Nonprofits Archives - Page 72 of 84

Legal Aid Society promotes Janet Mynatt to managing attorney in Oak Ridge

Posted at 12:56 pm December 16, 2013
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Janet Mynatt

Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands, Tennessee’s largest nonprofit law firm, announced on Monday that it has promoted Janet Mynatt to managing attorney of the Oak Ridge office. Mynatt is replacing former Managing Attorney Neil McBride, who retired this month after 35 years of service.

Mynatt joined Legal Aid Society as a staff attorney at the Oak Ridge office in 2001. In 2005-06, she was awarded a John G. Brooks Consumer Law Fellowship through the National Legal Aid and Defender Association and the National Consumer Law Center. She graduated from the Tennessee Bar Association’s Leadership Law Program in 2009 and served as president of the Anderson County Bar Association in 2011.

“Janet is an outstanding attorney and natural leader—the perfect person to fill the big shoes of Neil McBride, who has managed the Oak Ridge office since 1978,” said Gary Housepian, executive director of Legal Aid Society. “She has helped many, many people in the Oak Ridge area throughout her time at Legal Aid Society and has been an active member of the community. I have no doubt that our Oak Ridge office will continue to have a significant impact in Oak Ridge and throughout the surrounding region under Janet’s leadership.” [Read more…]

League of Women Voters to mark Bill of Rights Day on Sunday

Posted at 11:44 pm December 14, 2013
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge will join with chapters across America to mark the 222nd anniversary on Dec. 15 of the adoption of the Bill of Rights with a call for improved political discourse and greater civic participation in our community.

The Bill of Rights—the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution—is generally considered to be the mainstay of our constitutional freedom, a press release said. They are said to guarantee a number of personal freedoms, limit the government’s power in judicial and other proceedings, and reserve some powers to the states and the public. The League of Women Voters believes the best way to honor this historic document is to protect the freedom it guarantees.

For more than 90 years, the League of Women Voters of the United States has defended civil liberties and promoted balanced civic discourse on important community issues. Its mission is to increase civic participation—to help individuals recognize the critical importance of protecting and honoring our most cherished constitutional rights because they impact our everyday lives. [Read more…]

ORNL FCU donates $65,000 to United Way, a 65 percent increase

Posted at 11:28 am December 11, 2013
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

ORNL Federal Credit Union and United Way of Anderson County

Pictured above from left to right are Lisa Thompson and Chris Boler, co-chairs of ORNL Federal Credit Union employee campaign; Leslie Daugherty, ORNL FCU loaned executive; and Edwena and Charles Crowe, 2013 UWAC campaign chair family. (Photo courtesy United Way of Anderson County)

Each fall, ORNL Federal Credit Union employees help raise funds for the United Way of Anderson County, and donations this year were up more than 65 percent, a press release said.

ORNL FCU raised roughly $66,000, the release said. The money came from employee donations, ORNL FCU’s corporate donation, and an interactive employee auction site. The fundraising total was up significantly from 2012.

The theme of this year’s internal fundraising effort was Uni and Ted Way’s Excellent Adventure, a parody of the movie “Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure,” the release said. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Community Orchestra plays seasonal music on Saturday

Posted at 10:27 am December 11, 2013
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Community Orchestra Bass and Viola Sections

The bass and viola sections of the Oak Ridge Community Orchestra are pictured above. (Photos courtesy of Travis Witherington)

In its free concert at 2 p.m. Saturday, the Oak Ridge Community Orchestra will play well-known music associated with traditional celebrations in December.

“Everyone will immediately recognize the dashing ‘Sleigh Ride’ by Leroy Anderson, and the Christmas carols captured by William Burkhart in his special arrangement, ‘While in the Fields,'” a press release said. “You can savor the traditional Russian flavor with ‘Polonaise’ from the ‘Christmas Eve Suite’ by Rimsky-Korsakov, and ‘Russian Christmas Music’ by Alfred Reed. Moreover, you will enjoy the lilting style of traditional Jewish music in ‘Festive Sounds of Hanukah’ by Bill Holcombe.”

This eclectic mix of celebratory seasonal music will be performed at 2 pm. Saturday in the sanctuary of the First Baptist Church of Oak Ridge, on the corner of the Oak Ridge Turnpike and LaFayette Drive. Admission is free. But, modest donations at the door to support the orchestra’s routine operating expenses will be appreciated. [Read more…]

TORCH will count homeless in January, will train volunteers who want to help

Posted at 9:48 am December 11, 2013
By Mare Martell Leave a Comment

Each year in January, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, coordinating with county mayors in conjunction with the Tennessee Valley Coalition to End Homelessness, do what is called a Point in Time Count of the homeless. This is an unduplicated count on a single night of the people in a specific county who are experiencing homelessness.

The Point in Time Count of 2011 showed 28 homeless individuals. The PIT count of Jan. 24, 2013, found a total of 86 people were homeless (sheltered and unsheltered) and 68 people were precariously housed (almost homeless).

