Parthenon Publishing

Nashville is blessed with hundreds of non-profit organizations doing great work in our community. When choosing five to follow, we gravitated to those that have a specific focus, support a very worthy cause and form a real connection with the people they serve and the supporters that make their work possible.

Here are five we think are worth your attention (and your support):

• Thistle Farms is a non-profit business operated by the women of Magdalene, a residential community founded in 1997 to serve women with a history of prostitution and drug addiction. The women of Thistle Farms create natural bath and body products by hand and all proceeds go to the program.
  Follow Thistle Farms on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
• Hands On Nashville (HON) is one of the largest volunteer resource centers of its kind in the world. It facilitates service for 700-plus Middle Tennessee nonprofits, schools, government agencies, faith-based organizations, civic groups and businesses. With more than 300 volunteer opportunities each month at HON.org, Hands On Nashville is a great way for people to get involved in the community by giving what is often their most valuable resource — their time.
  Check out the Hands on Nashville blog, or follow HON on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

  

• Our Kids was founded 25 years ago to provide expert medical evaluations and crisis counseling services in response to concerns of child sexual abuse. While recent headlines seem to portray child abuse as something rare, that fact is that about one in four girls and one in seven boys will experience some form of child sexual abuse by age 18. At Our Kids, 50 percent of the more than 800 children examined are seven years of age and younger. Our Kids offers valuable resources, including a new chart that will help you figure out how to talk to your kid about child abuse. Follow Our Kids on Facebook.
• The Jason Foundation was founded in 1997 after the tragic suicide of Jason Flatt. His father, Clark, wanted to promote awareness of the danger of youth suicide and create educational programs to help prevent this terrible loss of life. Today, the Jason Foundation is one of the nation’s leading clinically based non-profit organizations for the awareness and prevention of youth suicide. It has offices throughout the country and its programs are in use in every state and several foreign countries. Follow the Jason Foundation on Facebook, and Twitter.

• Project 615 is a homeless ministry that makes and sells t-shirts printed by formerly homeless men who receive on-the-job training and self worth as they work in a print shop located in Set Free Church. Proceeds from sales go to feed more than 150 homeless people in downtown Nashville every Wednesday night. You can support the organization – and get a cool shirt – here. Check out the Project 615 blog, or follow them on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

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Nashville is a thriving creative hub of local pride and talented businesses. As marketers by trade and Nashville enthusiasts by choice, Parthenon wants to celebrate organizations employing creative marketing, advertising and social media efforts in our hometown!

This story is the 14th in a series that highlights excellent Facebook pages, Twitter handles, YouTube videos and Pinterest boards that show Nashvillians contribute much more than honky tonks, hot chicken and country music. Check back to see who you should be following in Parthenon’s Socially Savvy 5 to Follow.