A Letter from Our Leadership
At the beginning of the year, none of us were prepared for what we would confront. And no one knew how many in our community would need our help. Faced with a once-in-a-generation challenge, Greater Kingsport stepped up. United Way staff, donors, volunteers and our entire community came together immediately to raise funds and address critical needs. We helped our neighbors who were most impacted by the global pandemic and economic downturn get the relief and support they needed. Our long-term investments and impact in the community are highlighted throughout this 2020 digital annual report. As our country and community continue to recover from the pandemic, we will see greater needs for years to come. Addressing these challenges will take every one of us. And we are proud that every day throughout 2020 and with every day to come, the United Way of Greater Kingsport is first-in-line to address critical health and human service needs for over 1400 lives on any given day. No matter what happens in 2021, our commitment to the health, education, and financial stability of every person in our community remain. The future will be different than we once imagined. But it can also be better than we ever dreamed it could be. Thank you for your investment and involvement with our United Way.
Together, we can make a difference. United, We’re Strong.
2020 HIGHLIGHTS
Funding Impact
$1.86 Million
allocated to member agency programs, community initiatives, and grants
$800,000
raised for regional COVID-19 relief in Northeast TN and Southwest VA
$150,000
in COVID-19 Relief Funds distributed locally in Greater Kingsport
Approximately $844,000
distributed through donor designations to area Community Chests and other United Ways.
Over $135,000
administered through UWGK's convening of the Emergency Food and Shelter National Board in Sullivan County (EFSP) and the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.t
Resources
$3.11 Million
raised during the 2020 fundraising campaign, breaking down into over
$2.83
Million from cash and pledges
$82,000
in grants, and
$200,000
received through in-kind media services.
Over 75
companies championed our 2020 Campaign Theme, “United We’re Strong,” resulting in
Over 8,000
donors contributing to this year’s fundraising efforts
Volunteers
4,390
hours of service completed by community volunteers, with an estimated value of
Over $119,000
Nearly 100
nonprofits featured on our newly-launched regional volunteer website, www.Volunteer-United.org, which is utilized by over
1,100
individuals
Community Impact
Over $73,000
in federal tax refunds processed for local households through our re-establishment as a VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) location with the IRS.
75
individuals have achieved permanent housing through our newly-formed Kingsport Homeless Coalition, a group of more than
20
agencies who work to maximize resources by minimizing redundancy.
Over $146,000
distributed through Community Assessment and Planning (CAP) and Community Partnership grants to local community initiatives that support our impact strategies. Recipients included AveNew, Healthy Kingsport, Kingsport Homeless Coalition, LifeBridge, and United WE READ
Internal Operations
Over $100,000
received under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act Paycheck Protection Program
COVID-19
This year has put a strain on many in our community, challenging the health of our friends and families, the education of our children, the financial stability of countless households, and increasing daily risks for our senior population. When COVID-19 began to impact our community, we immediately began to assist with relief efforts, setting up a local COVID-19 Relief Fund and joining efforts with our regional United Way partners to form the Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia COVID-19 Relief Fund. By the end of June, United Way of Greater Kingsport provided grants to over 40 nonprofits in our community totaling more than $150,000.
We’ve been through a lot in 2020. And we still face significant uncertainty in the coming months and years. But this moment is also an opportunity to build a better future: one that includes every person in our community.
HEALTH
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What does good health look like? It’s kids who are ready to learn, vets who are able to cope, people in recovery who can remain sober and so much more. Being healthy can also mean better job opportunities, more training, more stable housing, and higher wages because health is connected to education and economic stability.
2020 was the year where COVID-19 highlighted the already-existing disparities across healthcare. In addition to our work to address the health pandemic and economic upheaval that COVID-19 exacerbated in our community, UWGK continued to address drug misuse through the AveNew initiative’s agenda of education, prevention, and connection.
