Compassion Takes Root in Nashville
“We’ve lost some of that sense of seeing our neighbors and knowing their needs, but we can rebuild it. We just have to look for it.” – David Jackson.
Cora Mathews Horn defied expectations for a woman in 1930s Nashville. Life had already been difficult, but Cora was resilient, humble, and quietly powerful. After being widowed at 25, and with no family to support her, she set out to raise her two children on her own.
One small act of kindness would change the trajectory of her life. A break of fortune led her to rent a room in the home of two local Jewish men, strangers who saw her need and stepped forward. Their generosity allowed her to keep a roof over her children’s heads, and she took in boarders of her own to make ends meet.
When the men later decided to sell the property, Cora faced losing the stability she had built. In a moment of courage, she approached them and asked if they would help fund a down payment so she could buy a home for her family. They agreed. Their gesture became a defining moment of security, dignity, and hope.
The home that provided Cora’s family with stability and courage
“That was a time when people in Nashville took better care of each other. My grandmother wasn’t Jewish, but the men who helped her were,” said her grandson, David Jackson. “They didn’t share faith, but they shared community. They recognized a person in need and they helped her.”
That simple act of generosity gave Cora the confidence to keep going. And decades later, it inspired David and his siblings, his sister, Linda Rainey, and his late brother, Kim Jackson, to honor the spirit of compassion that shaped their family story. Together, they contributed equal shares of their parents’ estate to establish the Cora Mathews Horn Fund for Families at Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee (CFMT).
“She lived modestly but had tremendous will and resolve,” said Jackson. “That’s what gave me the idea of honoring her.”
Neighbors Help Neighbors, Then and Now
Nearly a century after Cora’s turning point, her legacy lives on through partnerships that share her belief in community and being there for each other.
At Nashville Community Connections (NCC), President Jami Oakley runs a vibrant warehouse stocked with clothes, baby strollers, and essentials for families who just need a slight boost to get through tough times.
“Meeting families at a really rough point and helping them get over those humps,” said Oakley. “It’s exactly what we do every day.”
Jackson, who met with Oakley to discuss his grandmother’s legacy, saw Cora’s story reflected in NCC’s work.
“You just need a boost in life here and there. We all do,” said Jackson. “Most of us have the resources to get through those moments, but not everyone does.”
The Angels Among Us
When David Jackson first learned about The Angel Fund, also a fund at CFMT, it immediately reminded him of the men who once helped his grandmother.
“It came at a time when she needed a win. She took a risk, asked for help, and it worked. That gave her confidence to keep marching forward,” said Jackson. “The Angel Fund is emblematic of what helped my grandmother. It’s the community providing the grease to get through that tight spot.”
Therefore, rather than creating something entirely new, David and his siblings chose to strengthen what was already working.
“I came to Ellen Lehman with this idea of wanting to, like my grandmother experienced, just help people over a hump,” said Jackson. “Ellen said, ‘Well, there’s already something. It’s called The Angel Fund.’ So instead of complicating it, we just set up the Cora Mathews Horn Fund for Families to benefit The Angel Fund.”
The Cora Mathews Horn Fund for Families became one of two designated funds to benefit The Angel Fund, providing quick and flexible support to individuals and families facing unexpected hardship.
The Angel Fund partners with trusted community organizations, such as NCC, to identify families in need and meet their specific needs directly.
“When David said, ‘Let’s join forces instead of creating something new,’ that’s how we want to approach everything,” said Oakley. “There are gaps in Nashville … small needs that don’t fit in anyone’s budget. The Angel Fund allows us to fill those gaps.”
This year, Nashville Community Connections was a recipient of The Angel Fund’s support.
Kindness: A Ripple Effect
The connection between Cora Mathews Horn, The Angel Fund, and Nashville Community Connections spans nearly a century, yet all share the same ideal: small acts of kindness can change lives.
“She lived modestly but was always doing little favors for people,” said Jackson. “Even from a small purse, she helped others with school expenses. She just saw a need and filled it.”
At NCC, those “small favors” continue to ripple through the community every day. These are needs that other programs can’t always meet, but they often make the biggest difference.
Oakley recalls stories that echo Cora’s quiet generosity:
“We had a student who’d been living in unstable housing for years. He needed a state ID to apply for college but couldn’t afford the $45 or get to the DMV. Our director sat with him for four hours and got it done. Later, we helped him get dorm supplies and a MacBook. Now he’s a graphic design student doing great.”
“Another family finally got housing after months of instability. My favorite thing to do is order pizza for them on the first night in their new home, because that’s what you’re supposed to do when you move in. Sometimes it’s the small, even ‘frivolous’ things, like pizza, that make people feel normal again.”
Carrying the Legacy Forward
David Jackson describes his grandmother as “larger than life” but also “modest” and “shy.”
“None of my kids knew her, but they know her character, her will and ability to persevere,” he said. “That’s the legacy I’d like to see carried forward. Giving has a great effect on your happiness. It’s a sense of doing the right thing, and that’s priceless.”
When we take care of each other, small acts become something extraordinary. The Cora Mathews Horn Fund for Families and The Angel Fund remind us that generosity doesn’t have to be grand; it just has to be human.
“Just look around and do something,” said Oakley. “Even if it’s small, even if it’s just an hour. It matters. When the world feels like a mess, those little acts keep me from giving up — ordering gloves, talking to moms, removing small barriers. They ripple out.”
You can help continue this legacy of compassion by making a gift to The Angel Fund or designating your support to the Cora Mathews Horn Fund for Families at cfmt.org/give.
