Blount Mansion

Blount Mansion is located in 200 W Hill Ave, Knoxville, TN 37902. 

I chose Blount Mansion because of the significance of William Blount. He was integral in the signing of the Constitution of our country and chose Knoxville to call home. It is also as close to a time machine as we can humanly get and it is interesting to observe the different styles and customs of living from the 18th century, yet noticing how certain aspect of family life have not changed throughout centuries.

William Blount was also the Territorial Governor. He began construction on his house in 1792 with materials coming from North Carolina and Virginia. His wife wanted the house to be a "proper-wooden house" with wood siding. It was a simple construction design, with a parlor, two bedrooms and a loft upstairs with the kitchen detached. Additions to the house were made in 1810 with the construction of the west wing, and in 1820 with the construction of the east wing. He lived in the house with his wife, children, and slaves. The house was then passed on to his brother and later to his son.

I would definitely visit Blount Mansion again because I love museums and history. I also believe that everyone can learn something new and different each time something is revisited. Blount Mansion is part of history, but instead of reading it, anyone can go see it and experience it, and it is the small details that tells us the complete story.

Blount Mansion

       Blount Mansion is a historic home created in 1792. It was one of the very first frame houses built west of the Allegenies. I chose to visit this location because of how close it was to campus and because of how many times I have driven past it. It is located on West Hill Avenue downtown overlooking the Tennessee River. William Blount, a signer of the United States Constitution, lived here when it was named the territorial capitol. Mrs. Blount’s request was to have a proper wooden house, so it was made of sawn lumber. When pulling up to the location, I was impressed with how well it was kept. For being such a historic building, it did not look very old. I would have loved to live here. The gardens were absolutely beautiful and it was an amazing view overlooking the river. I did not go into the visitor center because it was actually very busy today, so I will go back at some point to see if there is some kind of tour that can happen. I am thankful to know Knoxville takes so much pride in preserving history

Local Artist - Due March 26

This week you'll be writing about a local artist in the Knoxville community. You can define "artist" for yourself - the individual can be a painter, another musician..anything. Here are a few points to consider while writing your blog post:

1. Why did you choose this individual?

2. What type of art does this person create?

3. Where/when can we go to see this art?

Gabrielle Buuck

A little over two weekends ago on March 17th Gabrielle Buuck opened her first art show at the 1010 gallery on the 100 Block of Gay Street. That night dozens of people came to admire a collection of prints Gabrielle made. They included Woodcut relief prints, linocuts, screen prints, and a few installation pieces like the one above. The show was well received by not only family and friends but by other gallery owners in knoxville's arts district. One even expressed desire for her to install similar work in the Emporium. After the show I had the privilege of interviewing the artist. Upon asking her how she felt after opening night she responded: "After all of the hours spent working on the show I was just relieved everything was finished, so I was unprepared for the emotion of opening night. People from all aspects of my life came to support me and for three hours covered me with words of encouragement, affirmation, and genuine interest in my work. Strangely, hearing how wonderful and talented you are from your closest people is an extremely humbling experience. I've never felt such a deep gratitude."

Gabrielle is a born and raised Knoxvillian; a Bearden high school graduate where she was the president and secretary of the school's National Art Honor Society chapter. At the University of Tennessee she studies printmaking as a Fine Arts Education Major. In November of last year, Gabbie distinguished herself by being awarded opportunity to showcase her work at the 1010 gallery. Titled Everything Bends to the Bloom,  her show was a series of prints she made that expressed "exploration of thought pattern through printmaking." 

In the near future, Gabrielle is traveling to Japan where she will have opportunity to learn and experience Japanese printmaking as well as other types of Japanese art. After returning from her trip she plans to show work drawn from her time in Japan at a gallery space on the 100 Block. 

Food is art too

Matt Gallaher is a Knoxville chef who is known for his quality cuisine and apparently for "being the chef that brought pork rinds to fine dining." Being the head chef at both Knox Mason and the new Italian restaurant in Market Square, Emilia, he has both Southern and Italian cuisine covered. While I have never been to either of these restaurants, they have been highly recommended to me and I have only heard good things. Food is probably my favorite thing in the world and I like to consider myself an amateur-at-home chef, meaning half the time I make something halfway decent. Still, I look up to chefs because, while it's not conventional, they truly are artists. Food is art.


