We have a new location – Miracle Ridge! Read more about it here.
As we grow into a larger home, simultaneously we can grow our ministry. Through your generosity, our Miracle Ridge location will provide an indoor classroom, office space, participant housing and outdoor serenity. The 3.5-acre property needs repairs and renovations, as well as annual maintenance. Your support goes directly to the home and upkeep. To learn more about the Miracle Ridge property click here. Thank you for choosing to support Hand UP for Women.
Life Management | Career Readiness | Spiritual Development
Do you feel completely lost and hopeless? You’ve come to the right place.
At Hand Up For Women we offer a hand UP to women who want to live a self-sufficient, abundant life free of loneliness and fear. We understand you have been through things many of us can only imagine. We believe you were created for MORE and deserve to live the abundant life God has planned for you. We’ve helped hundreds of women like you become self-sufficient, successful and full of hope.
Here’s how:
- Make the decision that you want to change your life for the better
- Work with us to create a personalized plan to achieve your life goals
- Meet the supportive family of women who will walk alongside you
- Begin classes. You’re on your way to abundant living!
Are you ready to take the first step toward a changed life?
Complete the online application or call 865-525-9696 or email [email protected] to receive one in the mail. Once we receive your application, we’ll contact you to set up an interview.
Our volunteer instructors are the backbone of our program. They teach a variety of subjects from professional development to how to change a tire.
INSTRUCTORS
Every woman in our program is matched with a trained mentor to serve as her personal support and encouragement source.
MENTORS
We love celebrating! Throughout the year, we’ll celebrate holidays, birthdays and graduation, but mostly the achievement of our ladies.
CELEBRATIONS
Overcoming Darkness: From Addiction to Redemption
Opioids, commonly known as prescription painkillers, can lead to serious consequences when misused. In Knox County alone, there have been 219 suspected drug overdose deaths as of September 2024. According to the Knox and Anderson Counties Drug-Related Death Report from the Knox County Regional Forensic Center, synthetic opioids were among the top five drugs involved in drug-related deaths in 2023. Amanda Roberts’ Struggle: Experiencing Painkillers and Prison Amanda Roberts, a participant in the Hand UP for Women program, describes opioids as the most harmful drug, sharing her experience of using them for nearly a decade. She took these powerful painkillers for about 10 years. “It [opioids] takes the life out of you,” Roberts shared, “After three days of taking it [...]
Advisory Council Advantage: Two Members Propel Hand UP for Women
Asking a friend for help in a time of need can seem like a no-brainer. For Hand UP for Women, an advisory council serves a similar purpose, but on a larger level. This behind-the-scenes group plays a pivotal role in guiding and enhancing the nonprofit organization. Comprising experienced professionals and community leaders, the council offers invaluable insights and strategic direction in medicine, church community engagement, media relations, board recruitment, and nonprofit management. Advisory council members help to shape Hand UP’s mission and goals. Gary Duncan and Newman Bankston are two members of the council who help amplify Hand UP for Women’s impact on the staff, participants and community. Contact us if you’re interested in joining our advisory council. Building Strong [...]
Christina Duncan’s Story: From Federal Prison to Hope for Pardon
Christina Duncan’s world was upside down. At 25 years old, she was imprisoned at Alderson Federal Prison in West Virginia for three and a half years. Thanks to completing a residential drug and alcohol program, she knocked some time off her sentence. “I always say that was probably one of the best experiences of my life because that’s what turned my life completely around,” shared Christina Duncan, a 2015 Hand UP for Women graduate. She was locked up for federal drug conspiracy charges, something she doesn’t deny. “My life before that [going to prison] was so crazy and so filled with chaos. It’s hard to see the entire circumstances while we’re in the midst and it was a breath of [...]
Why Hand UP for Women Works
Hand UP for Women, a 501(c)(3) non-profit has grown, developed and matured with time and love since its inception in 2001. The Knox County Association of Baptists assisted with the organization’s startup, but the real momentum came when Eva Pierce was chosen as Executive Director. The organization began serving women in 2003. When Diane Gross was attending a Baptist church in East Tennessee, she learned about the organization and felt drawn to the program. At the time, Diane was a single mom who had been through challenging years in her own life and she saw many parallels between the women Hand UP was helping and in her own life. Diane had safety nets between her family and church family and [...]
Program Extension Builds Camaraderie and Enhances Knowledge
Expanding a program can be daunting, often seen as both a financial and time-consuming investment. Yet, for the dedicated team of staff and instructors at Hand UP for Women, extending the program from one year to a year and a half felt like the natural next step in transforming women’s lives. Program Evolvement Over the Years For more than a decade, Karen Mills has been the driving force behind Hand UP for Women’s program coordination. Alongside Eva Pierce, the executive director, they review curricula together. “When I started it was a year-long program,” When Mills started, the program was one year, but the said classes have evolved in tandem with the transformation of the women they serve. Current classes include [...]
Every woman in our program is matched with a trained mentor to serve as her personal support, accountability and encouragement source. Mentors attend a one-day training on a Saturday then, once matched, they meet with their participant once a week. Written covenants are used to outline the boundaries of these relationships.
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN TRAINING TO BECOME A MENTOR, PLEASE CONTACT KAREN MILLS AT [email protected]!! To get started please complete the online mentoring application or contact us.
Every Tuesday and Thursday, before class, groups and/or individuals provide a meal for the ladies. This is invaluable for the ladies and instructors that come straight from work. This is also a wonderful time of getting to know each other and just decompressing after a busy day. Some meal providers sign up for the entire year’s classes and are scheduled for the same night each month. Others prefer to just provide one or two meals a year.
There are openings in the meal schedule for the 2024-2025 class year. Contact Amanda Roberts at [email protected] for openings if you would like to provide a meal.
Several times throughout the year, we will have celebrations for our ladies when they graduate, meet a goal, or for a holiday. Special treats and prizes are always needed for those celebrations. We also have a yearly fundraising gala that utilizes sponsors and table hosts to make it a success.
ANNOUNCEMENT!! One of our wonderful volunteers have agreed to take over the collecting of prayer concerns from all the folks and friends of Hand UP For Women and doing some follow-up on those prayer concerns. If you have prayer requests, let us know. If you are part of a prayer team or maybe there is one at your church and would like to receive a weekly prayer list from Hand UP, please email Karen your contact information and she will pass it along to our leaders. ([email protected])
Our volunteer instructors are the backbone of our program. We are occasionally looking for new and additional instructors in all subject areas. The night classes are on Tuesday and Thursday from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. In the event that we begin daytime classes we will need instructors that are available during morning hours on Monday and Wednesday as well as new topics that would be helpful..