Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Alex & Shené Scott. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Alex & Shené, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
In 2001, Alex and Shené Scott committed their time and energy to serving their communities in youth ministry, as a firefighter, and as a teacher. Due to their passion to help others and the life-altering events they experienced performing their career responsibilities, they focused their attention on volunteering to assist those individuals and families they met
In 2013, they, as well as their two children, experienced life-altering challenges within their family. Shené was stricken with severe food allergies that include gluten, peanuts, and tree nuts. Alex was experiencing issues with hypoglycemia. One child was diagnosed with gluten sensitivity and the other with Type 1 diabetes.
After experiencing these obstacles within their family, helping through volunteering, donating monetarily, and collecting resources for people in need only quenched their thirst on a small scale. The Scotts felt a strong desire to do more and share what they had learned through their life changes. The desire to help others on a larger scale brought about the inception of Vine Branch Fellowship in 2019. With the help of friends, family, and relationships established over 20 years, the Scott family has been helping others. Vine Branch Fellowship was created to focus on fellowship, promoting healthy lifestyles, charitable giving, and education programs in the local and surrounding communities.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
Alex Scott is a graduate of Belmont University with a Bachelor of Science in Religion. He is a 23+ year veteran of Metro Nashville Fire Department. Alex is a captain, state-certified firefighter, and emergency medical technician. He has worked in ministry since 1999. He has held a position as Youth Pastor at two different Baptist churches located in the Nashville, TN area.
Shené Scott is a graduate of Tennessee State University with a Bachelor of Science in Education. She is a former elementary and middle school teacher and educational assistant.
Our nonprofit Vine Branch Fellowship is a nonprofit organization that designs programs to equip individuals, families, seniors, and low-income groups with the tools to create healthier food options. We seek to combat the growing concerns of diabetes, celiac, obesity, depression, and other chronic health illnesses. VBF creates opportunities with a centralized focus of connecting individuals and/or families with opportunities to assist those in need, through volunteering and installing school and community gardens. VBF strives to connect the VINE of resources in communities to a BRANCH of individuals in need of assistance through FELLOWSHIP opportunities.
VBF currently has two community gardens installed, focused on community access, and four school community gardens focused on school hour and afterschool student gardening education and community access.
VBF in partnership with the Wilson County Civic League and Fiddlers Grove was recently one of the 5 recipients across the country awarded the Kubota’s 3rd annual Kubota Hometown Proud grant program for the project, Black Farms, Food and Families Project.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Communication, Passion, and Resilience are three areas of importance when you are on your journey in life or business. You have to be able to communicate well with others externally what you have been communicating to yourself internally. Have a real passion for what you will be potentially providing to the public. Lastly, you must be resilient in the ups and downs you will face.
Do you think it’s better to go all in on our strengths or to try to be more well-rounded by investing effort on improving areas you aren’t as strong in?
Going all in in areas you have strengths is great, but being well rounded can benefit you in the long run when facing obstacles that may rise as your journey continues. Be prepared for unexpected challenges or decisions can help with navigating your journey when there may be a need to pivot. If you are not well rounded it is a good idea to have others on your journey that can fill the gap in areas you may lack knowledge in.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://vinebranchfellowship.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vbfgardening4community/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VBFGardening4Community