AveNew partnered with Sullivan County Anti-Drug Coalition to update the online, comprehensive Family Resource Guide. Additionally, AveNew awarded nearly $25,000 to the following organizations and programs supporting their vital drug prevention work:
- Families Free - Mom Power Program - $4,480
- Holston Counseling (Frontier Health) - Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) - $5,000
- LifeBRIDGE - STEPS Program - $5,000
- New Vision Youth - Pen Pal Program - $5,000
- Sullivan County Anti-Drug Coalition - Lock Box Program - $5,000
ENSURING HEALTH, SAFETY, AND STABILITY
American Red Cross of Northeast Tennessee – Disaster Response Program ($80,781) serves people affected by disaster and continually strengthens its own capacity and the capacity of communities for disaster, response and recovery.
American Red Cross of Northeast Tennessee – Community Resilience Program ($60,000) helps people prevent, prepare for, or respond to emergencies to achieve a positive health outcome, ultimately helping to create a more resilient community.
Bloomingdale Volunteer Fire Department – Medical First Responder Program ($18,061) provides emergency medical services as licensed First Responders per guidelines set forth by the State of Tennessee & Sullivan County EMS.
CASA for Kids, Inc. – Core Program ($43,462) supports and promotes professionally-trained community volunteers to advocate for abused and neglected children’s best interest within the Juvenile Court and ensure safe and stable placements.
Children’s Advocacy Center of Sullivan County – Counseling Program ($31,287) provides trauma-focused treatment to the child victims of sexual abuse and severe physical abuse in a child-friendly environment that focuses on the well-being of the child.
Children’s Advocacy Center of Sullivan County – Victim Services Program ($9,561) provides counseling and assistance to the non-offending parents or caregivers of victims.
Contact 211 of Northeast Tennessee, Inc.– Information & Referral Program ($40,237) administers a telephone helpline staffed by trained volunteers who provide information and referral, a listening ear to distressed callers, crisis intervention, and daily reassurance calls in the 8-county service area.
Friends in Need Health Center– Appalachian Miles for Smiles Mobile Dental Unit ($23,620) provides quality dental care and eye examinations at no cost to uninsured residents of East Tennessee and Southwest Virginia.
Friends in Need Health Center – Dental Services Program ($59,051) provides affordable dental care to the working uninsured of the Greater Kingsport area.
Friends in Need Health Center – Medical Services Program ($23,620) provides affordable medical care to the working uninsured or underinsured of the Greater Kingsport area.
Holston Counseling (Frontier Health) – Substance Abuse Counseling Program ($48,995) provides services to individuals who are experiencing interpersonal, family, employment, or legal difficulties due to substance abuse or dependence.
Holston Counseling (Frontier Health) – Crisis Assessment Program ($14,576) Mobile Crisis Response Team provides 24-hour crisis intervention counseling and referral services for persons experiencing a psychiatric crisis or co-occurring disorders.
Kingsport Lifesaving Crew – Emergency Medical, Rescue and Extrication Program ($23,620) provides emergency first responder and specialty extrication services to accident and trauma victims in the Greater Kingsport area.
Legal Aid of East Tennessee – Domestic Violence Legal Assistance Program ($16,761) provides family safety and stability for victims of domestic violence through court orders granting a divorce or order of protection.
Link House (Frontier Health) – Core Program ($38,847) provides food, shelter, crisis intervention, diagnostic and evaluation services as well as counseling to adolescent females who are neglected, abused, runaway, unruly, or delinquent.
Mountain Region Speech & Hearing Center – Speech-Language Scholarship Program ($65,383) provides infants, children and adults with highest quality and cost effective evaluation, treatment and education for speech, language and swallowing disorders regardless of their ability to pay.
SAFE House (Frontier Health) – Domestic Violence Shelter Program ($50,570) provides a safe, confidential, and temporary shelter for victims of domestic violence and their dependent children. 24/7 services may include crisis services, transportation, advocacy, follow-up and community education.
Salvation Army – Social Services Program ($75,889) provides basic human needs--clothing, food, rent, mortgage, utilities, and medicine--without discrimination.
