Animal Harbor
Animal Harbor is a limited-admission animal shelter facility serving Franklin County, Tennessee. It is operated by members of The Franklin County Humane Society, a private nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. Animal Harbor first opened its doors in February of 2003. It was the first animal shelter in Franklin County and was located in a former hog auction barn on David Crockett Hwy, outside of Belvidere, Tenn. On December 12, 2014, operations began in the current facility, 56 Nor-Nan Rd., Winchester. Call (931) 962-4472 or go to https://www.animalharbor.org/ for more information.
Blue Monarch
Blue Monarch’s mission is to provide a long-term, residential and therapeutic Christian community for women and their children to break adverse cycles and rebuild their families.
Blue Monarch offers each woman a one to two-year residential program specifically designed to fit her individual needs and help her further her education, break her addictions, become a better mother, obtain a job and gain independence. Blue Monarch is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit designed to serve abused and addicted women along with their children. We accept women who are currently recovering from physical, emotional and/or sexual abuse, alcohol or drug addictions, poverty and mental health issues. We accept women with children under the age of 9 and women who are pregnant.
Find out more ways to support the mission of the Blue Monarch by going to https://www.bluemonarch.org/.
Boy Scout Troop 14
St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School is the chartering organization of the Boy Scout Troop 14. The mission of the Boy Scout Troop is to provide leadership training, outdoor recreation opportunities, and skill development for boys in the community.
Community Action Committee
Community Action Committee, better known as CAC, is an outreach program led out of St. Mark and St. Paul, which is dedicated to combating poverty and hunger in rural Appalachia. CAC focuses efforts in and around the Sewanee community and works to alleviate the effects associated with poverty through the facilitation of a number of different programs including a food bank, tutoring program, and monthly community meals. The CAC is committed to active outreach. The CAC provides assistance to persons in crisis with services related to basic human needs, to identify ways those persons can break out of the cycles of poverty and need and ultimately present the love of Christ in the community. It is a 501(c)(3) under the umbrella of the Episcopal Diocese of Tennessee
The CAC is located at Kennerly Hall, next to St. Mark and St. Paul. To learn more about their programs and how to get involved, go to https://cacoteyparish.wixsite.com/cacsewanee.
Growing Roots
Growing Roots is a community of people who actively support whole health wellness and food accessibility on the South Cumberland Plateau. As the organization expands into an independent nonprofit entity, Growing Roots maintains that our strength is found in the input, collaboration, and diversity of the voices that make up the team, volunteers, participants, and partners. These individuals come from across Grundy, Marion, and Franklin counties and represent a wide breadth of economic, cultural, and social backgrounds. For more information and to get involved go to https://growhealthyroots.org/.
Folks at Home
Folks at Home (F@H) began as a grassroots project, sponsored by the Parish of St. Mark and St. Paul (formerly Otey Memorial Parish). In 2010, the organization began its first full year of operation. F@H is a local nonprofit organization developed for and dedicated to assisting its members in continuing a dignified and comfortable lifestyle in the community through coordination of services they need during elder years.
In 2020, F@H delivered an astounding total of 1,937 services of which 511 were delivered pro-bono. Continued Sewanee Community Chest support was critical during a time when F@H expanded its services for the good of the whole community, for example, taking over meal delivery to the home-bound when the Sewanee Senior Citizens Center had to close its doors because of COVID. For more information go to http://folksathome.org.
Fourth of July Celebration
In 1986, a little town on a big mountain had the best Independence Day celebration ever. Families and friends lined the street to celebrate America! America, its spacious skies, its amber waves of grain, and of course its foggy mountain majesties. There was music, dancing, cake-decorating contests, cat and dog displays of prowess, delicious food and drink, and of course, a parade.
The mission of the Sewanee Fourth of July committee is to celebrate Independence Day by bringing the community together and having families enjoy provided events intended for all ages. For more information and a schedule of this year’s events, go to http://www.sewanee4thofjuly.org/.
Housing Sewanee
Housing Sewanee Inc., (HSI) is a nonprofit organization modeled after Habitat for Humanity. Since 1993, HSI has built one house a year for an area family in need. These families include the elderly, the sick, the physically or mentally disabled, and grandparents raising their grandchildren.
HSI accepts applicants and selects recipients based on need and ability to sustain a no-interest mortgage. Recipients are expected to help with the building of their house when possible. Many times, their neighbors and families pitch in to help. Most houses are built for approximately $50,000. HSI provides the capital and volunteer labor to get the house built. When the house is finished, the owners begin to pay a monthly mortgage fee.
