When Hurricane Helene battered East Tennessee in 2024, neighbors and local groups rallied together to aid recovery. The experience also exposed a practical problem: many charitable organizations struggled to locate one another.
New directory connects nonprofits, businesses, and residents
To address that gap, the East Tennessee Foundation, led by President and CEO Dr. Keith Barber, launched the East Tennessee Nonprofit Directory on Oct. 8. The online tool provides a searchable database of nonprofits, businesses and individuals operating across the foundation’s 25‑county service area.
“Our experience responding to Hurricane Helene reminded us of the strength that exists across East Tennessee when people and organizations come together,” Barber said. “We saw organizations working toward a common goal that simply needed a way to find one another.”
The directory is designed to make it easier for groups to identify potential partners, share resources and connect residents with needed services. By fostering collaboration, the foundation hopes the platform will prove valuable not only during emergencies but also for everyday challenges such as housing, food insecurity, education and other community needs.
Honoring local leaders
At the foundation’s annual Equal Opportunity Awards Gala, held Oct. 8 at The Press Room, several individuals and groups were recognized for their contributions to community building. Dewey W. Roberts II received the Whitney M. Young Jr. Lifetime Achievement Award for decades of civil‑rights advocacy, including leadership roles with the Knoxville NAACP branch and the Beck Cultural Exchange Center.
Other honorees included the East Knoxville Lions Club, noted for vision‑care programs and youth education, and Five Points Up, which focuses on community engagement, beautification and unity in East Knoxville. “These award recipients exemplify the mission of our organization through their commitment to empowerment, equality and community uplift,” said Dr. Laurie Shanderson, president and CEO of the Knoxville Area Urban League.
Upcoming community‑focused events
The YWCA Knoxville & the Tennessee Valley will host a forum titled “From Response to Resilience” on Oct. 23 at the Nancy J. Land Center. The discussion will address domestic‑violence response, survivor safety and collaborative community efforts. Speakers include David G. Kitts, program manager for the Knoxville Police Department’s Special Crimes Unit.
The YWCA also announced new board members—Adrienne Anderson, Julia Bentley, Julia Goodrich, Delphia Howze, Diane Humphreys‑Barlow, Krystyna Laba and Holly Young—bringing additional experience to an organization with a long history of programs and advocacy for women and families throughout Knoxville and the Tennessee Valley.
Why connection matters
Barber emphasized that effective leadership often means making it easier for others to succeed. “When organizations can find one another, share knowledge and build partnerships, we create more opportunities to use our collective strengths to make lives better and communities stronger,” he said.
Readers with suggestions for future “Let’s Talk” features are invited to email [email protected].
Original reporting: Knox TN Today — read the source article.
