[00:00:00] Speaker A: Hi, I'm Bill Woodard, and welcome to the November edition of the Smith County Chamber Corner.
Well, November is a really busy month here in Smith county, and we're going to talk about something that's toward the end of the month, and it's become a community tradition. And I really appreciate you guys getting involved in this and doing this. I think you started a couple years ago. Anyway, Bernie, introduce yourself. Tell them who you with.
[00:00:53] Speaker B: Okay. I'm Bernie Morris and I'm associate pastor of Church Without Walls. And we do a community Thanksgiving dinner each year. We started last and we had done it 10 years back with the Ministerial association, and then we hadn't done it in a while and we wanted to do it again. So I called a lot of the churches and people, church people, and talked to a couple businessmen and some civic organizations and they all were interested in doing it. So we set it up and we're going to do it November 20, which is the Thursday before Thanksgiving from 4 to 7 over at the Ag center here in Smith County.
[00:01:30] Speaker A: Okay. And I know you've got a tremendous group of volunteers. Somebody told me swell to. Well, I'll let you tell the number.
[00:01:37] Speaker B: I've had over 100 volunteers that are helping cooking and serving and cleaning and setting up and have contributed to the expense of it. And we did this all on an $800 budget. So God just has blessed us with a lot of volunteers and a lot of donations.
[00:01:56] Speaker A: That's right. And if you're sitting out there and you're wondering if you should come, who should come?
[00:02:00] Speaker B: Bernie, everybody. Bring the whole community out. This is a community Thanksgiving for friends and family. We want to jo the community together.
Last year, the greatest thing about it, I thought, would be to feed people that are hungry and to honor our police officers and firemen. But it ended up being the greatest event.
Joining people together and renewing friendships that people haven't seen each other in 10 years. And they actually renewed their friendship and fellowship. So it was that kind of evening, and we expect the same kind of evening this year. And people need help this year, too. So if you need help, don't feel bad about coming out. We're all going to eat together and have a good time in the Lord. So y' all are welcome to come.
[00:02:42] Speaker A: Yeah. And you've got a lot of church organizations, and they're all different flavors, too, aren't they?
[00:02:49] Speaker B: All different flavors, yes. We have First Baptist in Carthage. We've got Bobby Peoples Church over there at Church of God of Prophecy Family Worship Center. We've got Carthage full gospel. We got the United Methodist. Carthage United Methodist Church. A lot of folks in the community that have pulled together. About 10 or 11 churches have pulled together and make this an area service for their church. So we thank God for the volunteers in our community. We've got a beautiful county, Bill, that we live in here in Smith County.
[00:03:20] Speaker A: Oh, yeah, it's a special place. No doubt about it.
[00:03:21] Speaker B: It is. I remember when my son and I first moved to smith county about 18 years ago. He went to high school and it was his second year, last year of high school, and he came home the very first day and he said, dad, I'm freaked out. These people are too nice.
And I agree with them. Over the last 18 years, our people in SM county are really good people.
[00:03:44] Speaker A: Yes, they are, and I'm glad that we live here, but we won't get off on that too much. Although I believe that to be a truth. Well, all right. Thanksgiving dinner, November 20th. What time?
[00:03:57] Speaker B: 4 to 7. We start serving at 4 o' clock and go to 7. And from 6 to 7 we'll allow some carryout meals if we have food available. We've got some people cooking up 30 turkeys and a bunch of mashed potatoes, green beans, rolls and desserts that you never even heard of. The F has donated all the desserts. So we've got a lot of folks cooking for us.
[00:04:19] Speaker A: Fc. They are a great group of ladies. They are involved in a lot of things around here. That's wonderful. And they make good food. That's no doubt about that. Okay, well, you're expecting about 600.
[00:04:30] Speaker B: Yeah, 600 this year.
[00:04:32] Speaker A: If you're sitting there and you're thinking, well, I don't know if I'll go. You better go.
[00:04:35] Speaker B: Yeah, come on out.
[00:04:36] Speaker A: You need to come on out.
[00:04:36] Speaker B: Come on out. Eat with us.
[00:04:38] Speaker A: Bernie, thanks a lot, God. Appreciate you coming by.
[00:04:39] Speaker B: Absolutely. Thank you, Bill.
[00:04:41] Speaker A: Okay, we're here at UCHRA still and we're having a wonderful November so far. Of course, we're only five days into it, so I guess I can say that. Anyway, we have some special guests here. Denise, Juanita, why don't you guys introduce yourselves, Tell us who you with.
[00:04:57] Speaker C: I am Denise Foster, branch manager for HG Staffing's Carthage office.
