The Next Door Knoxville is over a year old! We celebrated the Grand Opening of the Knoxville Residential Transitional Center on February 17, 2010. And the first resident arrived that same day!

The Next Door Knoxville has capacity to serve up to 14 women at a time. Residents come to the program from incarceration in Knoxville and the contiguous counties, to find hope and help to re-enter society and rebuild their lives. Services offered include transitional housing, recovery support services, individual and group counseling, workforce development support, and case management services. Click here to view photos from the first Transition Ceremony honoring the four women in our first group of ladies to complete the six-month program.

The Grand Opening in February 2010 was attended by Director Gil Kerlikowske of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, Pam Hyde, Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Gayle Ray, Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Correction, and Virginia Betts, Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Mental health and Developmental Disabilities, as well as many other state and local officials. Photos.

Central Bearden Partners with TND Knoxville

Thank you to our many friends at Central Baptist Bearden for your partnership! We are grateful for your help in gathering the needed supplies, hearing our stories, praying for us, and all the other ways your help make transformation possible in the lives women in Knox County. 
 

On February 17, a group of residents and staff from The Next Door Knoxville were treated to the University of Tennessee Lady Vols women's basketball game at Thompson-Boling Arena. The group of Big Orange fans had a great time cheering the Lady Vols on to victory! Many thanks to Margaret Dye and Joan Cronan, members of The Next Door Knoxville Advisory Council, who provided this fun opportunity for the women.

TND Knoxville Plants a Garden

The Next Door Knoxville has a very special project underway - their own vegetable garden. A group of community volunteers, Spectra Energy Corporation employees, and residents of The Next Door cleared the garden area and planted the future harvest in just one day.

The garden's designers were Ileen Cheek and Emily Gonzolas. Ileen holds a "Master Gardener" designation and is an active community volunteer. Emily leads the UT Extension Services' Master Gardener Program.

Spectra Energy Corporation provided funding and manpower for the project. Spectra employee Nathan Dore led a team of fellow employees, and volunteers Sherry Millhorn and Nancy Haysom provided lunch for all the Spectra workers. The women living in the Residential Transition Center will maintain and care for the garden, and they will also enjoy harvesting the produce and preparing meals using what they've grown.

Many thanks to the volunteers and Spectra for this gift, and a special thanks to Margaret Dye, who helped organize the project, enlist the volunteers and purchase the supplies needed to install the garden.

» WBIR Knoxville
» Knoxville News Sentinel
» Maryville Daily Times

Internet and Media Coverage of the Knoxville Grand Opening:

» ONDCP Director Kerlikowske's Blog about the Grand Opening
» Fox News Sunday Broadcast Highlights The Next Door
» WBIR, Channel 10 in Knoxville
» The U.S. Department of Justice Blog
» Knoxville News Sentinel