Editor’s Note: We are partnering with the Nashville non-profit organization, Doing Good, to profile a volunteer each month who has made a significant impact on our community. Check out their website for more info!
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
“Never believe that a few caring people can’t change the world. For, indeed, that’s all who ever has.”—Margaret Mead
Allison Plattsmier leads a life full of caring for others with the hope of changing the world. When she was sixteen years old, Allison started a life mission to leave a lasting impression on the world. This goal came to mind while Allison was watching a benefit concert on television and thought to herself, “If I died today, what impact would I have made on the world?”
Now, Allison works as the Associate Director of Programs and Development for the Transit Alliance of Middle Tennessee, a nonprofit organization dedicated to building support for funding regional transit. In her job, Allison helps manage operations, internal and external relations, programming, and finances. In this role, she helps her team better educate, empower, and mobilize policy for the Middle Tennessee region. Each week, Allison also tries to volunteer with one organization or event. She primarily volunteers through a website called DoSomething.org. This site allows people to go online to find a wide variety of volunteering opportunities according to one’s passions and availability.
Through DoSomething.org, Allison has found various new ways to help her community and meet the needs of people. By volunteering, Allison also learned valuable work and leadership skills that she applies to her daily job. A big part of volunteering for Allison is meeting new people and getting involved with their lives and passions. Allison said, “I believe in the value of learning from people with a variety of backgrounds and I have gained the ability to work with many different personalities.”
Though Allison works with a multitude of people and organizations, she is most passionate about food security. When Allison was eight years old, she was diagnosed with genetically high cholesterol. As she aged, Allison became more aware of her personal need to make healthy decisions for her body. Because of this, Allison now strives to inform the general public, especially children in lower socioeconomic communities or food deserts, about making healthy choices.
Allison works with a nonprofit and volunteers every week as a way to leave the world a better place. She encourages others to volunteer with a need that motivates them and betters the community. Allison said, “I volunteer because I believe the meaning of life is to make a difference in the lives of others.”
Nashville’s Volunteer of the Month is a program of Doing Good, a 501(c)3, nonprofit organization which educates and inspires people by celebrating the real stories of real people who volunteer. For additional information about Allison, Doing Good, or other volunteers, visit the website www.DoingGood.tv or @DoingGoodTV on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, or YouTube.