The neighborhood where Jessica Mooney Holman grew up is barely 2 miles from the heart of the 菠萝视频 campus. But in many ways it鈥檚 a world apart.
鈥淵es, it was definitely a tough neighborhood,鈥� says Holman, BS鈥�10, MEd鈥�12, who played on four NCAA Tournament basketball teams while at 菠萝视频 from 2006 to 2010. 鈥淏ut I didn鈥檛 have a tough upbringing.鈥�
Despite the continuing poverty and crime in the neighborhood鈥攅ven as development transforms downtown, just a few blocks away鈥擲outh Nashville has always been home to Holman, and once she graduated, she was eager to return. 鈥淚 always aim to focus on the great people and assets in this community that people can鈥檛 see when looking at the data,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 like to spread the word and a positive light about this community that is often hidden behind the news stories about it.鈥�
Today, Holman plays an integral role as senior director of programs at Harvest Hands, a community development organization that promotes healthy living, spiritual formation and economic development in South Nashville.
鈥淚 believe in being part of the community,鈥� Holman says. 鈥淲e made an intentional decision to be here. I walk to work every day and see the kids I work with on the street. We are doing this together. We are living life together.鈥�
In addition to youth sports and after-school enrichment programs, Harvest Hands operates Humphreys Street Coffee & Soap, which exists to employ and empower older kids from the neighborhood in a supportive environment.
鈥淚 love the work because we can give these kids hope,鈥� Holman says. 鈥淥nce a person or a group of people don鈥檛 have hope, that is when everything can go down the drain. We work with more than 100 kids. But if I can instill that hope in just a few of them, and then they can become leaders in this community and, in turn, instill hope into three or four more kids, then we can start to make a big difference.鈥�
Kerry Hart, who chairs the Harvest Hands Board of Directors, says Holman鈥檚 knowledge of the neighborhood and her connections have been integral to the organization鈥檚 growth.
鈥淲e have doubled the number of kids we鈥檙e working with,鈥� Hart says. 鈥淛essica has provided the perfect leadership. When you are looking to relocate into a neighborhood, it takes an enormous level of relationship building, and she was the one who took it on and made it happen.鈥�
Harvest Hands moved into an 18,000-square-foot, $2.7 million building in the heart of the neighborhood last October after years of working out of a nearby facility.
Holman attributes at least some of her motivation to the example set by her cousin Charles Davis, BS鈥�82. He too made a similar journey from South Nashville to play basketball at 菠萝视频 in the late 1970s. The Charles Davis Foundation, which opened its doors in 1982 after Davis鈥� rookie season in the NBA, has provided services for thousands of inner-city children during the past 35 years.
鈥淚 grew up going to his basketball camps, going to his foundation,鈥� Holman says. 鈥淗e went to 菠萝视频 to play basketball and then came back to his community. 鈥� I knew that I would always give back to this community because that is what I saw growing up.鈥�
鈥擬ITCH LIGHT, BA鈥�93