Knox Mason is a restaurant/bar located on Gay St. Downtown and Emilia is located in Market Square. I know I plan on going to both of these restaurants before I leave Knoxville, so I highly suggest you do as well.

Cynthia Tipton

Cynthia Tipton describes her inspiration of art as she is "drawn to the activity of life and the candidness of the person". Looking at her art, you see many vivid colors and objects just as you were seeing them in real life. Cynthia graduated with a BFA in painting from Belmont University and a second BFA in graphic design from UT. Although painting was her first love, she worked as designer for WBIR for 7 years! Some of her art has also been on display in both of the Tomato Heads as a part of an artist series last fall. She is an artist at the Broadway Studios and Galleries were you can see many of her pieces. I chose Cynthia as I was intrigues by her uniques usage of color and how vivid her painting are.

Jered Sprecher

*image from http://www.jeredsprecher.com/

Jered Sprecher is currently an assistant professor here at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Before beginning teaching here, he earned his bachelor’s degree from The University of Nebraska. Once he achieved this goal, he went on to earn his MFA from the University of Iowa.

I chose to write about Mr. Sprecher because when I was searching through different pieces of artwork that was created here in Knoxville, I was fascinated by the use of all the different colors in the artwork pictured above.

Jered Sprecher is a painter who has executed several of his own exhibitions dating since 2005. He has also been featured in other exhibitions with other artists since 2002.

In order to view his work, you will have to observe it while it is displayed in an exhibition.  But from the looks of his website, a ticket to his exhibitions are highly coveted. This is based off of the numerous awards he has won. These include the Chinati Foundation’s, of Marfa, TX, 2013 Artist-in-Residence Award. He was also awarded the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship in 2009. These are just a couple of his accomplishments which are highlighted on his website.

Since 2015, he has not taken part in any exhibitions, partly because of his commitment to his teaching.

Knoxville's Own Cartoonist

Charlie Daniel was born in Richmond, VA and later went on to become a private in the Marine Corps and studied political science at The University of North Carolina. It is here where he began drawing cartoons for the local school newspaper. He came to Knoxville in 1958 as the main cartoonist for the Knoxville Journal and moved to the Knoxville News Sentinel in 1992. He is a graduate of Leadership Knoxville and is actively engaged in the community through various non profits and other volunteer organizations. Four large collections of his work have been published, and at Hodges Library, much of his work is on display for students to admire.

Beauford Delaney

Beauford Delaney is one of the 20^th century’s great abstract artist and he was born right here is Knoxville. He is more well-known in Harlem and Paris than he is Knoxville, but the Knoxville Museum of Art, Beck Cultural Exchange Center and the East Tennessee Historical Society is looking to change that. They are in the process of buying many of his art pieces that are in Paris and some of his smaller works already sit at the Knoxville Museum of Art. Beauford Delaney was born at the end of 1901 and lived in Knoxville until he was 23. He apprenticed under Lloyd Branson, who was a leading figure in the Knoxville art scene at the time. He moved to Boston to further study art and then move to Harlem during the Renaissance of the 1930’s and 1940’s. There he was able to create some of his more famous works like Can Fire in the Park and made friends with many famous people like Georgia O’Keeffe and Henry Miller. In 1953, he moved to Paris, France and that is where he lived for the rest of his life, except for a few visits to Knoxville. Paris is where he shifted his art to abstract expressionism. As great of an artist as he was, he became an alcoholic in the 1960’s and his mental state took a toll. He was committed to an asylum in Paris in 1975 where he lived until he died in 1979. I think that it is great that the Knoxville historical and artistic community is coming together to make this artist well-known in the Knoxville community again.

Eric Gebhart.

Eric Gebhart.

So honestly, I chose this guy because WHAT a last name! Right? And also because I have noticed I have an easier time admiring and appreciating photography, because I can at least maybe sort of take okay pictures. However, my painting and drawing skills are way below the threshold of talented. Just by seeing a few of Eric's photographs, I can tell he takes time and pride in what he does. Eric believes that photography is about "connecting with nature and sharing all that is has to offer through images...", appreciating the biodiversity that our wonderful world offers.

As I have stated before, (maybe), nature is not exactly my jam, but Eric makes me want to go out and see these sights for myself. He is able to pack so much into photographs, so much so that I found myself coming up with background stories for each photo. 

