Statements
Mission
Inspiritus guides individuals and families on a path from surviving to thriving. We empower those whose lives have been disrupted to discover their strengths and resilience, accompanying them as they grow into vibrant contributors to their community.
Background
Established in 1927 as Lutheran Services in Tennessee; Joined forces with Lutheran Services of Georgia and became Inspiritus in 2019. Combined, we have touched the lives of more than 100,000 individuals. Inspiritus' Middle Tennessee programs focus on helping individuals and families thrive through services including hunger relief, family and children's services, disaster relief, refugee and immigrant support, disability services, and financial empowerment to the greater Nashville area. Inspiritus' regional operations in Middle Tennessee are headquartered in Nashville, under the supervision and leadership of Executive Director Janet Arning, long-time resident of Nashville.
EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMS:
• Building Healthy Families: began in 2010 to strengthen, support, and encourage healthy families in at-risk neighborhoods, providing Hunger Relief, a Caring Closet, women's support groups, and a Food Pantry operated in partnership with Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee.
• Thrive Studios Mobile Art Therapy: provides workshops that empower youth living in at-risk communities to process and tell their stories through therapeutic art and the creative process.
• Healthy Gardens: provides all the supplies and mentoring to teach food-insecure families and individuals in public and subsidized housing to grow their own nutritious food right outside their door.
Inspiritus continues to experience exponential growth in Middle Tennessee, as planned. The merger of the two organizations came as part of a strategic plan to sustain existing programs and funding in Middle Tennessee, and to bring significant growth and resources into the Middle Tennessee region with the expansion of programs such as:
REFUGEE & IMMIGRANT SERVICES: expanded in 2022 to provide refugee resettlement services in Nashville. Inspiritus also facilitates the timely and safe release of unaccompanied children to loved ones who are well-equipped to care for them, and support for those who have experienced human trafficking.
DISASTER RELIEF SERVICES: expanded in 2020 to respond to the Middle Tennessee tornadoes, and continues to act as an essential response and recovery provider in Middle Tennessee, supporting local communities and homeowners with capacity building, volunteer management, case management, and construction management. Current long-term recovery operations are underway in Waverly, TN and Nashville, TN following flash floods and tornadoes in 2021.
Impact
ST. PAUL'S BUILDING REDEVELOPMENT: We are excited to share that Inspiritus' Comprehensive Campaign to redevelop the property of the old St. Paul's Lutheran Church on Rosa Parks Blvd. is successfully underway! In April 2022, Inspiritus was awarded $2.5 million from the Barnes Fund and is launching an extensive comprehensive campaign for the construction and sustainability of a multi-use, multi-story development that would house hunger relief programs and other Inspiritus offices while tackling Nashville's affordable housing crisis by adding 80+ new units.
EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMS: Inspiritus historical Empowerment Programs continue to thrive in Middle Tennessee:
• Healthy Gardens: 204 new and sustained family gardens empowered 143 low-income households to produce 20,931 fresh produce that fed 558 individuals, providing essential hunger relief during a time when hunger insecurity was heightened due to COVID-19 impacts.
• Thrive Studios Mobile Art Therapy: 148 vulnerable children and youth benefited from Thrive Studios Art Therapy. In response to needs arising due to COVID-19, we also provided over 4,758 meals to our Thrive Studios youth and distributed 500+ take-home art kits.
• Food Pantry: Provided hunger relief for 2,000+ unduplicated individuals. Inspiritus' Food Pantry is operated in partnership with Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee.
• Building Healthy Families: Provided 7,000+ on-site meals and take-home fuel bags.
REFUGEE & IMMIGRANT SERVICES: Inspiritus is happy to share that in 2022 we have officially launched permanent Refugee & Immigrant Services in Nashville, in partnership with the US Government Office of Refugee Resettlement and Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services:
• Refugee Resettlement: Inspiritus is now one of three nonprofit organizations in Nashville to resettle refugees. Intensive services include providing for the day-to-day needs of newly arrived refugees, i.e., an apartment, food, health screenings, obtaining a social security card, English as a Second Language enrollment for adults, school registration for children, and guidance during uncertain times. Inspiritus provides extended cultural orientation training to recently arrived refugees.
• Unaccompanied Children: Inspiritus ensures the safe release of unaccompanied children to their families by assessing potential placements for safety and stability and providing extended support to vulnerable families as they adjust to life in Tennessee.
• Trafficking Victims Assistance Program (TVAP): Inspiritus helps foreign national survivors of human trafficking achieve the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Certification through trauma-informed, person-centered, comprehensive case management services. TVAP further facilitates timely access to vital services, such as emergency assistance, housing, safety planning, basic needs, health, legal, education, employment, and language, that survivors need to stabilize and re-establish their ability to live independently.
DISASTER RELIEF: Empowered by the financial support of the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee and other partners, Inspiritus:
• Repaired and rebuilt 50+ homes of survivors of the Cookeville, TN 2020 Tornadoes.
• In the 2021 Nashville floods, Inspiritus has led home construction repairs in Davidson and Wilson Counties in collaboration with the Nashville Long-Term Recovery Group.
• In Humphreys County, Inspiritus led response and now recovery efforts for Waverly Flood survivors, repairing 100+ homes from 2021-2023.
COVID-19 RELIEF: Inspiritus received CARES Act funding to provide eligible families and individuals with emergency financial assistance for utilities, food, housing, and household supplies related to COVID-19, including $320,000 that was allocated to assist households in Tennessee, including COVID-19 adapted services extended by Building Healthy Families, Thrive Studios, and Healthy Gardens.
Needs
1) Annual operating support increase of $100,000 to support program expansions, and Comprehensive Campaign support via committee participation and/or financial pledges toward a $27M campaign goal that includes sustainable program operating support and building redevelopment capital cost.
2) Truck and/or trailer donation for the Healthy Gardens Empowerment Program.
CEO Statement
Inspiritus Middle Tennessee region spearheads a collaboration of experienced staff, volunteers and community partners that guides individuals and families on a path from surviving to thriving. We do this in Middle TN by providing 1) Empowerment Programs, 2) Refugee & Immigrant Services, and 3) Disaster Relief Services.
Service Categories |
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| Primary Category: | Human Services - Family Services |
| Secondary Category: | Public Safety, Disaster Preparedness and Relief - Disaster Preparedness and Relief Service |
| Tertiary Category: | Human Services - Ethnic/Immigrant Services |
Areas Served
Inspiritus primary service area is Middle Tennessee. Building Healthy Families & the Food Pantry are primarily in North Nashville, 37208. Thrive Studios Art Therapy operates across marginalized communities in Davidson & Rutherford Counties. The Healthy Gardens serve 9 low-income communities in Davidson, Rutherford, & Hickman Counties. Refugee & Immigrant Services operate from the NEW South Nashville Inspiritus site. Disaster Relief operates statewide, presently in Waverly, TN, and Nashville, TN.
| TN - Davidson |
| TN - Hickman |
| TN - Rutherford |
| TN - Humphreys |
| TN |
