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How to Support Under-Sourced Youth: Mentorship & Programs

by | Jan 12, 2026 | FrankTown Open Hearts, Tutoring | 0 comments

little girl getting tutored at FrankTown Open Hearts

How You Can Make a Difference: 5 Meaningful Ways to Support Under-Sourced Youth

Every young person deserves the chance to thrive — but many face challenges that make success harder to reach. Under-sourced youth often grow up in unstable environments, face academic struggles, or lack access to positive role models and community support. According to Spark Curriculum, these barriers can deeply affect self-esteem, motivation, and future opportunities.

The good news? Anyone — including you — can make a real difference. Below are five meaningful ways to support under-sourced youth, along with examples of how organizations like FrankTown Open Hearts in Franklin, Tennessee, are helping young people build brighter, more hopeful futures.

1. Become a Mentor and Build Meaningful Relationships

Strong, positive relationships are one of the most powerful predictors of success for under-sourced youth. Research from Edutopia shows that consistent, ccaring adult mentorship programs for youth help students develop emotional stability and long-term resilience.

You can start small — volunteer through local schools, churches, or youth programs. Show up consistently, listen actively, and encourage young people to dream big. Even one hour a week can create a ripple effect of confidence and hope.

At FrankTown Open Hearts, mentorship is at the heart of their mission. The organization connects caring adults with teens who need guidance, helping them learn life lessons, build trust, and discover their potential through faith and community.

under-sourced youth in Franklin, TN being tutored

2. Support Education and Life-Skills Development

Many under-sourced youth struggle academically — not because they lack ability, but because they lack access to the right support. A report from Talkspace highlights that individualized attention and hands-on learning are key to helping students overcome barriers and stay engaged.

You can help by:

  • Volunteering to tutor underprivileged youth in subjects like math, reading, or science
  • Teaching practical skills like budgeting, communication, or time management
  • Encouraging participation in extracurricular or vocational programs, including after school programs for teens

Through its hands-on programs, FrankTown Open Hearts teaches valuable skills in STEM, culinary arts, woodworking, and automotive repair. These classes not only prepare youth for future careers but also help them develop confidence, creativity, and purpose.

3. Help Create Safe and Supportive Spaces

A safe, structured environment gives young people the stability they need to thrive. According to Rawhide Youth Services, after-school programs for teens and community centers can dramatically reduce risky behavior and improve mental well-being among teens.

You can make a difference by:

  • Volunteering at after-school or weekend programs.
  • Donating supplies, equipment, or your expertise.
  • Helping local nonprofits provide consistent, reliable spaces for youth.

At FrankTown Open Hearts, volunteers help run after-school activities and community events where students can safely learn, create, and build friendships. Every hour spent helps build a foundation of trust, structure, and belonging.

little girl getting math tutoring in Franklin Tennessee

4. Strengthen Family and Community Connections

Empowering under-sourced youth means strengthening the families and communities around them. Studies cited by Talkspace show that youth are more likely to succeed when their families are supported and engaged in their growth through a family support program.

You can:

  • Participate in family-focused community events and workshops.
  • Connect parents to resources such as tutoring, counseling, or job training.
  • Partner with local nonprofits to create wraparound support for families.

FrankTown Open Hearts embraces this holistic approach by engaging families through mentorship, faith-based activities, and educational programs. You can also find family-centered volunteer opportunities through Hands On Nashville, which supports youth-focused nonprofits across Middle Tennessee.

5. Inspire Hope, Resilience, and Self-Belief

The most transformative gift you can give a young person is hope. Spark Curriculum notes that fostering self-worth and resilience helps youth reframe challenges as opportunities to grow.

Here’s how you can promote that mindset:

  • Celebrate small victories — effort, consistency, and kindness matter.
  • Share stories of individuals who overcame adversity.
  • Encourage youth to visualize a positive future and set meaningful goals.

At FrankTown Open Hearts, this belief drives everything they do. Their programs are built on encouragement, faith, and purpose — reminding every young person that they are valued, capable, and worthy of success.

Take Action Today

Making a difference doesn’t require special skills — just a willing heart and a few hours of your time. You can start by:

  • Exploring volunteer opportunities with FrankTown Open Hearts.
  • Learning more about their mission and values.
  • Supporting their programs through donations or partnerships.
  • Sharing this message to inspire others to get involved.

Each small action adds up to something powerful: a safer, stronger, and more connected community for our youth.

FrankTown Open Hearts kids holding up thank you sign

Be a Part of the Change: Become a Donor

If you believe every young person deserves a chance to reach their full potential, consider becoming a FrankTown Open Hearts donor. Your financial support helps provide life-skills classes, mentorship programs for youth, meals, and safe spaces for under-sourced youth across Franklin and Williamson County.

Every donation — no matter the amount — helps transform lives, offering hope, education, and opportunity to teens who need it most.. Together, we can create lasting change — one heart, one youth, and one act of generosity at a time.