The coolest thing about Eric is his reason for taking photographs. He takes the pictures to get people to appreciate the nature around them and to make them feel like they want to connect with nature as well. His reason for this is because he wants people to appreciate nature so they can begin to appreciate the Earth we live on, and start protecting and preserving the beauty that surrounds us. I admire his deeper meaning for the reason he takes photographs, and he definitely inspired me by his work. His photographs are displayed in the Art Market Gallery on South Gay Street!

Thomas O'Conner

Thomas O'Conner, as ex co-worker of mine, is a stick and poke tattoo artist in Knoxville. Instead of charging for tattoos, he typically works on a barter system. He'll trade his tattoo skills for food, vintage items, concert tickets, or any other thing his clients can offer him besides money. His style is unique and quaint, usually working on small areas of skin. You can see his work on his instagram page @fearsomeknave. 

Peyton Sosebee

Peyton Sosebee is a Junior at The University of Tennessee. Peyton is originally from Rock Springs, South Carolina. He creates wooden signs, sands them, and paints them himself. He began this artistic endeavor his Freshman year and has continued with it since then. He sells these signs to different people in Knoxville as well as some local businesses. He actually created a very large, impressive wooden sign that is currently displayed in The University of Tennessee's Visitor's Center. Peyton is a great up and coming local artistic talent. Keep an eye out for some of his masterpieces!

A Jolley Guy

Richard Jolley is an Oak Ridge transplant from Kansas and has a pretty unique art form (or at least I think so...): blown glass. The medium of glass has fascinated me from a young age mostly because I watched a "How It's Made" episode on how marbles were made. Though marbles are not necessarily blown glass, they are still made with similar techniques. 

Jolley focused his education on art and received a Bachelors of Fine Arts and has sought teachings from Michael Taylor and Richard Ritter (apparently these are also big names in the blown glass world but this blog is about Jolley). Student turned teacher, Jolley works with at-risk youth and teaches them about the concepts behind art and blown glass. 

Jolley opened a glass studio in Knoxville in 1975. Over his career, Jolley has had 65 solo museum and gallery exhibitions and has displayed his work across the United States, Europe, and Japan. Jolley is known for crafting animal and human figures in ambiguous scenes that leave the context entirely open to the viewer. Currently, there is an exhibit in the Knoxville Museum of Art titled "Facets of Modern and Contemporary Glass" that focuses on other artists expanding on the work of Richard Jolley and providing their own interpretations of innovative ways to transform glass into art. 

Here are some of his glass-blown pieces:

Hayley Pennesi

Most known for her shots from the sidelines, whether its football, basketball, baseball, tennis, etc., Hayley Pennesi is UTK student with a hobby, and knack, in photography. Hayley did not discover her passion for photography until she was in Knoxville, which is why I chose her. The opportunities provided to her on campus are what guided her to photography. She is a student worker for the Tennessee Athletics Photography Department, but the Daily Beacon is what started her career. She enjoys all kinds of photography, but sports photography is her favorite. When she first started taking pictures, I was blown away at how good they were and how she was able to capture such short moments in sports. Imagine taking a crystal clear picture of a football player running at top speeds or being able to capture the moment the bat hits the baseball! That type of accuracy and eye takes practice, dedication, but mainly skill, which Hayley was able to realize she had as a result of coming to UT. You can find many of her pictures published in articled and newspapers regarding Tennessee athletics or on her website http://hayleypennesi.samexhibit.com/portfolio

Zach Edwards

Zach is actually Jackson's old roommate and former fraternity brother. He is a sculpting artist and has recently started sharing his work on Instagram and different studios across Knoxville. Zach is still a student here at UT and he is studying sculpture. I chose Zach because not only his is a good friend of mine, he is a hard working UT student pursuing his passions of being an artist. I admire his hard work!

He works with different materials like steel, wool, painting, digital fabrication, and sound. He uses the influence of jazz music to guide his art. When looking at some of the pieces he creates, most people would be confused. He doesn't create things that would make sense to most people. But looking through his perspective, I think people would learn to appreciate his talent!

