating space to donate our time and engage directly with our communities is just as critical for making a difference that we can tangibly see – and feel.

Studies consistently show that volunteerism provides benefits related to mental health, physical health, and even career growth. Volunteering also provides an important opportunity for individuals to find commonality and support a shared, human desire: to help our neighbors when they need it most.

Read the full article about volunteering and philanthropy by Wade Munday at The Tennesseean.