Statements
Mission
Neighbor serving Neighbor, by the power of God's grace. Who needs help... The working poor: Most are unprepared or ill-equipped to deal with a crisis situation (illnesses, accidents, divorce, loss of employment are all reasons many seek help). The working and middle classes: Growing numbers of Williamson County residents, including many who have never had to ask for help before, need help with the expenses of living. The poverty stricken: People who are having trouble breaking the cycle of poverty and dependence on outside help. Those in situational poverty: Situational poverty is a condition caused by a single event and is often temporary.
Background
In 1994, a small group of Williamson County residents realized people within their own community had real needs and those needs were not being met. They believed the answer was to establish a central place to send people who needed help., rather than duplicating efforts. Together this small group of concerned citizens planted a small faith-based ministry to help struggling neighbors with basic physical, emotional and spiritual needs.Today, thousands of Williamson Country residents have joined together to make a difference. Schools, businesses, civic groups, individuals and nearly 100 local churches of many denominations support the mission of GraceWorks. GraceWorks is now the robust community resource center in Williamson County, and has established a referral network with other agencies to expand the services that can be offered to county residents in need. Twenty years and hundreds of thousands of requests for help later, the mission of GraceWorks is still necessary.
Impact
2020-21 Fiscal Year Accomplishments: 14,027 Student Fuel Bags of food given to provide weekend nutrition to students who qualify for free/reduced lunches. Limited only by funding, this number represents 15% of students who qualify. Provided food to 9,332 unduplicated people. 1,011 children received Christmas gifts at The Manger. Helped 1,331 unduplicated individuls with utility bills. Helped 898 unduplicated individuals with rent payments. 2021-22 GraceWorks Goals 1. Secure a new site for GraceWorks services with our lease expiration in June 2023. 2. Meet expected increased demand across all our services. 3. Continue developing long-term solutions toward a stable and financially secure future for those in need through internal training and partnering with other organizations to provide mentoring, training and education. 4.. Increase monetary and in-kind funding, visibility and understanding. 5. Continue developing an outstanding team of staff and volunteers.
Needs
1. Securing a site for GraceWorks' services with our lease expiration in June 2023. More awareness in the community regarding issues facing people in poverty and ways to help our neighbors in need. 2. Increase civic, corporate, church and business partners. 3. Monetary and in-kind donations to meet the growing demand. 4. Both short-term and long-term volunteers.
CEO Statement
As the primary source of emergency financial assistance in Williamson County, GraceWorks has responded to staggering requests for help from our neighbors. What began as a small group of Christ followers wanting to do a little more for the community is now one of the largest help agencies in Middle Tennessee. Twenty-six years have passed since GraceWorks opened its doors to Williamson County residents needing help. In those 26 years GraceWorks has responded to hundreds of thousands of requests and has distributed millions of dollars in food to financially strapped and food-insecure households. And while we are proud of our strong history of serving the growing needs in our county, we are equally as proud of the people who give of their time, talents and treasures to distribute our services. More than 100 churches of varying size and denominations have partnered with us to be the hands and feet of Jesus to a community in need. In addition, civic, business and community partners stand beside us to fill in the gaps for neighbors falling through the cracks. While we are aware that many of the persons who seek our help suffer from temporary situational poverty, we are also aware that generational poverty exists, even in Williamson County. Going forward, GraceWorks will continue to meet basic needs while also giving tools and resources to help break the cycle of dependency. We will provide education and enrichment opportunities that can start anyone on a path to self-sufficiency.
Board Chair Statement
Living in the most affluent county in Tennessee does not mean we do not have the poor among us. GraceWorks is constantly making itself and the general public aware of the needs of the poor in our county. Meeting some of those needs with basic necessities as well as networking with other agencies in the county to work together to meet the needs is the goal. Watching God work through an army of faithful volunteers and faithful benefactors and churches is the reward for our Board of Directors. Staying aware of the needs and being ready to meet those needs is the mission.
Service Categories |
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| Primary Category: | Human Services - Emergency Assistance (Food, Clothing, Cash) |
| Secondary Category: | Food, Agriculture & Nutrition - Food Banks, Food Pantries |
| Tertiary Category: | Housing, Shelter - Housing & Shelter NEC |
Areas Served
Anyone regardless of residence may receive food. All other services are for residents of Williamson County, TN, only.
| TN - Williamson |
