About Us
About Hand UP for Women
At Hand UP for Women, we envision a Knoxville community where all women, regardless of culture or socio-economic status, are well-equipped to wisely manage their lives and sustain adequate employment to meet their needs and secure their family’s future.
We strive to reach out with the love of Christ to women in our community who desire to move from dependency to self-sufficiency in every aspect of life. Many of these women have lost hope and have nowhere to turn.
As active and caring members of the Greater Knoxville community, we know you want to do your part to ensure a vibrant future for generations to come. We understand it can be hard to decide where to allocate your resources or which organizations(s) will be good stewards of your hard-earned dollars. A Hand UP for Women is not a “hand out.” It is not a welfare program. It is a life-management and career-readiness ministry. We bring dignity, self-confidence and renewed hope to women who might otherwise remain trapped in addiction, abuse, poverty and despair. We offer a long-term family and help to build life on a Christian foundation. Also individual mentorship.
However, we cannot succeed without the financial support and prayers of people like you. By giving to a Hand UP for Women, you are helping not only the women in the program, but their families, children and future generations. We can and do help break the heartbreaking cycles that are often repeated generation after generation.
Will you help us? I ask for your thoughtful and prayerful consideration of our ministry as the recipient of much-needed contributions.
In His Love,
Eva Pierce
Executive Director
Twenty Years of Transformation
Join Eva Pierce as she celebrates 20 years with Hand UP for Women, a transformative program that provides a safe haven for women to heal, grow, and discover their purpose. This video shares Eva’s personal journey and the profound impact of Hand UP for Women, which offers classes in life management, career readiness, and spiritual development, fostering a strong sense of community.
Learn about the program’s vision for expansion, its reliance on dedicated volunteers and donors, and the inspiring success stories of women whose lives have been changed. Discover how Hand UP for Women empowers women to find their purpose, build healthy relationships, and achieve spiritual fulfillment.
Board of Directors
Sylvia Phelps
President
Sylvia has found such inspiration in our ladies as she has gotten to know them through mentoring, teaching classes, and welcoming them into her ladies Bible study at Broadway Baptist Church. Her creative spirit and background in marketing led her to be chair of our development committee, resulting in unprecedented success. Sylvia stepped into the Presidency in 2026. She owns her own business and spends lots of time traveling to see children and grandchildren.
Christina Lindberg
Secretary
Christina took office as our new Secretary just this year, after serving as instructor for topics as diverse as Computer Skills to Sewing. She recently retired from the Clayton Homes Corporation and looks forward to road trips with her husband, Al. Especially trips to Houston to see their daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren. Christina and Al attend Calvary Church, Knoxville.
Diane Gross
Treasurer
Dedicated to this ministry since its founding in 2001, Diane serves as a board officer, instructor, mentor, and meal provider. She brings many years of financial management at First Presbyterian Church to her treasurer role. Among our ladies, Diane is known for her kindness and dry humor, probably developed through raising daughters.
Melissa Anderson
Board Member
A busy mom of three boys, Melissa still sets aside time to serve at her church, Faith Promise. A Financial Advisor, CFP, for Ameriprise Financial, two of her clients are involved with HUFW, one of whom invited her to attend the yearly gala. After hearing the stories there, she was quick to accept the invitation to serve on the board, starting in 2026.
Anne Hilliard
Board Member
Anne knows the effectiveness of HUFW first-hand, as she is a graduate of the program. She arrived here on a bus from Michigan Teen Challenge in 2005 and started classes that evening! Her early journey here had plenty of bumps in the road, but once she completely surrendered her life to the Lord, she became an inspiration to all the newer women. She works in Medical Collections, owns a beautiful home in the Holston Hills area, and is an active member of Black Oak Heights Baptist Church, and the HUGS graduate group.
Steve McNish
Board Member
Steve became a friend of Hand UP For Women over a decade ago as part of his role as Director of Midway Rehabilitation, a halfway house for released federal inmates. He believed in the need for women to be served in a comprehensive way that addressed their unique needs. He found that at HUFW and agreed to serve on the board upon retirement. He has also become an instructor for our Finances 101 class, and the provider of Little Debbie cakes for the office. Steve and his wife, Pam, live in Grainger County, and are active at Broadway Baptist Church.
Betty-Lou Simpson
Board Member
You won’t find a more passionate advocate for us than Betty Lou. For more than a decade, she has helped with dinner service on Tuesday and Thursday before classes and packed up our dinner leftovers for the ladies to take home. She uses her background as an Interior Designer to make our events beautiful. She also serves as a mentor and instructor, using her extensive history as an Educator. Betty-Lou is a member of Grace Lutheran Church.
Dr. Todd Stinnett
Board Member
Todd has become known for the inspiring, uncompromising messages he has shared at our fundraising galas. His passion for the miraculous life changes he has witnessed during his time as a board member and instructor shows through. As Senior Pastor of Black Oak Heights Baptist Church, he has had the honor of baptizing and discipling several graduates as they came to know the Lord and became part of the church family. He and his wife, Charisma, have six children and five grandchildren.
Jackie Wyatt
Board Member
Jackie came to know about Hand UP For Women through serving on the Community Relations Board at Midway Rehab. After seeing the results of the program, she decided that she wanted to contribute to their success, first by being a meal provider, then as a mentor. A retired Medical Administrator, Jackie uses her organizational skills to benefit the board. She is a small group leader at Riverstone Church and a mom and grandmother to MANY!
Staff
Eva Pierce
Executive Director
Eva Pierce has been the Executive Director of Hand UP for Women since 2002, following a career working with vulnerable populations and developing training curriculum for the Department of Children’s Services. Her dedication to the women we serve was recognized in 2006 when she was named one of Knoxville’s “Street Saints.” Eva holds a degree in Behavioral Science and completed the Nonprofit Management Certificate program at UT. She finds her work at Hand UP For Women to be the culmination of her life's experiences.
Karen Mills
Program Coordinator
Karen, a Knoxville native, has been with Hand UP for Women since 2011 and became Program Coordinator, where she supports instructors, mentors, and manages program logistics. She finds inspiration in the women we serve and enjoys her role in fostering their sisterhood.
Carrie McCulley
Administrative Coordinator
Carrie joined Hand UP for Women in June 2023, bringing her accounting skills to support our mission. By day an accounting professional, she loves creating things that last, whether balancing spreadsheets or building with LEGO. She is married with five children and active in her church.
Amanda Roberts
Administrative Assistant and Miracle Ridge House Manager
Amanda is a graduate and employee of Hand UP for Women, where she now helps others find freedom and hope, drawing from her own journey of overcoming adversity. She assists with events, meals, and donor appreciation, living by the motto “new playmates, new playgrounds.”