SERVING ONE’S community is an essential aspect of being a responsible citizen. It is a way of giving back to the society that has provided them with so much. Community service is a selfless act that benefits the community and the individual performing it. It helps to connect with the community, raise social awareness, and establish contacts and friendships.
Volunteering provides an opportunity to become closer to your community and understand the needs of those you are trying to help. It can broaden your horizons and help improve your skills.
There might not be two better people in Tullahoma who understand the importance of giving back to their community as much as RJ and Sande Hayes do. Braving the rain and the chill on a bustling Thursday evening, the couple is happy to take time out of their busy schedule to talk about the community they love so much.
It’s been a busy day for RJ. Though he is in a later stage of life, he still makes plenty of time to volunteer. He has just come from the town’s beloved South Jackson Civic Center, where he spent a 14-hour day helping to build a much-needed dressing room for the actors who perform regularly at the center.
Covered in a thin layer of sawdust, with small splatters of paint adorning his workwear, it’s plain to see that he’s put in a full day of work. He seems fulfilled, as there is nothing that makes him happier than serving the community he loves so much.
Alongside him is his wife of over six decades, Sande. While not covered in sawdust or paint remnants, she has enjoyed her day of helping in the Tullahoma community. For over 30 years, the couple has worked diligently to help Tullahoma and other communities in the area in numerous ways. From civic clubs and organizations to nonprofits and local schools, the two have created a legacy of service that will last generations.
According to RJ, the United States Air Force brought the couple to Tullahoma in 1978. Both became involved with numerous organizations due to their immediate love for the community. Though the couple felt at home in Tullahoma, RJ was reassigned to Alaska in 1982. The couple would continue to keep Tullahoma in their hearts. Following RJ’s retirement in 1993, he would return to Tullahoma in 1995, with Sande joining him.
“We just loved the community,” said Sande. “As soon as we arrived in Tullahoma, we became involved in causes such as helping to save the South Jackson Civic Center. I was also a Den Mother for the Cub Scouts and helped at Robert E. Lee Elementary. We saw the need for people to help, and we’ve just stayed the course over the years to help in whatever way we can.”
RJ added that the need to help has persisted.
“It’s always been a case of we felt like we had to,” he said.
RJ has shared his time and talents with virtually any organization that asks in Middle Tennessee, including the city and county police, the South Jackson Civic Center, the Hands-On Science Center, the Community Playhouse, the Fraternal Order of Police, the General Federation of Women’s Clubs (GFWC) Tullahoma Woman’s Club, the Greater Tullahoma Chamber of Commerce, and the Boy Scouts of America. The area would not be what it is today without his volunteer efforts.
Sande’s volunteer resume is equally extensive, working alongside and volunteering with the Tullahoma Area Chamber of Commerce, AEDC Woman’s Club, Community Advisory Board, Secretary of Emergency Funding for Coffee County, GFWC Centennial Women’s Club, Tullahoma Sunrise Rotary Club, and serving as the executive director of the United Way of Coffee County.
While just a small sampling of their volunteer efforts, both proudly say that “no” is not in their vocabulary.
Their commitment to help is also evident in their support of each other. Married for over six decades, Sande said that supporting each other has been essential in their service to the community.
“We’ve just always been supportive of what the other was doing. Whatever he wants to do is fine with me, and he’s been the same way with me. We are always there for each other. RJ has given so much to this community,” explains Sande.
RJ echoes Sande’s sentiments with pride for his wife’s service.
“Sande has never said no when asked to do something for her family, church, country, or a worthwhile or needy organization,” he explained.
“She always puts others first. In Tullahoma, as in any place we have lived, she has always contributed to the community by giving time, talent, and money.”
The couple has plans to continue their service in the community and invite people of all ages to lend a hand when and wherever they can. GN
