In honor of Women’s History Month, I want to highlight several organizations in East Tennessee that are working towards supporting and uplifting women and girls in many ways.
Women’s Fund of East Tennessee
The Women’s Fund of East Tennessee believes, “investing in women and girls creates healthier communities for all of us.” It serves 25 counties including Washington, Carter and Sullivan County. Executive Director Kirby Deal “is passionate about the work to break down barriers for low-income women and girls.” The grantees include Girls Inc., Boys and Girls Club of Greater Kingsport and Elizabethton.
The Restoration House
The nonprofit is a faith-based organization that supports single mothers and their children. Its core values include restoration, community, reciprocity, dignity and collaboration. Most of the families have experienced homelessness and Restoration House provides the support they need to access much-needed resources. “In 2024 over 450 individuals, churches, businesses, foundations and local government invested over $1 million in single-mother families.” Last year, 100% of the moms graduated from post-secondary education programs. The Restoration House also offers On Belay, an after-school and summer program for the children.
The YWCA Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia
While the YWCA was founded in 1855, it has served women in the Johnson City area since 1943, and “began as a residence for women who came to the area seeking employment during World War II.” Its mission is “dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all.” The organization has five key focus areas for women in the community including affordable childcare, teen pregnancy support and TechGYRLS After School Enrichment. TechGYRLS is a STEM-based program for girls in 4th-8th grade. It is free of charge and transportation is provided.
Girl Talk Inc.
The Knoxville-based organization was established in 2006 and “exists to empower girls to become their best selves by reducing the likelihood of teen pregnancy and helping them to advance educationally.” Girl Talk has a mentoring program for girls in 6th-12th grade where they receive “hope, encouragement, love, support and confidence” from the women mentors. The mentors receive training and attend events with their mentees including The Girl Talk Sleepovers, college tours, The Girl Talk Fashion Gala and the Annual Holiday Party.
1 on 1 mentor Brittney Dunn who volunteers for Girl Talk says, “I love being a mentor with Girl Talk because I have the opportunity to build confidence and encourage self-love in teen girls. I’m dedicated to showing my mentees they can be loved, accepted, and successful without compromising their beliefs and values. I want to be an extra support cheering them on at every stage in their journey. With this unwavering support, my hope is that they will be able to remove self-doubt and believe that they can conquer whatever challenges life throws at them.” The organization is currently working on a $4.2 million project called “The Girl Talk House” which will help support 800 girls at one time.
FemCity
FemCity “is a dynamic and influential women’s organization that thrives on empowering women to achieve their full potential in both personal and professional realms.” Founder and CEO of FemCity, Violette de Alaya started her business to “help over 1 million women through its program, platform and diverse community” to network and grow their businesses. FemCity members can apply for a small business grant for free through the organization’s website. Women can get a free FemCity Community Membership which includes access to a monthly Masterclass with Violette, weekly emails and a discounted rate to attend local events.
