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
Christina Lindberg
President
Christina took office as our new President 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.
Christina Duncan
Secretary
A graduate of Hand UP for Women, Christina uses her experience as an Office Manager to play a crucial role in the administration of the board. This wife and mother of three boys also finds time to be active in our alumni group Hand UP Graduates in Service – HUGS.
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.
Stacy Annear
Board Member
A native of Michigan, Stacy brings years of experience in legal and financial roles, currently with U.S. Renal Care. Her personal background gives her empathy for what our ladies face and allows her to share in the hope found in Christ. She and her husband, Tommy, have grown to love all that East Tennessee has to offer.
Angela Faulkner
Board Member
A realtor with a talent for renovation, Angela’s skills have been priceless with our move to Miracle Ridge. When it comes to fundraising, she is the definition of bold, because she deeply believes in what we do. Angela’s son, Jay, lives in Bristol where Angela grew up.
John McCulley
Board Member
One of our newest board members, John’s expertise will help us in everything from marketing to media to music. John has deep roots in the Knoxville community, coaching youth sports in Karns, and supporting his five children in their many activities along with Carrie, his wife.
Pam Mitchell
Board Member
When Pam became a volunteer three years ago, she hit the ground running! So, it was only natural for her to join the board and pair a position with her passion. She brings unique ideas for activities, having worked with varied populations. She says she wishes HUFW had existed when her mother was raising nine kids on her own.
Sylvia Phelps
Board Member
Sylvia has found such inspiration in our ladies as she has gotten to know them through mentoring, sitting in on classes, and welcoming them into her ladies Bible study. Her creative spirit and background in marketing led her to be chair of our development committee, resulting in unprecedented success. She also serves as a mentor.
Mike Sexton
Board Member
A retired Lieutenant Colonel in the Marine Corps, Mike brings needed strategic planning skills to our board and the development committee. He also leads a group from his church on fifth-Sunday Outside the Box service projects to keep Miracle Ridge looking spiffy.
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.
Tim Tatum
Board Member
Tim requested to join the board in 2025 after being blown away by the transformation stories shared at our gala. He is the Pastor at Alice Bell Baptist Church, whose congregation has supported us for many years. He hopes to widen our influence in the local church community.
Keith Thach
Board Member
Recently retired from Caterpillar Corporation, Keith will bring his business acumen and network to the board, as well as a commitment to Biblical counseling. A married father of two sons, he knows first-hand the importance of a strong self-concept grounded in Christ.
Jennifer Wilson
Board Member
A realtor by trade, Jennifer is a connector of people. She has extensive experience working with domestic violence survivors and nonprofits who serve them. Jennifer’s husband Tom is also our go-to handyman at Miracle Ridge.
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.”