The Haynes-Trinity Neighborhood Coalition raised $12,550 from local businesses and the community through their Taste of the District fundraisers and donated the money in support of reading literacy at Haynes Middle school.
Haynes Middle School has received $12,550 that will be used to create a literacy garden for students, thanks to the efforts of the Haynes-Trinity Neighborhood Coalition (HTNC) and local community partners. Coalition President Yolanda Hockett presented the check to school leaders and students during a special event Monday in the school’s Community/Alumni Room.
HTNC has committed to advocating for local priority schools in Nashville’s District 2 and the Whites Creek Cluster.
Those schools include:
Cumberland Elementary
Alex Green Elementary
Haynes Middle School
Whites Creek High School
Metro Nashville Councilwoman Kyonzte Toombs, who represents District 2, was on hand for the event.
“District 2 is a wonderful place to live, and Haynes is a historic and important institution within the Haynes-Trinity neighborhood,” Toombs said. “We have great schools and teachers, but we need funds. So anytime we can come together as a community to support our neighborhood schools to ensure they have the resources they need is a plus for the community.”
Assistant Principal Jawan Davis accepted the gift on behalf of Executive Principal Roderick Webb.
“We can’t say thank you enough for how you have poured into this community. You make this thing go,” Davis said.
ockett said the Haynes-Trinity Neighborhood Coalition wants to support local schools as much as possible and is planning additional events.
“HTNC recognizes that our schools not only need resources distributed through the city’s budget to MNPS, but they need support from its immediate community, too,” Hockett said. “In an effort to assist the Whites Creek Cluster priority schools, we will host multiple fundraisers that we are calling Taste of the District.”
Haynes Middle has decided to use the new resources to encourage literacy by building a reading garden outside the school. The garden should be completed in 2022.
“This is an awesome way to connect the community back to the school, getting back to the nucleus of the school to assist with planning and creating opportunities for children to be as successful as they can be. We recognize after the pandemic that environment is important, so, along with promoting literacy, we want to provide a safe, serene habitat for literacy exploration,” said Literacy Coach Dr. Candra Clariette.
Haynes 8th grader and welcoming committee member Tristian Phillips is a third-generation student whose grandparents’ photos hang in the alumni room. Tristian had this to say about the event: “I’m just thankful and glad that we got this for the kids who aren’t as fluent in reading. They can get the help they need.”
HTNC members are grateful for the community members who contributed to the Haynes fundraiser call, including the following donors: E3 Construction Services; Jack Cawthon of Jack’s Bar-B-Que; Victory Fuels gas station; 4 Lane Auto Salvage; Abernathy Truck Salvage; Sam’s Pizza; Bordeaux North Nashville Chamber of Commerce; Tifinie Capehart, realtor; Sen. Brenda Gilmore; Councilwoman Kyonzte Toombs; Zachary Jenkins; Kenyatta Tidwell; Trinity Hills; Haynes Manor Association; and the Haynes Middle School Alumni Association.
More fundraisers are expected in the future for other priority schools in the Haynes-Trinity district.
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The Haynes-Trinity Neighborhood Coalition is committed to advocating for public schools within the MNPS Whites Creek cluster designated with a Tenn. Department of Education Priority status in need of support and improvement.
Haynes School is historically significant to Nashville as an early elementary school for Black children. It was named for William Haynes, a local African American who made the land available on which the school was built in 1931. With the addition of 9th grade in 1935 to the existing elementary school, it became the only high school in rural Davidson County for African Americans, until the 1962 merger of the city and county governments. The last senior class graduated in 1967 and the junior high school program closed in 1970.
The Haynes-Trinity Neighborhood Coalition is made up of Haynes-Trinity area neighbors, faith-based institutions, and non-profits that serve the community. The Coalition advocates for the preservation of our existing historic Black neighborhoods and actively participates in the revitalization of the Haynes area and West Trinity Lane corridor. They work with all stakeholders including businesses, developers and elected officials to ensure our community remains welcoming, diverse and that everyone has a seat at the table.
Coalition members are Beech Creek Missionary Baptist Church; Bordeaux-North Nashville Community PTA; Bordeaux North Nashville Chamber of Commerce; Born Again Church; Brooklyn Heights; Chateau Valley; Haynes Manor; Haynes Heights; Lock One Park; New Life Program; Resha Heights; Riverside Nashville SDA Church; and Trinity Hills. Our officers are Yolanda Hockett, president; Winnie Forrester, secretary; and Robert Taylor, treasurer. Board members include: Bobby Stockard; Joyce George; Keith Benion; Brian Hockett; Mildred Woods; and Andrea Kinzer.
