Celebrating 90 Years of Impact

April 2024

A note from our Executive Director...

Friends of United Way,

What a beautiful Spring we're having in Northeast Tennessee! Our United Way and volunteers have been hard at work in three key areas I wanted to highlight to you today.

1.United Way celebrates 90 years in 2024! We've got a lot of fun things planned for this year, but it all starts with learning our history! Please check out the great column in this newsletter for more about our history!

2.Our Citizen's Review process has just concluded, where six panels of volunteers spend a day on the "road," visiting our member agencies and hearing firsthand about their operations. We continue to be overwhelmed by all the good being done in our community, including systemic solutions to address significant needs. Highlights of our time include:

a. Impressive presentations by our two newest agencies of the Oasis of Kingsport (serving women of all ages and demographics through educational classes and programs, laundry facilities, and fellowship) as well as the Upper East Tennessee Human Development Agency - Community Services Neighbor Assistance Program (helping with housing and employment assistance).

b. Excellent presentations from agencies of how COVID impacted their operations and now are even better.

c. A reminder of the great needs and problems in our community – including Domestic Violence and Child Abuse – are being addressed in caring ways by Tina at Safe House, Gina at Children's Advocacy Center, Shannon at CASA, as well as a team of folks with Legal Aid, just to name a few.

3.The scheduled closing of Westside Inn, which the Tennessee Health Department has condemned, has created a relocation of its guests. Our United Way staff member, Jonathan Anderson, and City Social Worker, Erin Gray, have been boots on the ground going door to door to create good options for these guests. In addition, United Way hosted a meeting on Tuesday with over twenty community organizations in attendance, all raising their hands to help.

It's also Volunteer Appreciation Month!

So please join me in thanking everyone who volunteers for United Way, a member agency, or in our community! Remember to thank and recognize those who volunteer today! In a recent visit to Kingsport, First Lady of Tennessee, Maria Lee, said, "There are all kinds of ways to volunteer and there's a huge mental health benefit to serving. When a person is serving, especially serving consistently, you start reaping benefits yourself. Nonprofits cannot do the work they do without volunteers!"

Remember to check out our regional website at www.volunteer-united.org for opportunities!

Have a wonderful Spring!

Looking Back & Leading Forward,

Danelle Glasscock

Executive Director

You can continue to support United Way of Greater Kingsport's efforts to improve lives in the Greater Kingsport community beyond our 90-year history by giving today! Visit uwaykpt.org/give or mail a pledge or check to United Way of Greater Kingsport, 301 Louis Street, Suite 201, Kingsport, TN 37660.

A Moment in History

By 1933, the scrappy little fundraiser first introduced by the Kingsport Business Men's Club as the "Community Chest" had been a fixture in the local community for over a decade. The chest took the lead in the daily needs of the city, stocking a food pantry, paying for school lunches, and even canning tomatoes and other vegetables to distribute when severe weather damaged crops and caused food shortages.

As Kingsport continued to grow, so did the need for a local hospital. The Commonwealth Fund, a philanthropic organization out of New York City, agreed to pay $240,000 of the $300,000 price tag to build a hospital in Kingsport. Community residents were tasked to raise and contribute $60,000- or $1,432,273.85 in today's dollars. In November of 1933, a joint campaign fundraiser for the Community Chest and the Hospital began. On August 9th,

1935, the Times News reported Holston Valley Hospital had opened to the public as " one of the most modern hospitals in the U.S. with 50-60 beds, all modern equipment, including a nurse’s home..."

The creation of HVCH drew attention to the model city and as the needs of the community began to grow, so did the desire for a more formal fundraising organization. In 1934, the Community Chest was formally chartered as the Kingsport Community Chest with B. M. Brown named the first Board President and setting the stage for decades of future leaders to serve. Names listed on the charter included E. W. Palmer, J. Fred Johnson, and P. S. Wilcox. Kingsport was celebrating two decades as a city, and the future looked bright.

But as one milestone passed, the 1940’s loomed on the horizon and WWII was getting underway. The war effort would provide yet another hurdle for the citizens of Kingsport and test the merits of the Community Chest. Next month we'll explore the impact of WWII on Kingsport and what led to the campaign being cancelled for the first time in history.

April is Volunteer Month!

Appointments through April 11th

Community Ambassadors

We are seeking newcomers and host families into this new program.

To learn more and apply visit by clicking here