Check him out on Instagram: Zachary Edwards
& at Gallery 1010

    

Photography

Sarah Mcaffry is local photographer focused on bringing out the personality and inner and outer beauty of teens and women. Her photos are candid and natural, making her models feel comfortable and stylish. She was a high school teacher with a photography hobby, but as she states, one day God showed her a new path and turned her photography hobby into a full time job. Her photography has been published in publications such as Senior Style Guides and Weddings Unveiled.
I learned about her through a local blogger I follow on Instagram.

I chose Sarah because just like paintings, photographs are hung and displayed. History is learned through photographs, and I love sitting and flipping through albums and learning about my family and heritage. Photographs also have the power to take you back in time to a specific moment with specific people. They evoke emotions and even your senses can be awoken by a photograph.

She displays her photos in her studio in Powell, across from Powell High School, and uploads them on Instagram!

A Knoxville native with a knack for art

Robin Easter is a local artist who has definitely left her mark on Knoxville through her career in graphic design. While her name may not be commonplace, her work sure is. Think about your favorite local Knox shops, eateries, and more, and it is quite likely that Easter has been involved in at least one of those. The branding and logos of Tomato Head, Sunspot, Bliss, Aubreys, Maple Hall, and Urban Wilderness are just a few of the products that have been cranked out by her design studio. Her firm, Robin Easter design, is situated in the heart of Old City and provides a full range of services including brand development, website development, print design, signage and display design, electronic communication and more. They seriously do it all while never failing to produce iconic and quality works of art. The best part of her work? It is so visible within our community. Just take a drive downtown and look around! Her work has also been featured for sale in local shops like Rala. Easter herself serves as principal and creative director of the firm and has been gifting the city of Knoxville with her talents for over 25 years. It also doesn’t hurt that she is a UT graduate who is clearly devoted to the growth and beautification of Knoxville. Go Vols! In her spare time, she also volunteers with the graphic design programs at UT and Pellissippi Community College and the local organizations of Legacy Parks Foundation, Knox Heritage, Historic Old City Neighborhood Association, and Henry’s Fund. Her driving force is to give back to this community and it is clear that we are quite lucky to have her! 

Shown below are some of her many creative and artistic contributions to our city! 

Beth Meadows

Beth Meadows is an artist from Memphis, TN that received her BFA in Studio Art form UT in 2007. She's lived in Knoxville ever since and is now the director of 17th Street Studios, a work space for 10 artists housed in a wing of Redeemer Church in Fort Sanders (the church does endorse the content of the art). I chose this artist because I saw she was the newest artist exhibiting at The Tomato Head downtown. I haven't been there yet, but I looked at the meaning behind the exhibit entitled "Good Packaging" and thought it was very interesting. Meadow doesn't like grocery shopping because she doesn't like being marketed to using aesthetically pleasing packaging on products.  She does like reading magazines and looking at the beautiful fashion on supermodels and having fashion being marketed on a beautiful body but the model not having anything to do with the creation of the apparel. So she went to the store specifically looking for nice packaging and put it on sketches of different supermodels. The analogy she makes with her art is much better explained in THIS interview she did with the Tomato Head but she posed some really good thoughts about how art is integrated into our lives, especially with commodities.  This exhibit will be featured at the market square tomato head location until early April and at the Bearden location from Early April till May. She also has some pretty cool prints for sale on her etsy website as well as some other art pieces. If you want to see more of her art or buy some prints, visit: http://withbearhands.com/

Jonathan Miller

I have always had a deep interest for architecture. This is why I decided to choose a local architect in this weeks blog. Jonathan Miller attended college here at the University of Tennessee and since has developed his own architecture firm in Knoxville and is the chief architect and lead designer. Him and his associates design high class residential homes throughout Knoxville. Some of his work can be seen along the river west of UT's campus. They strive to create classical design while walking through the design process with their clients giving them the option to bring their dreams to life. Jonathan Miller architects has the vision and approach that I would be interested in when designing my very own dream home. Miller has over 30 years of experience and has been awarded many awards and distinctions for his work. Below are some pictures taken from his website: http://www.jonathanmillerarchitects.com/#work

