The volunteer teared up when recipients stood up, held hands and belted out a beautiful hymn
Good morning, friends! This is Nashville storytelling columnist Brad Schmitt, fresh from a wonderful field trip to the Second Harvest Food Bank. More than a dozen Tennessean reporters, photographers and editors showed up to package dry foods for distribution.
Pro tip: If you do this, don't show up hangry like I did. It's bad form to stare longlingly at food donated for others.
😀 Here is the week's good news:
The beautiful 'thank you' song this longtime volunteer received
Big ups to Nashville singer/songwriter Barry Coggins, who has been volunteering for Meals on Wheels for more than three decades.
Barry, 69, like most volunteers, usually visits with recipients when he brings them food, so he has a ton of stories about them.
My favorite is about the late Ellen Willis, a woman who was blind who had a huge heart and a bigger smile. Ellen also used to sing professionally with her husband years ago, so she and Barry talked about their mutual love for music.
The third time Barry delivered food to Ellen, she was there with her two daughters. After a minute or so, the three of them stood up, held hands and sang a beautiful rendition of the old hymn "Glory to the Lamb." Listen here. (It's amazing.)
Barry teared up at the kindness of the gesture and at the beautiful, old-school gospel harmonies.
“I totally freaked out,” Barry said. “I was so moved. We were awed.”
As if delivering a bazillion meals isn’t enough, Barry also holds an annual fundraiser for Meals on Wheels. Next week, he’ll host a golf tournament, some "Barryoke," and a songwriters night. Get all the details here.
Cooking up some inspiration at McGavock High School
Yeah, sure, Duane "The Rock" Johnson spent a year or so as a student at McGavock High School. But one of McGavock's slightly less famous alums comes back regularly to inspire the kids.
Chef Sterling Wright, a contestant on season 13 of Fox TV cooking competition "Hell's Kitchen," came back again this week to work with the students in culinary classes.
"Chef Sterling motivated student with his inspirational story about making it big," said McGavock administrator Asa V. Bradley. "Chef Sterling's focus is on the next generation of culinary students and hopes to partner with McGavock Culinary this year to show students how far they can go."
I'm glad he does it without all that shouting and swearing from his TV mentor, Gordon Ramsay.
And speaking of 'Hell's Kitchen' − a Murfreesboro contestant is on!
Plenty of national reality show and TV singing competition contestants come from Nashville. But the 'Boro? Not so much.
Chef Alex Belew, who ran Murfreesboro fine dining spot Dallas & Jane for two years (until the pandemic shut him down), will be a "Hell's Kitchen" competitor in the season starting Sept. 29. This season pits old chefs vs. young chefs. (Belew is 41, so you probably can figure out which team he'll be on.)
Belew told me it was the most incredible experience of his life outside the birth of his children. A pressure-packed emotional rollercoaster that left him with a bunch of new friends he talks to every day, even though they finished taping months ago.
And Gordon Ramsay? Welp, Belew has a bit of a man crush.
“He’s speaking British and staring into your eyes with those blue eyes," Belew said, "and I just wanted to touch his hair. It’s so fluffy.”
Tell me something good
Here's my favorite part! I love hearing what good stuff is happening in your world. Please email me at brad@tennessean.com like the readers below did. 😊
Now this is a helluva week
“I learned that my cancer is in remission, and I love the oncology department at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Also, my twins, Tom and Adeline, just celebrated their 14th birthday.”
∎ Richard Courtney, 67, real estate agent, Green Hills
Good luck, Chris!
“I just flew back in from Dallas after an interview for a coaching job for the Texas Legends NBA G league. And it went really well.”
∎ Chris Moses, 31, basketball coach, Clarksville, Tenn., native now living in Bowling Green, Ky.
Thanks, Danielle Breezy!
“I’m taking a staycation this week, and the weather has been perfect!”
∎ Amanda Morrow, 42, occupation clinical supervisor, West Nashville
Thanks for reading The Good News with Brad Schmitt this week! Dig into more feel-good stories below.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Volunteer gets a three-part harmony thank you