HSI’s newest project is in Sherwood Springs. HSI has begun the work needed for a small development on the six-acre Sherwood Road property it recently bought. The development will consist of up to eight units incorporating sustainable, low-energy building design and techniques in a small neighborhood that will encourage social interaction.
For more information and how to volunteer, go to https://www.housingsewaneeinc.com/
Little Bellas
Little Bellas is a mentoring on mountain bikes program that is open to girls of all abilities. The goal is to create an environment where learning mountain bike skills, building confidence, and growing the camaraderie among young girls is centered on having fun. The focus in Sewanee is on getting families out into nature and onto the trails. We try to engage underserved communities working to enable girls who may not be as active to try cycling as a method to get into nature and have fun, thus creating a habit around getting kids outside. The program is non-competitive, but more about relationship forming between girls, and between girls and volunteer women mentors. For more information about the national organization, go to https://littlebellas.com/.
MARC
Marion Animal Resource Connection (MARC) is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization of volunteer citizens concerned about the welfare of animals. MARC was created to assist people and animals live more humanely in Marion County, Tennessee, and to help ease the social burden of too many stray dogs and cats.
Through its directors and volunteers, MARC provides education for children and adults about humane care and treatment of animals. MARC connects people with affordable spay/neuter procedures to begin decreasing the number of unwanted and costly litters. MARC works with county and town governments to prevent needless killing of impounded dogs and cats. MARC works with individuals and other animal groups to try to find good homes for unwanted dogs and cats.
MARC is not a shelter. We can save only the number of animals for which we have foster homes. We are a resource to help Marion County residents find safe places for strays, dumped, and unwanted animals. Residents who call MARC for help will be encouraged to foster the animals, while we work hard hopefully to find a place to relocate the animals. During 2019, MARC served 2,113 animals.
For more information go to http://www.marc4change.org/
Mountain Goat Trail Alliance
The Mountain Goat Trail Alliance (MGTA) is committed to building a multiuse, multimodal walking and cycling trail connecting the communities along the path of the historic Mountain Goat Railroad. The MGTA raises funds to acquire property and to help construct the trail. In addition, the MGTA partners with public and private entities on programs and projects that enhances the well-being of our region.
The Mountain Goat Railroad was constructed in 1853, as a spur of the Nashville & Chattanooga Railroad. It carried coal from the mines of the Mountain, beginning in Sewanee and then extending to Tracy City, Coalmont, Gruetli-Laager, and Palmer. It also functioned as a passenger railroad. The Mountain Goat was decommissioned in 1985.
The Mountain Goat earned its name in part due to the climb up onto the Cumberland Plateau from Cowan. This was at the time the steepest slope in the world for a railroad line.
The Mountain Goat Trail Alliance is seeking to reclaim the path of the railroad. Working with local governments and other interested groups, the Alliance’s mission is to turn the old railroad bed into a multiuse recreational path. When finished, the 35-plus-mile trail will connect seven towns in two counties, offering health, recreational, and economic benefits to the area.
For more information go to https://www.mountaingoattrail.org/.
Reach Out and Read
Reach Out and Read (ROR) is a national nonprofit that champions the positive effects of reading daily and engaging in other language-rich activities with young children. Reading together promotes healthy brain development, furthers language acquisition, and helps families build meaningful bonds.
Founded in 1989, Reach Out and Read is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that gives young children a foundation for success by incorporating books into pediatric care and encouraging families to read aloud together. ROR partners with more than 6,400 clinics and hospitals in all 50 states to provide books and early literacy advice. Sewanee Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine joined ROR in 2016.
Sewanee Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine delivers the ROR program to approximately 760 young children per year, a majority of whom receive government-subsidized health insurance (e.g., TennCare) due to low family income. Though all clinics and hospitals that serve young children are eligible to join ROR, the organization focuses its outreach on medical sites that predominantly reach economically disadvantaged families.
For more information about the national organization go to https://reachoutandread.org/.
Sewanee Children’s Center
Since 1949, the Sewanee Children’s Center (SCC) has been serving Sewanee and other communities in the county and beyond with childcare as well as a preschool and after-school curriculum that “respects childhood as a time to explore, create, and be joyful.” The SCC is a cooperative preschool that offers a comprehensive developmental preschool program responsive to the needs of local children and families.