Unsheltered means that the people sleep outside without a roof over their heads or in places not fit for human habitation like a car or an abandoned building. Sheltered means that they were either in transitional housing such as half-way houses or they were actually living in a homeless shelter. Precariously housed are more commonly called “couch surfers.” They live at the homes of friends or family but do not have an address of their own. [Read more…]

Treat yourself to an early holiday meal with ADFAC’s ‘Dine and Donate’

Posted at 6:54 pm December 8, 2013
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

With the hustle and bustle of holidays all around, ADFAC says it’s a great time to treat yourself and your loved ones to a special meal.

With their monthly “Dine and Donate” event, there is a way to do that and support the less fortunate in our community.

This month’s event is Monday, and five local restaurants are participating. They have agreed to donate a portion of their sales to support ADFAC (Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties).

The participating restaurants are: [Read more…]

Girls Inc. aviation program features hot air balloon rides

Posted at 8:00 pm December 5, 2013
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

An aviation program at Girls Inc. recently featured hot air balloon rides. (Submitted photos)

Girls Inc. recently received a grant for $10,000 from the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, or AOPA.

The grant is allowing the nonprofit organization to have a “Sky Girls” aviation program. In that program, the girls will learn about air traffic controllers and their alphabet, women in aviation, and weather experiments, have field trips to an aviation museum, and hear from women pilots, a press release said.

In November, the girls were able to ride in a tethered hot air balloon from Tennessee Balloon Rides, the release said.

Here are a few pictures courtesy of Girls Inc. [Read more…]

B&W Y-12 donates $75,000 for new Emory Valley Center building

Posted at 12:20 pm December 4, 2013
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Emory Valley Center Early Learning Center

B&W Y-12 donated $75,000 to Emory Valley Center on Wednesday as part of a capital campaign to help build a new facility to replace the former Daniel Arthur Rehabilitation Center on Emory Valley Road by 2015.

Fundraisers at 75 percent of goal

B&W Y-12 donated $75,000 on Wednesday to help the Emory Valley Center build a new facility by early 2015, when a county-owned building that houses some of its programs is expected to be torn down.

B&W Y-12 has now donated $175,000 of a $250,000 pledge, and EVC volunteers have raised $2.5 million of their $3.3 million goal, said former state representative and pediatrician Gene Caldwell, who is co-chair of the EVC capital campaign. That’s 75 percent of the fundraising goal.

Emory Valley Center now has two facilities across the street from each other on Emory Valley Road. The new 30,000-square-foot building west of the current administrative and workshop areas on the south side side of Emory Valley Road would consolidate the nonprofit’s operations, which include an Early Learning Center, gym, offices, kitchen, and work training center.

“This is a huge, huge help,” EVC President Jennifer Enderson of the B&W Y-12 donation. “The clock is ticking on when we must vacate an existing facility, and we can’t start construction of the new one until we have raised enough money.” [Read more…]

Comfort Inn holiday events benefit CASA of the Tennessee Heartland

Posted at 9:11 pm December 2, 2013
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Proceeds from a “Breakfast with Santa” at Comfort Inn Oak Ridge on Saturday, Dec. 7, at 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. will benefit CASA of the Tennessee Heartland. (Photo courtesy T. Whigham Photography)

Families can kick off the Christmas season with Santa and help a local nonprofit volunteer organization at the same time by visiting the Comfort Inn Oak Ridge during December. The hotel is offering several different activities for the community to get in the holiday spirit with a portion of the proceeds from each event going to CASA of the Tennessee Heartland.

“We are so thankful to Comfort Inn for contacting us with this opportunity,” said Naomi Asher, executive director of CASA of the Tennessee Heartland. “Every dollar raised will help provide a voice in court for an abused and neglected child right here in our community.”

The Comfort Inn Oak Ridge will serve as the official site for “Pictures with Santa” throughout the holidays. T. Whigham Photography will be taking professional photos with Santa at the hotel from Friday, Nov. 29, through Saturday, Dec. 21. The hours are as follows: Monday through Friday from 4 p.m.-7:30 p.m.; Saturdays from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. and Sundays from noon-6 p.m. One dollar from every photo taken will benefit CASA and will be matched by Enrichment Federal Credit Union in Oak Ridge. [Read more…]

ORHS basketball clinic for Boys, Girls Club league on Monday

Posted at 1:00 pm December 1, 2013
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Coach Aaron Green and the Oak Ridge High School basketball staff are hosting a free basketball skills camp on Monday for the Boys and Girls Club league.

The clinic is for children from kindergarten to seventh grade, and it’s from 6-7 p.m. Monday at the Oak Ridge High School Wildcat Arena. There is a coaches’ question-and-answer session from 7 to 7:30 p.m.

Call (865) 482-4433 for more information, or visit the Boys and Girls Club on Facebook.

Forum on homelessness in Anderson County on Tuesday

Posted at 9:46 pm November 30, 2013
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Experts from social service agencies and faith-based groups will discuss homelessness in Anderson County during a Tuesday evening forum.

The forum starts at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Social Hall of the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church. It’s been organized by the Trinity Out-Reach Center of Hope, or TORCH, and ORUUC.

The experts and community members will also discuss factors that contribute to homelessness in the county, explore potential solutions, and consider how to begin a 10-year plan to end chronic homelessness, a press release said. The discussion will also outline ways that people can be involved in the upcoming “Point In Time Count.”  [Read more…]

« Previous Page