When Lynn, from Upstate New York, purchased a vacation home in Nashville back in 2008, she had no idea how much she and her husband would come to love this city and eventually move here full-time.
“We live in Germantown, and over the years, I noticed there was a facility to help homeless women and children in my neighborhood. I often considered volunteering there, but it didn’t come to fruition until we moved here permanently in 2019,” shared Lynn Freshman. “Having been in Rotary Club in New York, I decided to join a local club in Nashville. That’s where I met a fellow Rotarian who was already volunteering at Nashville Rescue Mission as a tutor. He invited me along for a tutoring session, and I was immediately hooked.”
As a retired teacher, Lynn was a perfect fit to serve as a tutor to women in the Mission’s Life Recovery Program seeking to prepare for and take the HiSET exam. This educational component of the Mission’s program is specific to those who either dropped out of school or, for some reason, did not receive a high school diploma.
“I consider it an honor to help these women advance in their education,” shared Lynn. “I’m excited knowing that this could open up more job opportunities for them, and it has the potential to make a better life and future for them and their families.”
“I love volunteering,” said Lynn. “I love living in Nashville. There are lots of fun things to do here, but honestly, nothing feels as worthwhile as this. It’s something I love, and it fills a big hole.”
Since November 2019, Lynn has been volunteering three days a week to help women prepare to take the Language Arts portion of the HiSET exam. Even if it’s not her day to tutor, she still shows up. “I was a little rusty after being out of the classroom for a while, but I’ve learned so much from the other tutors.”
Lynn says she feels so blessed to come from a family that provided her and her siblings with an education. “I feel like a good education is something everyone deserves. I’m happy to help women who may not have had the same opportunities as me. In many cases, they’ve encountered situations and issues that prevented them from pursuing a high school diploma.”
One story that stands out for Lynn was a young woman whose mother had told her that she was stupid her entire life.
“You could tell no one had ever encouraged her. She had no confidence and very low self-esteem. Over time it was amazing to see her progress. You could see her confidence growing and her self-esteem improving with each session. Those things were worth way more than anything she could have learned in a book.”
“I consider it an honor to help these women advance in their education,” shared Lynn. “I’m excited knowing that this could open up more job opportunities for them, and it has the potential to make a better life and future for them and their families.”
