A Tale of Tragedy and Triumph in Nashville
March 27, 2023 is a day that will forever be etched in the minds of many Nashvillians as devastation shook our community when an active shooter entered The Covenant School and took the lives of six individuals — third graders Evelyn Dieckhaus, William Kinney, Hallie Scruggs, and dedicated staff members Mike Hill, Katherine Koonce, and Cynthia Peak.
Mourner reflects on the lives and legacy of the victims lost in the Covenant tragedy. Photo by John Partipilo.
While nothing could ever fully heal the profound pain of losing loved ones to a senseless act of violence, what unfolded afterward was a remarkable testament to a compassionate community.
Heartbroken residents from both the school’s backyard and around the country offered gifts in support of those grieving such a tremendous loss, To provide a trusted foundation for a community grieving, CFMT responded to the call and established the Caring for Covenant Fund.
More than $2.3 million poured in from across the nation, and an advisory committee was convened to help guide the distribution of funds. Led by Chair Matthew Fleming, the committee included a psychologist, an estate planning attorney, parents, a victim advocate, and the executive director of the National Compassion Fund, to ensure decisions were guided by expertise, empathy, and understanding. This approach not only facilitated the distribution of funds but also created a sense of shared responsibility and community ownership of the healing process.
Two seasons later, tragedy struck Middle Tennessee once more. On December 9, eight tornadoes tore through the Clarksville, Madison, Hendersonville, and Gallatin areas, leaving a trail of devastation and claiming, once again, six lives.
CFMT’s Hal Cato and United Way of Greater Nashville’s (UWGN) Brian Hassett stood side-by-side at Metro Nashville’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM) to strengthen its collaborative approach to disaster response alongside the city. Fundraising dollars were designated to Davidson County and were directed to the Tornado Response Fund at the UWGN.
House demolished in Madison by December 9 tornadoes.
Volunteers deployed through Hands On Nashville, a Nashville organization that meets community needs through service, to assist in debris cleanup following the December 9 tornadoes.
Data gathered by city officials, OEM, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) informed grantmaking to support affected neighborhoods in Madison. The reports were further strengthened because of the trusted relationships built among the Nashville VOAD’s (Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster) membership of forty-plus nonprofit organizations dedicated to the ongoing work of preparing for and responding to Davidson County disasters. Both CFMT and United Way are active members, with CFMT also the fiscal sponsor for the collective work.
Outside of Davidson County, CFMT activated its Tennessee Emergency Response Fund to support recovery efforts within Clarksville and Hendersonville plus parts of Dickson and Cheatham counties. Early funds were distributed to nonprofit and faith-based partners addressing survivors’ needs such as temporary housing, financial assistance, and debris clean-up, the focus of the remaining grantmaking ensured grantee partners were equipped for long-term recovery services such as legal services, mental health and spiritual care, and case and construction management.