Salvation Army – Emergency Shelter Program ($37,835) provides lodging, meals, personal hygiene items, clothing, counseling, job placement, financial planning, and survival skills to assist individuals/ families in becoming self-sufficient.
SUPPORTING AGING WITH CHOICES
First Tennessee Human Resource Agency – Personal Support Services Program ($19,234) promotes self-sufficiency and prevents institutional placement by providing cost-effective in-home care for individuals in threat of harm due to abuse or neglect.
Meals on Wheels of Kingsport – Core Program ($111,064) provides hot, nutritious meals and human contact to isolated, incapacitated senior citizens and, if appropriate, other home-bound, disabled persons to facilitate safe, independent living.
EDUCATION
During the past year, students and families around the country have struggled with disrupted education, stressful situations at school and at home, and closures of critical child care and after school facilities. Not only did UWGK continue to provide support and funding to our member agencies, we also partnered with relief assistance to keep the lights on for critical essential workers’ childcare. Even our United WE READ Initiative, despite many restrictions in place, continued to engage, empower, and equip children and families with the tools and strategies needed for literacy and learning.
United WE READ pivoted their traditional “Camp Read to Lead” program to a four-week book distribution and online read-aloud experience. Over 1,000 books were given to students and families through school feeding sites and at a local apartment complex, and United WE READ teachers took turns reading aloud to students via interactive Zoom calls and YouTube live videos.
Prior to the pandemic, United WE READ was full-steam on winter programming, including having over 300 participants in their annual Winter Book Club, a handful of students and teachers piloting a Winter “Mini-Camp Read to Lead,” and distributing over 1,000 books in the annual “Read Across America” week.
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HELPING CHILDREN AND YOUTH SUCCEED
Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Greater Tri-Cities – Community-Based & Site-Based Mentoring Program ($66,212) matches caring, consistent adult volunteers with children in our community who need a friend and mentor.
Boys & Girls Club of Greater Kingsport – Building Successful Adults Program ($31,599) provides a safe environment helping teens realize their fullest potential by providing quality programs that enhance health, social, and educational development.
Boys & Girls Club of Greater Kingsport – Licensed Childcare Program ($116,046) helps children realize their fullest potential by providing childcare programs that enhance their health, social, and educational development.
Boys & Girls Club of Greater Kingsport – Satellite Program ($38,149) focuses on building successful adults at satellite locations in Greater Kingsport.
Girl Scout Council of the Southern Appalachians, Inc. – Leadership Experience Program ($16,062) provides a comprehensive leadership development program that positively impacts girls grades K-12 by building skills that lead to future success.
Girls Inc. of Kingsport – Core Program ($170,066) provides facility-based and off-site outreach programs both after-school, after hours, and during the summer for girls ages 4-19 that enhance their educational, occupational and physical development.
Holston Children & Youth Services (Frontier Health) – School-Based Prevention Program ($33,090) provides clinical services for at-risk students with academic, social, and/or behavioral problems; helps schools maintain safe, disciplined learning environments; and provides consultation for teachers and collaboration with counselors.
Holston Children & Youth Services (Frontier Health) – School Based Prevention Program ($33,090) provides clinical services for at-risk students with academic, social, and/or behavioral problems; helps schools maintain safe, disciplined learning environments; and provides consultation for teachers and collaboration with counselors.
Kingsport Child Development Center – Sliding Fee Scale/Income-Based Childcare Program ($120,000) provides quality childcare/preschool services implementing developmentally-appropriate programs meeting the social, emotional, and educational needs of all children served at affordable rates for parents/guardians.
Sequoyah Council, Boy Scouts of America – Youth Development Program ($14,172) teaches participants life-long skills and values. They acquire the skills they need to make the right choices, meet challenges and overcome them. Youth learn today what will sustain them tomorrow.