Payton Marie Miller

   Art makes the world more beautiful and allows individuals to express themselves freely. There are many different forms of art, but something I truly appreciate is a painter. This week I will be talking about Payton Miller. Through the students’ eyes, she may actually be the most famous local artist. I have had the privilege of getting to know this sweet soul over the past year. She has more heart and passion than anyone I have ever met. I chose Payton because it is so difficult to find time to do anything as a college student, yet she takes the time very often to spend 10 hours painting something that may be painted over the next day. Payton started out painting on the rock with her own funds and paying for all of her supplies just because she loved the University so much. She bleeds orange. Payton fills the rock with incredible art work every week during football season and is quick to note when the students need any inspiration. It is easy to say that Payton effectively touches more lives than anyone on this campus. I aspire to be as inspiring and talented as she is one day. While Payton focuses on painting the rock, she travels around painting for those who request her talent. Through all of the news attention and web popularity, Payton stays pretty busy. While she is graduating this year, her art will continue to inspire individuals here on this campus and change lives. Wherever this extremely talented individual is led, she will make a difference.

Humane Society of Knoxville

The Humane Society of Knoxville is an organization dedicated to protecting and nurturing different neglected or abandoned animals: primarily dogs and cats. I actually had the opportunity to serve at the Humane Society during our Alternative Fall Break back in October. The Humane Society takes in these animals in need and provides them with food, water, shelter, and love. Volunteers can come in and just take the dogs outside to play with them, or they can assist in the upkeep of the shelter itself. I personally felt very connected to the Humane society because I have both a cat and a dog of my own that we rescued from a similar animal shelter in Memphis. The Humane Society of Knoxville is a great organization with an impressive mission and a variety of volunteer opportunities.

Historical Location - Due April 2

This week you'll be researching a historical location in Knoxville, visiting it, and writing about it. Choose anywhere you want, just try to pick somewhere new. I would encourage carpooling with a friend(s) and taking pictures. While writing your blog for this week, please consider the following points:

1. What is the name of the place you have chosen and where is it located in Knoxville?

2. Why did you choose it?

3. Briefly describe the historical significance of the location you have chosen.

4. Would you visit again? Why or why not?

Knoxville Inner City Kids Outreach

Knoxville Inner City Kids Outreach (KICKO) is a "non-proft organization transforming the inner city by equipping and empowering its children to fully realize their potential and discover their God given destiny". The outreach program was started in 1995 by Bill and Janice Clark as a 501(c)3 non-profit ministry aka it is a tax-exempt non-profit organization. It is a family organization as their son Michael is also a big part of it. Throughout the week Knoxville Inner City Kids Outreach hosts SONday School at Boys and Girls Clubs and apartments in inner city communities in the area. They also host relationship building visitations and an annual Back 2 School Community Block Party. According to Jamarcus, a former KICKO kid, the thing that made him want to go to a SONday School event for the first time was the promise of a snack at the end. In a video on KICKO's website, Jamarcus also says after that first time he does not remember ever missing a Saturday of SONday for five years. Jamarcus then went on to be apart of the organization's Junior Staff and has since graduated, but still continues to work with KICKO because of the impact it had on his life. Jamarcus says that part of the relationship building is that Mr. and Mrs. Clark would come and visit the kids at their apartments the day before a SONday and invite them one on one. Based off other kids in his community and how different their lives turned out from his, Jamarcus says that without KICKO, he's afraid his life would be a total wreck right now. He considers Mr. and Mrs. Clark to be his grandparents because of the relationship they formed with him and how they showed Jesus' love to him. There are other similar stories on the organization's website that show how much of an impact Knoxville Inner City Kids Outreach is having in the lower income areas of Knoxville.

I Love the Love Kitchen

The Love Kitchen was started in 1984 by Helen Ashe alongside her twin sister to help serve the needy of Knoxville. It serves over 3,000 meals each week and more than eighty percent of these meals are delivered to homebound recipients. The non-profit is unique in that it only employees volunteers with no paid staff and survives purely on donations. The kitchen also does not operate on any government donations or grants as the founders believed in breaking the cycle of dependence on government aid. One of the co-founders, Ellen Turner, recently passed away in 2015.

Goodwill Industries-Knoxville

I may be a bit biased, but one of my favorite non-profits is Goodwill Industries-Knoxville, Inc. Obviously this is not a Knoxville-specific organization (It's actually INTERNATIONAL) but the Knoxville branch is really amazing and does significant work throughout the East Tennessee region. Also, I wanted to share because most people just know Goodwill as a store for cheap donated clothes, but there is so much more to their organization than that.