Even during the pandemic, the center continues to serve families in Marion, Franklin, and Grundy Counties. We usually have between 40 to 45 children from diverse economic backgrounds enrolled in our preschool and after-school programs. This year, we have a total of 12 children enrolled in our preschool program only. Our intention and optimism hope that attendance will return to normal next fall. Our value is not just to the children in our school, however; area employers benefit from the quality early childhood experience that the SCC provides. As one of only two preschool/childcare providers in Sewanee, we offer a valuable service to parents who work and study on and around the mountain, helping to make Sewanee a desirable place to raise a family, and helping employers to attract candidates who are or who hope to be parents of young children. The center also offers a Summer Camp program for students ages 2-7 and is a vital resource for families with working parents who need programming for their children during the summer. For more information go to https://www.sewaneechildrenscenter.org/
Sewanee Parent Organization
Since 1867 there has been a long-standing relationship between the community and the public school. For years this voluntary community commitment maintained the educational system, such as St. Paul’s on the Mountain school and the school on Billy Goat Hill.
When the Sewanee Civitan Club (now the Sewanee Civic Association) was first organized, its objective of good citizenship included “a comprehensive program for the betterment and improvement of every phase of community activity.” (Chitty) This included providing school facilities. At that time, the Franklin County Board of Education agreed to pay the salaries of teachers but did not provide the buildings. The University at that time was unable to help with the expenses. Funding for a new public school became a community goal. The school building would be on University leasehold land, owned by the Sewanee Civitan Club, and operated by the Franklin County School Board.
Funds were raised in the community and the Sewanee Public School was completed in 1927 through volunteer efforts. In 1933, the community built the Roosevelt Addition. In 1943, more than half of the town’s SCC budget went to maintain the school, and fund programs for enrichment and the purchase of supplies. The county took over the maintenance of the school in 1955 when the building and land were turned over to the county as long as a school remained on that site.
The Sewanee Elementary School (SES) continues to rely on yearly funding from the SCC to meet the school’s needs. This funding commitment has served the intentional purpose of eliminating the door-to-door fundraising.
The Sewanee Parent Organization (SPO), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, requests and disburses the SCC funds each year for SES. All money received is used for yearly support to the school. The SPO works with teachers and staff to find solutions to specific educational needs of the school that are not met by the Franklin County School system funding or services. Follow them on Facebook or on the website https://sewanee.fcstn.net/
Sewanee Senior Center
The Sewanee Senior Citizens Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. It began in 1978 with state funds from Title V for building renovations. Volunteers completed the work on the building. Part of the director’s salary at that time was paid from Franklin County Senior Citizens funding. Meals were offered through the state’s Nutrition Program (Title VII).
In 1997, the satellite relationship with Franklin County Senior Citizens became tenuous when their board voted to cease contributing to the director’s salary. The Sewanee Community Chest increased its donation. An anonymous donor remained committed to matching funds. The Center survived.
In September 2002, the Sewanee Center was excluded from the state’s Nutrition Program. Meals were available again in October 2002 when Lena McBee and Frances Lappin prepared food at home and brought it to the center for distribution. Because of their efforts and the funds received from the Franklin County Commission and the Sewanee Community Chest, the Center now has cooks. These cooks prepare more than 8,000 lunches annually.
In addition to meals for seniors and shut-ins, the Center provides various activities, which are scheduled weekly for 75 seniors and other members of the community. Activities include games, exercise groups, musical programs, blood pressure checks, reading groups and information sessions regarding nutrition and health care.
For more information, contact the Sewanee Senior Citizens Center at 598-0771, or drop by for a visit at 5 Ball Park Road.
Sewanee Community Center
The purpose of the Sewanee Community Center is to improve the quality of life in Sewanee by providing a space for community-initiated program and projects. The center is truly a space that unites the community. Everyone from college students to senior citizens to young children of all ages in between use the space. A sample of the programs includes the Locally Grown Farmer’s Market, yoga, tai chi, gymnastics, dance classes, Scout meetings, meditation workshops, La Leche League monthly meetings, chair exercise and dog obedience training. In addition, the Community Center Board sponsors a community-wide yard sale event each spring. The space is available for private parties also. approximately 600 – 800 individuals are using the Center for various purposes each month.
The center serves a wide range of ages in the Sewanee Community from youth (Scout meetings, gymnastic and dance classes) to the older population (chair exercises, fall prevention classes, tai chi). We support numerous classes for those seeking health and wellness (yoga, tai chi, boot camp). In addition, we support small business enterprises through the local on-line farmer’s market in addition to those who teach classes for income (yoga, boot camp, dance lessons, dog obedience training.