Small Miracles Therapeutic Equestrian Center, Inc. – Equine-Assisted Activities & Therapies Program ($17,007) enhances the physical, emotional, social, cognitive and behavioral growth of individuals with special needs and disabilities through both mounted and unmounted equine-assisted activities and therapies.
Small Miracles Therapeutic Equestrian Center, Inc. – Equine-Assisted Positive Youth Development Program ($13,227) enhances the fundamental life skills and personal development of children and youth by providing prosocial, leadership and work/college-readiness skills through the utilization of equine-assisted experiential learning activities.
Sullivan County Imagination Library – Sullivan County Imagination Library Program ($20,000) promotes early childhood reading through monthly mailings of free, age-appropriate books to registered children in our county who are between birth and age five.
FINANCIAL STABILITY
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UWGK’s newest initiative, The Kingsport Homeless Coalition, formed in January 2020 with a purpose to form a coordinated, compassionate plan to serve the homeless in the Greater Kingsport area. More than 20 private, public, non-profit, and faith-based agencies work to maximize resources by minimizing redundancy.
With COVID-19’s economic effects including loss of employment, loss of housing, food insecurity, and more, the Kingsport Homeless Coalition stepped in with an immediate response to provide temporary housing at a local motel and, to-date, have helped 75 individuals achieve permanent housing since the pandemic began. Here is one of their stories.
Mr. Sampson (name altered for privacy) is a 65-year-old, disabled veteran who had been experiencing homelessness for the last 6 months. Through our motel housing program, we provided temporary housing, case management, and other support services to Mr. Sampson. During his time with us, our coalition partners assisted him with transportation to appointments, housing applications, and provided the support he needed on his journey out of homelessness. In August of 2020, Mr. Sampson moved into his own apartment. With the help of our coalition partners, that apartment is fully furnished, and Mr. Sampson is on his way to financial stability.
PROMOTING SELF-SUFFICIENCY
Frontier Industries (Frontier Health) – Day Services Program ($44,312) offers pre-vocational, employment, residential, and community integration services to individuals who have intellectual, developmental, emotional and/or physical disabilities.
Hope Haven Ministries – Work Program ($27,300) provides emergency shelter and assistance to individuals so they may obtain gainful employment, build self- sufficiency and break the cycle of homelessness.
Hope House – Fresh Start Program ($19,369) offers support services for pregnant women, new parents, and extended family members who are in crisis concerning pregnancy, parenting, and providing basic needs for themselves and their young children.
Hope House – Restart Program ($19,369) reaches out with love and support to moms and babies in our community with what they need to grow, succeed, and become self-sufficient.
Family Promise of Greater Kingsport – Family Self-Sufficiency Program ($18,300) enhances the lives of homeless in Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia by providing families with children temporary shelter and assistance so they may become self-sufficient.
Literacy Council of Kingsport – Tutoring Program for Adults ($29,289) helps adults improve their literacy skills and assists students in learning to speak and read English through one-on-one tutoring with trained volunteers.
Small Miracles Therapeutic Equestrian Center, Inc. – Horses Empower Heroes Program ($8,976) promotes the recovery, stability and self-sufficiency of veterans by assisting with the transition from mere survival-mode into resiliency and hope through trauma-focused, relationship-rich, equine-assisted activities and therapies (EAAT).
FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN
UWGK’s 2020 campaign theme was “United We’re Strong,” focusing on Greater Kingsport’s collective power to fight for the health, education, and financial stability of every person in our community. Thank you to every donor, volunteer, and service provider in our area who helped raise the $3.11 Million for this year’s campaign! Because of your generosity, we can continue our fight to make the life of every person in our community better.
