This column highlights several ministries actively seeking support, showcasing their unique contributions and the importance of community involvement. Together, we can empower these ministries to make a lasting impact. Each week, one KnoxTNToday-sponsored ministry is highlighted with special announcements.
Weekly Highlight: Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee has received a $390,000 donation from Publix Charities to support hunger-relief efforts across its 18-county service area. The Hunger Action Month gift will help expand food distributions, support child hunger programs and provide nutritious food to families and seniors. Second Harvest reports that more than 229,000 East Tennesseans are at risk of hunger, including 1 in 5 children. The donation builds on a longstanding partnership with Publix Super Markets, which has donated nearly 15 million pounds of food to the region since 2012.
Faith N Friends: Faith N Friends is a 501(c)(3) non-profit horse rescue and sanctuary located in Corryton, TN. Founded in 2016, the organization Faith N Friends works to meet both equine and human needs by providing compassionate care, treatment, and training, and by thoughtfully matching loving owners with the right horse—all while supporting and educating horse owners and the broader community.
Harmony Family Center: Since 1996, Harmony has provided innovative programming and therapeutic services across Tennessee, impacting more than 211,000 children, families, and individuals. In partnership with the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services, they offer support for children and families at every phase of the foster care and permanency journey.
Hillcrest Healthcare Foundation: For decades, the Hillcrest Foundation has carried forward a legacy of compassionate care as a nonprofit committed to serving seniors and strengthening the communities around them. Building on Hillcrest’s long history in senior living and healthcare, the Foundation invests in meaningful solutions that expand access, dignity, and opportunity through healthcare, workforce development, community-based programs, and educational initiatives. Through philanthropic support and programs such as PATHS (Providing Access to Health Services), the Foundation helps individuals overcome barriers to medical care, transportation, education, and vital resources. Every effort is grounded in a simple but powerful mission: Everyone Matters.
Humane Society Tennessee Valley: The Humane Society of the Tennessee Valley’s mission is to serve our region’s shelters, pets, and the people who love them through holistic, lifesaving initiatives and care. Based on HSTV’s continued success with adoptions and animal care, they are at a lifesaving rate of 98% of all incoming animals to our shelter. (Formula used: Live outcomes / Total outcomes).
Knox Area Project Access (KAPA): Since 2006, KAPA has coordinated health care for more than 38,000 low-income East Tennesseans without access to health insurance or government-sponsored programs. Patients served from Knox, Anderson, Roane, Loudon, Morgan, Monroe, Scott, Campbell, Claiborne, Union, Grainger, Hamblen, Jefferson, Sevier, Blount, Cumberland, White, Putnam, Jackson, Clay, Pickett, Overton, and Fentress counties.
Sacred Ground Hospice: Established as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 2017, Sacred Ground Hospice responds to the calling to begin Sacred Ground and continue providing our community with a residential hospice home with the same comprehensive, loving care as well as the family and spiritual-based support.
Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee : All programs are designed to serve those experiencing hunger across East Tennessee, from children to seniors, and everyone in between. Our programs strive to distribute food to every corner of the community, provide educational resources, and end the cycle of poverty.
United Way of Greater Knoxville (UWGK) funds various initiatives across five counties—Claiborne, Grainger, Knox, Jefferson, and Union. Our East Tennessee Collaborative program and the 2-1-1 helpline extend further. For more information about our county work, click here to contact our Regional Outreach Coordinator, Elvia Reyes.
YWCA Knoxville: Since its establishment in 1899, YWCA Knoxville and the Tennessee Valley have been at the forefront of community transformation. Today, with facilities in downtown Knoxville, East Knoxville, and Oak Ridge, YWCA continues to serve over 11,300 individuals annually, extending its reach across a six-county service.
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A strong community is built by ordinary people who choose to get involved.
