Mayor Madeline Rogero proposed a list of “youth investments” as part of the 2016-17 budget she unveiled Wednesday. These are grants to non-profit organizations that serve the “at-risk” young black men that her Save Our Sons initiative aims to steer away from violence. More than half these agencies are being funded by the city for the first time. The list doesn’t include on-going investments in youth, such as Parks and Recreation sports and after-school programs.
100 Black Men of Greater Knoxville: $10,000 (compared to receiving $0 this budget year)
A1 Learning Connections: $2,500 ($0 this year)
Big Brothers Big Sisters of East Tennessee: $2,500 ($0 this year)
C.O.N.N.E.C.T. Ministries: $20,000 ($10,000 this year)
CASA of East Tennessee: $1,500 ($1,000 this year)
Emerald Youth Foundation: $5,000 ($2,500 this year)
Girl Talk Inc.: $10,000 ($0 this year)
Girls on the Run: $3,000 ($0 this year)
Knox Leadership Foundation (Amachi): $10,000 ($0 this year)
Lighthouse at Austin Homes: $1,000 (same as this year)
PTA Clothing Center: $2,000 ($0 this year)
Second Harvest Food Bank: $10,000 ($8,000 this year)
SEEED: $20,000 ($0 this year)
Shora Foundation: $2,500 ($0 this year)
UUNIK Academy: $6,000 ($2,000 this year)
Wesley House Community Center: $10,000 ($0 this year)
YWCA: $15,000 ($5,000 this year)
Change Center: $250,000 ($0 this year)
Total: $381,000 ($129,000 this year)
Plus Youth Arts Organizations:
Community School of the Arts: $3,000 ($0 this year)
Joy of Music School: $19,000 (same)
Knoxville Children’s Theater: $2,500 ($0 this year)
The Muse: $15,000 (same)
Featured photo: Emerald Youth partnered with the city to run the refurbished pool at the E.V. Davidson Recreation Center, where all kids in Emerald Youth after-school programs learn to swim. Photo by Shawn Poynter
S. Heather Duncan has won numerous awards for her feature writing and coverage of the environment, government, education, business and local history during her 15-year reporting career. Originally from Western North Carolina, Heather has worked for Radio Free Europe, the Institute for War and Peace Reporting in London, and several daily newspapers. Heather spent almost a dozen years at The Telegraph in Macon, Ga., where she spent most of her time covering the environment or writing project-investigations that provoked changes such as new laws related to day care and the protection of environmentally-sensitive lands. You can reach Heather at heather@knoxmercury.com
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