Their mission is to provide vocational services and employment opportunities for individuals with barriers to employment. (Barriers can include physical disabilities, cognitive disabilities, felony charges on their record, lack of housing, poverty, etc.) They are able to do this by providing training and work opportunities through a variety of different programs. 

For example,
1. Goodwill provides Driver's Education classes to help people obtain their license or get the drivers license reinstated (as it is often hard to maintain a job without reliable transportation) 
2. They provide assistance with job applications and resume building skills
3.They have a training facility that teaches clients how to complete manufacturing work and to develop workplace appropriate  skills.
4. They offer a computer class in order to teach clients how to work with programs like Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Outlook so that they can be successful in their workplace. 

They operate 28 retail stores in 15 counties in East Tennessee which they use to fund the five Employment Training and Rehabilitation Centers., which is where the training services take place. Goodwill Industries-Knoxville serves over 4,100 clients annually. 

When you donate clothing to, or shop at, Goodwill you directly support individuals in the Knoxville community. Your donations help generate funds for Goodwill's mission to provide vocational services and employment opportunities for people with barriers to employment

Horse Haven of Tennessee

Horse Haven of Tennessee provides programs to "rescue, rehab, and rehome" neglected and abused horses in the State of Tennessee. Based in Knoxville, Horse Haven of Tennessee helps rescue horse, from either bad owners, horrible conditions, or emergency situations. They serve all 95 counties in Tennessee, but state on their website they will also make exceptions in order to provide service to surrounding areas, even if not in the state of Tennessee. Programs that they provide include: owner assistance (for owners who need help in maintaining a good environment for their horse), emergency rescue (such as a horse falling into a swimming pool, sink hole, or embankment), and provide education on horses statewide. Their mane goal (ha, see what I did there?), though, is taking in neglected and abused and nursing them back to health, training them, and allowing people in the community to adopt them.



The organization was started back in 1999 and is Tennessee's largest and oldest equine welfare organization. Since the beginning of operations, they have cared for 952 horses!

Their office is located near the Pellissippi State Community College campus, so not too far away!

If interested in horses, animals, or helping people, I'd definitely check them out!

Friends of the Smokies :)

So if you know me, you know that I am not a frequenter of anything outside, which means this charity was definitely not in my realm of charities I frequent or even knew about. However, it is such an awesome organization! I can appreciate the beautiful Smokies from afar, and this organization makes sure the beauty is sustained. Their mission is to protect and preserve the mountains, and they do so by raising money and public awareness, while also rounding up volunteers for any projects that are needed to be completed. Since 1993 they have raised over 53 million dollars, having their first founding members all donate $1,000 to start the organization out. (just a small loan of $1,000). There is an office in Kodak, Tennessee and also in North Carolina. They host cool balls, barn parties, (and pint nights) to offer unique and fun ways to volunteer, as well as host volunteer days and hikes for volunteers to directly serve with the organization. They have helped return elk to the Smokies after a 150-year absence in 2001. Also in 2005, they dedicated a new laboratory at the University of Tennessee to raise predator beetles for the fight against the hemlock woolly adelgid.

Friends of the Smokies have made very important contributions to the wildlife around us, and help keep a beautiful part of East Tennessee just as nature-y and green as possible. They are currently still helping restore the mountains after the horrible fires, and are continuously accepting donations to keep this project going. While I might not see the contributions as much as the granolas of East Tennessee, I am very thankful organizations like this one exist.

AFPF

"Americans for Prosperity Foundation is dedicated to educating and training citizens to be courageous advocates for the ideas, principles, and policies of a free society—knowing that leads to the greatest prosperity and wellbeing for all—especially the least fortunate."

In 2014, Americans for Prosperity hired a Field Director in Knoxville and opened an office in Market Square last year. Because of the nature of their conservative bent and their dual non-profit and political organizations, many folks are unaware of the non-profit side of AFP. I currently serve as the East Tennessee Field Director and am passionate about our mission. Much like Bernie Sanders and folks on the left, we see the nation becoming divided into two, quickly seperating tiers of income. Our goal is to bridge this through educating people on the principles and ideas of economic freedom and advance the tenets of a free society in communities. This is a long-term mission intended to allow people to reach their full potential through opportunity and limited government. We are happy to be doing this in Knoxville and East Tennessee and will look to partner with other area non-profits to be most effective. 