TOP GIVING COMPANIES
CAMPAIGN AWARD COMPANIES
Platinum
| Bank of Tennessee | Citizens Bank | Domtar |
| Eastman Eastman Credit Union | Edwards Tipton Witt Agency | First Horizon Bank |
| Hunter, Smith & Davis | Kingsport Chamber of Commerce | Powell Valley National Bank |
| Rodefer Moss | TEC Industrial |
Gold
| Appalachian Power Company | Ballad Health |
| Blackburn Childers & Steagall | City of Kingsport |
| Hamlett Dobson Funeral Homes | Cerdia (Primester) |
Silver
Goodwill Industries
Wilson Worley PC
Bronze
Kingsport City Schools
2020 CAMPAIGN CABINET
Campaign Chair
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Campaign Vice-Chair
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Alexis de Tocqueville Society (Gifts of $10,000 or more)
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Signature Club (Gifts between $1,000 and $9,999)
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Eastman –
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Industry I & II –
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Commercial Firms –
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Community Business –
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Healthcare –
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Professionals –
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Public Service –
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BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND STAFF
View and contact current staff
SERVING BY POSITION (Officers, Committee Chairs & Vice Chairs)
| President | Keith Parker | (Eastman) |
| Vice-President | Josh Fuller | (ECU) |
| Secretary | Michelle Bacon | (Partner Industrial) |
| Treasurer/Finance Chair | Andy Hatfield | (Blackburn, Childers & Steagall) |
| Assistant Treasurer/Finance Vice-Chair | Ron Nussman | (Domtar) |
| Administration Committee Chair | Jenny Dugger | (Bank of Tennessee) |
| Administration Committee Vice-Chair | Isaac Allman | (Worley) |
| Audit Committee Chair | Michelle Stewart | (Eastman) |
| Audit Committee Vice-Chair | Jonathan Bailey | (General Shale) |
| Communications Chair | Diana Meredith | (Goodwill Industries) |
| Communications Vice-Chair | Carmen Musick | (Kingsport Times-News) |
| Community Assessment Planning Chair | Karen Boyd | (Legal Aid) |
| Community Assessment Planning V-Chair | Jeff Hooker | (Community Volunteer) |
| Community Investment Chair | Allen Booth | (Community Volunteer) |
| Community Investment Vice-Chair | Brian Alderson | (BLS Thompson & Litton) |
| Human Resources Chair | Eryn O’Brien | (Eastman) |
| Human Resources Vice-Chair | Nina Nabors | (Eastman) |
| Leadership Development Chair | Selina Hall | (Domtar) |
| Leadership Development Vice-Chair | Terry Cunningham | (KHRA) |
| Quality Chair | Alan Freeman | (Community Volunteer) |
| Quality Vice-Chair | Edd Baldock | (Community Volunteer) |
| Resource Development Chair | Brent Mullins | (Powell Valley Bank) |
| Resource Development Vice-Chair | Chad Austin | (City of Kingsport) |
| Strategy Advisor | Bill Fortenberry | (Eastman) |
| Strategy Advisor – Vice | John Perdue | (Community Volunteer) |
SERVING AS AT-LARGE MEMBERS
| Dale Clark | (Ballad Health) |
| Brett Sago | (Eastman) |
| Sharon Amstutz | (Community Volunteer) |
| Jeff Moorhouse | (Kingsport City Schools) |
| Bradley Hoover | (Chamber/PEAK) |
| Angie Stanley | (Sullivan County Commission) |
| Chris McCartt | (City of Kingsport) |
| Craig Schmidt | (Eastman) |
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
| President | Keith Parker | (Eastman) |
| Vice-President | Josh Fuller | (ECU) |
| Secretary | Michelle Bacon | (Brock) |
| Treasurer/Finance Chair | Andy Hatfield | (Blackburn, Childers, Steagall) |
| Assistant Treasurer/Finance Vice-Chair | Ron Nussman | (Domtar) |
2020 ADVISORY COUNCIL
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Jeanette Blazier |
Doris Bush |
Craig Denison |
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Ted Fields |
Rick Johnson | Cari Parker |
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John Perdue |
Norris Sneed | Andy Wampler |
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Greg Boehling |
Etta Clark | Rick Witt |
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Jim Harlan |
Brian Miller | |
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Brett Sago |
Fred Wallin |