Empowering South Nashville

By Ivan Sanchez& NASHVILLE, TN — Harvest Hands is more than just an organization; it’s a beacon of hope and transformation in South Nashville. Founded on the vision of the late Dr. Howard Olds and led by Rev. Brian Hicks since 2007, Harvest Hands has been dedicated to holistic community development, focusing on education, healthy living, spiritual formation, and economic empowerment. It all began with a simple question: What does the community need? Through conversations with neighbors in South Nashville, Harvest Hands identified a pressing need for after-school programs. In response, they launched a small after-school program in 2008, starting with just 12 students and a handful of volunteers. Since then, their impact has grown exponentially, now serving 100 students daily across various programs. As Nashville underwent rapid redevelopment and gentrification, Harvest Hands made a strategic decision to relocate to Napier-Sudekum in 2016, an area marked by poverty and joblessness. Despite the move, they retained their commitment to the Wedgewood-Houston community, renovating a building to open Humphreys Street Coffee Shop in 2018, their first brick-and-mortar store. Humphreys Street isn’t just a coffee shop; it’s a social enterprise that provides employment and mentorship opportunities for local teens. With 16 teens employed...