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Chris Barnhill, Executive Director

Chris Barnhill was born and raised in the great state of Texas. He is an avid Dallas Cowboys fan and enjoys playing golf when time allows. He has two grown children and has been married to his wife Jo for 37 years. Chris has been a member of the Fourth Avenue Church of Christ for 21 years, where he currently serves as an Elder. His undergraduate degree was from Oklahoma Christian University, and he served as a youth minister for several years at churches in Kansas City and Atlanta. He earned his MPA degree (in Nonprofit Management) from Tennessee State University, and was the Executive Director of Youth Encouragement Services, and CASA before accepting the position as the Executive Director of FrankTown Open Hearts. Under Chris’ leadership, FrankTown has developed new & more effective ways to generate revenue through diversified and sustainable sources. This includes new donor cultivation, increased monthly donors, new fundraising events, additional foundational support, targeted church appeals, intentionally increasing awareness through media relations, social media, board recruitment and focused programming. Chris is a selfless and hardworking Executive Director whose relentless effort in helping those less fortunate has propelled FrankTown to greater heights. He inspires others to act and has an innate ability to get things done by asking the right questions. He does all of this with the mission of FrankTown in mind. He truly inspires, empowers, and equips FrankTown students, staff, the board, and everyone he meets.

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Janell Fadler, Senior Program Director

Janell Fadler was born in Missouri and moved often during childhood as her father pursued a career with IBM. These early experiences instilled in her a love for exploration and a heart for service. Alongside her family, she has traveled extensively; from Europe and the Amazon to the Himalayas on vacations and mission trips. She is driven by a passion for sharing the gospel and serving others through the Holy Spirit. Janell holds a bachelor’s degree in Private/Commercial Recreation from Missouri State University and a master’s in Christian Education from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. She came to faith in college and became active in CRU, sparking a lifelong passion for student ministry. Since 2001, she has called Franklin, TN, home. Her professional background includes hospitality roles with Hyatt Hotels and ministry positions at Eastside Baptist Church in Georgia and Brentwood Baptist Church in Tennessee. At Lifeway Christian Resources, she served in B&H Publishing, Church Leadership Training & Events, and Retail Marketing. A formative experience in her career was a two-year mission in Russia with the International Mission Board, where she taught English to college students using the Bible. She is currently volunteering in the student ministry at her church, The Church at West Franklin. Most recently, she was Project Management Team Manager for Marketing and Communications at Envision Healthcare. In April 2025, Janell joined FrankTown Open Hearts to continue her calling of serving youth and families in Franklin, now overseeing programming staff, volunteer engagement, and community relationships in support of the mission.

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Amy Dominguez, Finance & Operations Manager

Amy Dominguez grew up in Memphis, Kansas City, and Madison, Tennessee where her parents were involved in church ministry. She played all the sports growing up and in her teen years developed a love of music, intimacy with God, and seeing people come to know the love of Jesus. Amy graduated high school from Goodpasture Christian School and got her bachelor’s degree from Harding University in Spanish Education and Missions. It was there she met her husband Leoncio. They have been married since 2001 and have been involved in various ministries throughout the years. Wellspring Franklin has been their church family for over a decade. Amy speaks fluent Spanish, loves to travel and eat good food from around the world, and makes a mean salsa. She enjoys quiet walks, diving deep into God’s Word, encouraging others, and connecting people. Her greatest joys are her family and cheering on her children in all their sporting and artistic endeavors. Amy’s role with FrankTown serves behind the scenes to keep the organization running smoothly. Her skills with numbers, love for people, and determination to see things run efficiently have advanced FrankTown’s administrative functions and streamlined the effectiveness of operations.

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Amy Dominguez, Finance & Operations Manager

Amy Dominguez grew up in Memphis, Kansas City, and Madison, Tennessee where her parents were involved in church ministry. She played all the sports growing up and in her teen years developed a love of music, intimacy with God, and seeing people come to know the love of Jesus. Amy graduated high school from Goodpasture Christian School and got her bachelor’s degree from Harding University in Spanish Education and Missions. It was there she met her husband Leoncio. They have been married since 2001 and have been involved in various ministries throughout the years. Wellspring Franklin has been their church family for over a decade. Amy speaks fluent Spanish, loves to travel and eat good food from around the world, and makes a mean salsa. She enjoys quiet walks, diving deep into God’s Word, encouraging others, and connecting people. Her greatest joys are her family and cheering on her children in all their sporting and artistic endeavors. Amy’s role with FrankTown serves behind the scenes to keep the organization running smoothly. Her skills with numbers, love for people, and determination to see things run efficiently have advanced FrankTown’s administrative functions and streamlined the effectiveness of operations.

