Where we started

East Tennessee State University’s campus is located in vibrant Johnson City, Tennessee, surrounded by gorgeous lakes and thriving mountains. Founded in 1911, the university’s focus was to improve the quality of life for people in the region and beyond.

The Center for Community Outreach at East Tennessee State was founded on those same principles and operates within the Office of the Vice Provost for Research. Established to serve Tennessee’s low-income or financially disadvantaged individuals and families, the Center’s vision is to increase personal empowerment and reduce income inequality for Tennesseans.

Through grant writing and funding, the focus is to help low-income individuals and families improve their economic situations while increasing community-level economic development. It began in the early 1990s, overseeing programs funded by the State of Tennessee Department of Human Services and other agencies that served struggling families throughout East Tennessee. Over the years, the Center has slowly expanded and now serves all of Tennessee’s 95 counties.

Where we are

Since its inception, over US$160 million has been funneled through the Center to fund programs such as FRESH START, Gear-Up, WIA In-School Youth, Even-It-Up Mentoring Program, Families First, Nurse-Family Partnership, IMPACT Non-Custodial Program, WIOA Title 1 and TANF Families Focused Solutions, and many more. These programs have all served the families of Tennessee in a mentoring or holistic fashion, providing educational training, employment services and support to remove barriers.

The value of assisting families through tough times keeps the Center’s gears turning. Four grant contracts are currently funded through the Center, all powered by the Tennessee Department of Human Services, which helps low-income individuals remove barriers, obtain employment in various fields or obtain employment to pay their child support.

Through Families First, the Center assists the Tennessee Department of Human Services with TANF compliance and various support such as car repairs, employment attire and tuition or educational support. The Family Focused Solutions Program offers TANF customers and their families counseling and mentorship while navigating hardships. The IMPACT program assists non-custodial parents in removing barriers and obtaining gainful employment to pay for their court-ordered child support.

Finally, through a partnership with Blue Care of Tennessee, the Healthy Careers initiative helps low-income individuals become employed in healthcare-related positions or assists employed individuals in climbing the career ladder by providing post-employment services.

With full support from the East Tennessee State University’s campus administrative offices, the Center for Community Outreach operates stand-alone systems for case management and support payment processing. Its dedicated office staff and 60-plus field staff work hard to ensure that grants and contracts are carried out accurately and efficiently. In addition, the Center strives to ensure that its employees, customers and partners feel welcome and heard and that they are treated like family.

In 2024, the Center celebrated 30 years of existence and partnership with the Tennessee Department of Human Services. Executive Director Amy Edwards believes that relationships are everything, and because of those cultivated and nurtured relationships, the Department continues to thrive.

Where we’re going

The East Tennessee State University Center for Community Outreach began with the premise of bridging the gap for low-income or disadvantaged families. Through continued grant-writing efforts and innovative ideas, the Center looks forward to continuing with its vision and expanding its reach. The partnership between the East Tennessee State University and the Tennessee Department of Human Services has successfully moved the needle for families all over the state. We are dedicated to our ongoing efforts with drive and intent while fully supporting the Commissioner’s vision and commitment to the families we are so very blessed to serve together.

We want to thank Commissioner Carter and his Tennessee Department of Human Services staff for their hard work and trust, and we look forward to our continued partnership and commitment to the families living in the great state of Tennessee.