United Way of Greater Knoxville running program to help families

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - 600 East Tennessee families stand to get some significant help from the United Way of Greater Knoxville.

The East Tennessee Collaborative is powered by a grant from the U.S. Department of Human Services.

The grant is for three years and will total $25 million.

“The goal is to help families reach self-sufficiency,” said Kaki Reynolds, the director of the ETC.

This is geared toward families who meet the qualifications and is intended to help them wean off social support and into financial independence.

”We’re really excited about the work we’re doing with systems focus here at the United Way and using this grant to show those gaps and highlight them and mobilize our community to be able to fill them,” said Reynolds.

This money will help families over a year and a half.

It’s geared to help advance in their work and also move into more stable housing, whether rentals or on the path to owning their own home.

”Hopefully, a lot of our community businesses to work with our individuals without participants to employ them. Additionally, we’ll be helping people with housing,” said Reynolds.

The United Way will have nine counselors placed between the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley, YMCA of East Tennessee, YWCA Knoxville and the Tennessee Valley, Knox Area Urban League and Centro Hispano de East Tennessee.

The hope is the three-year program will spur others to help fellow community members or show the money is being put to good use and should be offered up again.

Families in East Tennessee can apply or be referred.

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