By Ashley Benkarski
NASHVILLE, TN — Nonprofits FiftyForward and Creative Girls Rock® have joined together to launch a public fundraising campaign in support of a new resource hub for North Nashville’s Bordeaux community, the Bordeaux Collaborative.
The public announcement and an unveiling of the artist rendition of the building will take place at FiftyForward Bordeaux on Thursday, Oct. 26 at 10 am. Former Senator Brenda Gilmore and Jamie Isabel, campaign co-chairs, will offer remarks. The Mayor’s Office, Councilwoman Kyonzte Toombs and others are also expected to attend.
According to the press release the idea took root in 2019 after the nonprofits conducted community needs assessments that found residents of all ages needed better connections to intergenerational resources and programs, including vaccines and community gathering spaces.
The 9,000-square foot center was designed by architect Moody Nolan and will serve to connect Bordeaux residents with much-needed resources by “empowering the community through creative partnerships,” said Charmin Bates, founder and CEO of Creative Girls Rock. Construction is planned for Spring of 2024 and will be led by Solomon Builders.
The center has been “designed to connect community members to provide resources, programming and shared space for nonprofits and city agencies to serve the needs of vulnerable populations and their families,” a press release for the campaign stated.
It will house anchor nonprofits FiftyForward Senior Center and Creative Girls Rock®, in addition to state and Metro government support agencies “to conduct classes or seminars, recruit volunteers or enroll participants in programs.”
Other eligible nonprofits may share the flexible space as needed.
“The Bordeaux community has fewer resources and historically received less investment than other Nashville neighborhoods despite the community’s rich history and culture,” said Sallie Hussey, CEO, FiftyForward. “We’re on a mission to change that perception and provide much needed services to support the entire community from young girls to older adults. We need the community to demonstrate their support for this center and make a donation today to help fund it.”
The campaign seeks to raise $700,000 of the $6 million cost to assist in the construction of the site which will be located at the FiftyForward Bordeaux location on 3315 John Mallette Drive.
The goal will help close the gap between the total price tag and $4.5 million that has already been raised through grants by The Frist Foundation, HCA Healthcare Foundation, West End Home Foundation and Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County.
“In all aspects the collaborative makes sense! By working together and sharing space and expenses, we can do more for the populations we serve. Already, we have experienced the phenomenal energy and positivity that is accompanied by these two organizations working together,” the nonprofit heads said in a joint statement. That means more money for programs, classes, and other hands-on experiences that will allow the community to express creativity, learn, and cultivate connectedness.
For example, visitors can take advantage of FiftyForward’s educational classes that span subjects from exercise to art as well as master classes for the “arts and empowerment workshops for young girls and women to explore their emotions, develop self-awareness, cope with stress, anxiety and boost self-esteem,” the CEOs said.
Last year, they added, “Creative Girls Rock and FiftyForward offered color psychology workshops for youth and seniors to learn how color and art can help express your feelings, behavior, moods and emotions. In addition, the seniors were able to learn the fundamentals of creating a mural that will ultimately be displayed in the new Bordeaux facility.”
It’s these kinds of experiences that translate into a more vibrant, thriving Bordeaux that maintains its historic integrity while looking forward to the future.
“Bordeaux Collaborative means community for me. The ability to provide a safe space and resources for all and working together with others to achieve a common goal or task,” Bates said.
“This will be a community space, a hub that will connect everyone to resources and services and hopefully just be a place the community can use to enjoy,” said Hussey.
To make an individual donation community members can visit fiftyforward.org/donate.
For more information on Creative Girls Rock visit creativegirlsrock.org.
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