When asked the questions, “How would you define T.A.S.C. Force?” and “Can you describe your favorite memory of T.A.S.C. Force?” the executive board always gives different variations of the same response that there is basically no way to perform the daunting task of defining T.A.S.C Force in a paragraph or two. It is a living, breathing organization made up of extraordinary individuals. It is an organization that is the first of its kind, and it simply came from a young lady who has an idea and a passion to see real change.
Simply put, T.A.S.C. Force (Taking Action for Social Conscience) is an organization with the mission to reach the community through various eclectic and altruistic behaviors amongst everyone involved, from our Comrades to the executive board. T.A.S.C means, “ I am taking on a selfless responsibility to inform others of both global issues impacting our world today and providing others with a means to actively do something about these issues.” T.A.S.C is defined by the notion that we can no longer be “normal” individuals or choose to ignore and turn our heads from those in need: the helpless, the ones whose voice is not heard and whose human rights are ignored. TASC is all about, replenishing others with hope, because without hope we have nothing to live for. TASC Force represents change—a change in the way volunteering takes place, allowing increased awareness and knowledge to change us. This transformation ultimately allows real and widespread changes in our community and the rest of the world through the actions manifested by our conversion.
It provides opportunity: Opportunity to meet others from a variety of backgrounds; opportunity to make an impact in on our campus, in our community and in our world; opportunity to be true servant leaders and educators…. The list could continue down the page.
Each person’s life involved with the organization has not only been changed because it was a part of their lives, but eventually the ideals of T.A.S.C. were incorporated into one’s character. It is the passion that pushes us, the drive underneath it all. Each member plays a vital part of our daily purpose. We, as an executive board, have all join this organization knowing that it was a “good” organization that served a “meaningful cause”, but we had no idea how far the ripple of our one drop of water in the sea of “good” organizations would go.
Each member has a story, a memory that has affected them and pushed them to continue. For our President and Founder and multiple other exec members, it was when we brought in genocide survivors from Rwanda and Cambodia in October of 2011 and presented a forum for the University of Tennessee. Nearly 200 students attended this event and every single individual was impacted by the hopeful stories these survivors shared. There was not a dry eye in the room that night. For other members of our executive board it is the numerous opportunities to spend time with young children who just wanted people to talk and play with or seeing people join the organization during the recruitment process and immediately striving to make a difference and eventually become leaders themselves. It is seeing the smiles on little children’s faces, the tears in a mom’s eye, the hug from the stranger, or a simple thank you.
We are on a journey. We have seen how T.A.S.C. Force has grown from its infant stages in August 2011 to now: an organization that has completed dozens of service projects that made a great impression on our community, provided preschoolers in Cambodia with nourishing meals for months at a time, and educating our campus of these global issues that cripple our world. But as I mentioned we are on a journey, we have not arrived at the destination. We will charge on…..
“Hungry for Education, Thirsty for Hope, Starving for Change.”
T.A.S.C. Force 