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Nicole McIntyre, Director of Programming Logistics

Nicole McIntyre, Director of Programming Logistics Nicole McIntyre grew up in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas, with stints in three Texas cities, New Orleans, Louisiana, and Orlando, Florida by the time she was thirteen. The variety of people and cultures in those formative years gave her an appreciation for the beauty of God’s creation and people. She has been married to her husband, Nathan, since 2001 and they have two sons. She loves traveling to places she’s read about and will choose a historical city over a beach vacation every time; usually with a crochet project on hand. Nicole graduated from Harding University with a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education. She decided she wanted to be an educator when she was seven years old and began volunteering in children’s ministry when she was fifteen. Since then she has been working with children in some capacity, whether it’s teaching in a variety of classroom settings, tutoring students, teaching Bible classes, leading AWANA, or making bad balloon animals. She is currently leading the Wednesday night children’s programming at 4th Avenue Church, as well as volunteering in the preschool ministry since 2007. Teaching children they are loved, valued, created beings of God is her most important thing. Nicole has been at FrankTown since 2022. She loves finding solutions for problems, usually with a color-coded spreadsheet. As the Director of Programming Logistics, she works to find the best spaces for volunteers, finding engaging opportunities for students, and making sure all of the many pieces of the puzzle work together.

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Raymond Waymon, Director of Programming Operations

Raymond Waymon Jr was born in Los Angeles, California. Raymond has lived in Franklin, Tn for 30 years. Raymond has been married for 19 years and is a member of Limestone Missionary Baptist Church. Raymond graduated from Franklin High School and was a part of multiple sports teams. Raymond played collegiate football at Lambuth University and University of Memphis. Raymond has a Bachelors degree in Business Economics and Administration. Raymond has worked professionally at Vanderbilt Medical Group where he was the satellite clinic office supervisor for several years. Raymond most recently worked at Williamson County Juvenile Court and was the Intensive Probation Supervisor. Raymond is a Leadership Franklin alumni. Raymond has served on several state and national committees in vast capacities. Raymond is the founder of United Front, an event/mentoring sole proprietary business. Raymond has coached young men and women in football and basketball. Raymond last coached as an assistant coach at Spring Hill High school in 2019. Raymond has a deep love for community and the development of tomorrow's future generations. Raymond has received community awards and recognition for his service within the Franklin community. In his free time Raymond loves the outdoors and grilling and spending time with his loved ones. Raymond is committed to living a life of service and believes it's vital to be a part of the solutions not the gossip.

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Karen Brockington, Senior Programming Assistant

Elder Karen Brockington was born and raised in the inner city of Baltimore, Maryland. She attends Aspen Grove Christian Center in Cool Springs TN. Karen has a passion for sowing into the lives of young people and has served as a mentor for over 20 years. Having survived childhood abuse in various forms, Karen knows God has taught her not only how to teach young people how to navigate through their own challenges, but also how to walk with them through life. Karen was ordained as an Elder over youth and music by the late Bishop Veronica Watson of the Bethesda Church of the Lord Jesus Christ in Silver Spring, Maryland, where she was a member for 23 years. She is the founder of the Washington Semester Student Association at American University in Washington DC where she worked for 15 years before God instructed her to move to Franklin, Tennessee. Upon her move to Tennessee she served under the ministry of Christian artist Nicole C. Mullen’s Baby Girls Club, here in Franklin and then in the Country of Belize. Every Saturday, she connected with youth in Belize who had experienced the same adversity she went through, and helped them overcome their challenges through the performing arts, her teaching, mentoring and immense love for them. She was called back to the U.S. mission field by God and has been involved with the Franktown Open Hearts Ministry for 6 years where she is the Senior Programming Assistant and volunteers as the performing arts coordinator. She currently works with and proudly serves Nicole Mullen as her assistant and Road Manager. If you ask Karen what she wants people to know about her she will say “I love the Lord with all my heart, all my soul and strength. I have traveled the world and still my favorite place to be is in the presence of my Father, the lover of my soul who’s I am and whom I serve.”

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Jennifer Greenberg, Senior Programming Assistant

Jennifer Greenberg, Senior Programming Assistant Born and raised in Oklahoma, Jennifer Greenberg spent a decade in Southern California before settling in Franklin, Tennessee, where she has lived for the past 23 years. A nature enthusiast, she enjoys hiking, kayaking, and spending time outdoors. She is the proud mother of three grown children—graduates of Centennial High School—and a Nana to two granddaughters. Jennifer holds a degree in Early Childhood Development and began her career as a preschool teacher while raising her children. Her passion for ministry began early in life, serving in both high school and middle school ministries at churches in Ada, Oklahoma, and Ventura, California. She has also led worship for churches and women’s conferences across California and Tennessee. Her heart for service has taken her around the world—she has traveled to eleven countries for both ministry and leisure, and has lived abroad as a missionary in Monterrey, Mexico, and Johannesburg, South Africa. Jennifer currently works in the Professional Development Department at the Williamson County Schools Central Office. She first learned about Franktown while on staff at Centennial High School and has been involved with the organization for the past seven years. She cherishes her evenings spent with Franktown students, especially leading devotions—her favorite part of the night. A close second is overseeing dinner time, which she sees as a meaningful tradition that brings people together like family. Jennifer’s life reflects a deep commitment to faith, youth, and community. She considers it a blessing to be part of what God is doing through Franktown.