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For Jantrice Johnson, giving back to the community is second nature. Prior to her career as a real estate agent, Johnson spent 13 years as an educator teaching health and physical education, and wherever else her assistance was needed. “I was the type of teacher who can walk into a classroom and do it. Even if it was a theater class, I would do it,” she says.
That adaptability was valuable when Johnson transitioned from education to join her mother and sister on their real estate team. It was only natural that she would take that selfless attitude back to her community, having seen firsthand how many students lacked the supplies and resources to succeed in school.
She organized a back-to-school bash 11 years ago with a simple, albeit optimistic goal: provide backpacks for 1,000 students in the Murfreesboro, Tenn., community before their classes begin. To put this goal into action, Johnson approached Anthony Walker, her minister at Highway 231 Church of Christ.
“At the time we were probably a 100-member church, so in my mind I’m thinking, ‘That would be awesome for us to be able to give 100 backpacks,’” Walker says. “Well, her idea was 1,000 backpacks. My mind goes to: How are we going to make that happen?”
Through Johnson’s hard work and determination, they were able to meet that optimistic 1,000-backpack goal and then provide 2,000 the following year. That set the stage for a model of giving back to the community that has now supported more than 10,000 students and families under the umbrella of We Give, the nonprofit organization Johnson has built into a powerhouse of community support.
A Dream That Kept Growing
Over the years, the back-to-school bash has evolved from a simple supply drive for students and families looking for help, to an all-out party providing nearly everything a child would need to get ready for the school year. Beyond school supplies and new shoes, We Give enlists barbers and hairdressers, offers sports physicals for student athletes, and provides the families with home essentials like sleeping bags and detergent, and access to state resources for food and housing. Their supply space is set up so that children can shop for backpacks and school supplies that fit their personalities best.
Teachers are also invited to shop so they don’t have to pay for their own classroom supplies.
“We set the tone in Murfreesboro; then the school system got behind us,” recalls Walker, who says they now serve 3,000 students in the school district, including students experiencing homelessness, living in shelters or motels, in foster care or temporarily doubled up with others.
“I believe if you're giving, you give your best.” —Jantrice Johnson
We Give has since expanded beyond school supplies to also meet emergency needs year-round. The organization partners with schools to support families as needed and makes visits to hotels to deliver essentials to those in unstable housing. Their Warm Winter Wishes event provides toys, gift cards, warm essentials, food, shoes, and more. When Johnson had the opportunity to partner with the Tennessee Titans football team, she raised $20,000 in six weeks and made it happen.
Johnson takes pride in the quality of the supplies and services We Give is able to provide. “I believe if you’re giving, you give your best. Which [item] is going to be the best one? Which one would you buy for your kid? That’s the one we want.”
In their efforts to provide a VIP experience for the students and families they serve, quality and compassion have always led the way.
For Walker, one of the highlights of working with We Give has come from seeing the direct impact on people in the community. “I remember early on, one single mother came in with her four boys. They were able to get shoes, socks, haircuts, photos, sports physicals and fully loaded backpacks.”
With the back-to-school bash running for over a decade now, Walker also notes that some of the current volunteers were once the students who benefited from the event and were so moved by the generosity that they wanted to return the favor.
“She’s creative and knows how to circumvent the ‘no’. Her skill is being able to assemble volunteers and tap into everyone’s natural gifts.”
—Anthony Walker, minister
As We Give has developed to support city and county schools, so has their impact. Walker asserts that through their efforts, any child in Rutherford County that needs supplies will have them.
Leaning Into Her Real Estate Connections
Johnson credits much of the growth and success of We Give to the generosity of connections she’s made as a real estate professional and a member of the Middle Tennessee Association of REALTORS®. Whether it’s financial support from a community lender or other NAR members stepping up, Johnson is proud of the real estate community coming together. In fact, agents who are REALTORS® are one her largest groups of volunteers.
“They volunteer when I’m not there. They send me pictures of them volunteering when I’m at work. That says a lot about our real estate community,” she says.
As the back-to-school bash has grown and developed, We Give has branched out to serve the community in more ways. Maryam Hill, Ed.D, is the Murfreesboro City Schools liaison for students and families experiencing homelessness. Hill credits Johnson and We Give for going above and beyond to support people in need.
For families in transitional housing, something as simple as waking up and spending a holiday in privacy with their children is not necessarily a given. Johnson and We Give took this as an opportunity, and as part of their Christmas Holiday Bash, began securing hotel rooms for families to spend the holiday.
“That’s what I like about We Give and working with Jantrice is that I can call for just about anything.” —Maryam Hill, Ed.D
Speaking to the variety of services Johnson and We Give are willing to offer, Hill says, “That’s what I like about We Give and working with Jantrice is that I can call for just about anything.”
While Johnson has been away from the education profession for several years, the do-anything mindset she carried as an educator has carried into the work of We Give and built a lasting network of support in the Murfreesboro and Rutherford County communities.
“She’s creative and knows how to circumvent the ‘no,’” says Walker. “Her skill is being able to assemble volunteers and tap into everyone’s natural gifts. She takes a large project and makes it bite-size.”
REALTOR® Jantrice Johnson of Intero Real Estate Services, Murfreesboro, Tenn., is the founder of We Give.
