Zarita Fears has been a motivated volunteer since she was a child, helping supply local homeless shelters and tutoring other children. Just as her mother instilled in her the value of “small acts of kindness,” Zarita has raised her daughter amidst service work. Regardless of their personal circumstances, Zarita always made a point to serve others. “The good we do always comes back to us,” she says.
Zarita has been lucky, as she put it, to turn her passion into her career. She currently works as a Diversity and Inclusion Specialist for the Employee Resource Groups (ERG) at Asurion and serves as a board member of the local chapter for the Lupus Foundation of America. In addition, Zarita has served the Nashville community in numerous volunteer roles helping where needed. Organizations she has volunteered for include Prevent Child Abuse Tennessee, KaBOOM!, Nashville Rescue Mission, Teach for America, Hands On Nashville, YWCA Nashville & Middle Tennessee, Oasis Center, Operation Homefront, Operation Stand Down Tennessee, KIPP: Nashville schools, PENCIL, and more including Compassion Forward, the community grant making arm of Asurion.
Zarita finds joy in her service and has noticed the impact it has on her life. She is often reminded of the work she has done, including when she feels down or something is going wrong. One example is a co-worker who is aware of her work makes an appreciative remark or another example is when she runs into a person she has helped along the way. “Even if no one remembers my name,” she says, “the differences I have made will affect generations to come.”
Multiple generations are being impacted by multiple generations of her family – her mother, Zarita, and potentially Zarita’s daughter. Through small acts of service, her family multiplies its impact on our community by volunteering through local, established nonprofits. This service is celebrated by Doing Good, a local 501c3 nonprofit which celebrates those who do good. For more information or to nominate someone for Nashville’s Volunteer of the Month, visit DoingGood.tv.
Emerson Loudenbach