Big Brothers Big Sisters of East Tennessee

When I was a senior in high school, I found out about the Big Brothers Big Sisters of East Tennessee. I had the amazing opportunity of serving as a Big Sister for two amazing girls that did not have a great home life; not only did I have the opportunity to impact their lives, they had a huge impact on my life.

What is Big Brothers Bring Sisters of East Tennessee? It is a mentorship program that pairs an adult volunteers (the Bigs) with a child (the Little) who needs one-on-one time/extra care. They have several different programs: 

• Site based: This program is based solely in the child's school system. They visit them at their school and their main focus is on empowering the child to realize their full academic potential; However, just because they are more focused on academics doesn't mean they ignore how their home life is. During their meetings, the Littles can use their Bigs to help them with homework, shoot some hoops, create art, or anything that fits their needs. 
• Community Based: This program takes place in the setting that the title says: the community. The Bigs responsibility is to meet with their Little in the Little's community and engage with them via recreation, education/careers, arts/culture, civic engagement, or health and fitness. This program encourages a longer, stronger relationship between the Big and Little. 
• Mentor 2.0: This program focuses on those in high school who may be a first-generation college student. The Bigs work with their Little to prepare them to enter college by helping them have a successful high school career. They meet up 8 times per year at Big Brothers Big Sisters sponsored activities and during the rest of the time they communicate through email and establish professional etiquette. 
• Bigs in Blue: This program connects a local police officer with a child in order to build trust and strong relationships with the law and that child/their community. 

This program is a great way to flag at risk children and to motivate, support, and nourish them to realize their opportunities and abilities. 

Heartland Golden Retriever Rescue

If you have a soft spot for dogs in your heart, particularly golden retrievers, the Heartland Golden Retriever Rescue charity is a cause that is easy to get behind. Their goal is simple, to help homeless and displaced goldens find their forever homes! This calling, however, definitely keeps their work cut out for them. This small grass roots group operates without a steady influx of funding or an army of volunteers, but still manages to serve needy canines from all over the southeast including Kentucky, SW Virginia; NW North Carolina, NE Alabama and occasionally parts of Mississippi in addition to their home base of Tennessee. They also secure permanent home placements for their dogs across the country with loving and responsible families who pledge to uphold the values of their group. Since their start in 1998, the Heartland Golden Retriever Rescue has helped over 700 dogs driven by the belief that every golden deserves a happy and healthy life.

Their mission is made up of the following tenets:

•          to provide shelter for homeless, stray, abandoned, abused, and neglected Golden Retrievers;
•          to provide a good quality of life for homeless Golden Retrievers;
•         to provide through adoption permanent loving homes for Golden Retrievers;
•          to seek to reduce the numbers of unwanted Golden Retrievers through rehabilitation and adoption;
•         to educate dog owners and the general public about responsible pet ownership, including spaying/neutering, training and humane care of Golden Retrievers and other pets.

I was so encouraged to read of the countless success and happy ending stories featured on their webpage that have become a reality due to the dedication and resilience of this organization. I urge you all to give it a visit and consider getting involved as to be a part of the amazing work that gives these beautiful animals a second chance!

Emerald Youth

Emerald Youth Foundation started in the late 1980’s by the Emerald Avenue United Methodist Church in the Oakwood Park neighborhood with after-school and summer programs. Their mission is “to raise up a large number of urban youth to love Jesus Christ and become effective leaders to help renew their communities”. Their programs have grown to serve around twenty-four hundred Knoxville urban youth through a variety of programs. Now, the Emerald Youth Foundation links a variety of churches together to spread their urban ministry. They have the JustLead program provides kids training, mentoring, and resources. For the older kids, they have ACT prep, interviewing skill and out of town trips. Emerald Youth also has a fellows’ programs that picks about less than 20 kids to have a more intensive experience to develop their leadership skills so that they can become the leaders of their communities one day. They have a mentor much like we do to help guide them through the experience. Another big part of their programs is the varies sports leagues that they have that connects many of the Knoxville kids. They have baseball, basketball, soccer, swim. track, and volleyball. Finally, they launched Emerald Academy which was Knoxville’s first public charter school. It is a K-8 school. They have a really good website that shows all the places where they are located and how you can volunteer. If you want to volunteer and make an impact on children, I think that this would be a great organization to get involved with.