[00:05:03] Speaker D: Hi, my name is Juanita Gomez and the recruiter here at Carthage office for HG Staffing.
[00:05:10] Speaker A: Okay. And you guys wanted to talk to some about something in November. And also we're here at UCHRA and that's where your office is. And we thought there might be Some people out here that didn't realize what services are here. So we wanted you guys to tell what you guys do. So if you want to just take over.
[00:05:29] Speaker C: Yes, what we do is we are a, a staffing agency and all women owned or all women staffing agency. And we are here to hopefully find jobs for people out seeking and.
[00:05:48] Speaker A: Okay, well, what area do you cover?
[00:05:50] Speaker C: We cover here in the Carthage, Gordonsville area and as far as our office. But HG Staffing has several offices throughout Tennessee and Kentucky.
[00:06:02] Speaker A: Okay. So. And I may be asking you a question. You don't know, but do you know how many offices you have?
[00:06:07] Speaker C: 3, 4, 5, 11 offices altogether.
[00:06:11] Speaker A: Oh my goodness. That's quite a big staffing group. And I know you work with Bonnell and you have worked with the mine. You've worked with.
Well, I started naming names. I shouldn't have done that. But you've worked with all of the industries that's over here, plus some of the offices and other people that are in the county, right?
[00:06:29] Speaker C: Yes, we work with the local manufacturing facilities on helping staff for, for their needs as well as, you know, some of the other industry in the area, whether it be office or clerical or something of that nature.
[00:06:47] Speaker A: Okay. Now Juanita, you introduced yourself as recruiter.
What does that mean?
[00:06:52] Speaker D: It means the person that, you know as far as like helping hands with the manager and you know, like doing all. Any responsibilities that are needed, any duties assigned, helping place, you know, people that come in and apply, having them, you know, reviewing their resume and things like that. Just helping hands, you know, greeting them, making sure that they're comfortable with applying with us, and then, you know, just giving them all the information that they need.
[00:07:25] Speaker A: Okay. So somebody comes in, you're basically kind of supporting them in their role.
[00:07:30] Speaker E: Yes.
[00:07:30] Speaker D: As far as like the process, like, you know, I was showing they're not familiar with the process, then you know, I lend them in hand and let them know, hey, this is. We're going to start off with this information. That way we'll need things like this as far as like, you know, documentation, things like that and making sure they're the right candidate and fit to send over to our clients.
[00:07:51] Speaker A: Yeah. Okay. When you said recruiter, I could just see you standing on the street spinning a sign. You know, that's not what you do. You. You work in the office there.
[00:07:59] Speaker D: Not yet, but definitely, you know, just trying to promote HD staffing and anything that we can do for the community and definitely placing people in any jobs that they need.
[00:08:11] Speaker A: Okay, well, now this coverage here is local. Denise, how.
How do people get in touch with you guys to. If they. If they decide they, hey, I'm looking for a job. I want to see what they got. How do they get in touch with you guys?
[00:08:24] Speaker C: Well, they can also. Well, they can call the office here at the number 615-735-0570, and they can apply online to our website at www.hgstaffing.com.
[00:08:40] Speaker A: Okay. And so basically, if someone's looking for a job, they just basically could contact you guys and then you. Do you invite them in for an interview?
[00:08:50] Speaker C: Yes, we'll encourage them to apply online.
If they need help in doing that, we'll have them come into the office and guide them through that process.
[00:09:02] Speaker A: Okay, now, this is probably a loaded question again, but is there a skill or something that is always in demand that comes to mind to you right now?
[00:09:12] Speaker C: Well, particularly I would say just busy, fast pace, repetitive motion type positions, you know, so just kind of being applicable to do that. A lot of times we do have some forklift positions, which are good, skilled positions, but.
[00:09:33] Speaker F: Yeah.
[00:09:34] Speaker A: Okay. And when you're running a forklift or a piece of equipment, I presume you need some certification that would help you if you were going after one of those type of jobs.
[00:09:44] Speaker C: It is definitely a plus.
And most of the time, you know, of course, they are required to have a valid driver's license as well. Yeah.
[00:09:53] Speaker A: Okay. All right, Well, I think we've about covered everything. Give them that phone number again.
[00:09:59] Speaker C: And the website phone number to the office is 615-735-0570. And you can apply
[email protected] okay.
[00:10:11] Speaker A: Juanita, Denise, thank you for coming.
[00:10:13] Speaker C: Thank you. Thank you.
[00:10:16] Speaker A: We've got three ladies that have come to visit us here, and they're very excited about something that's a very passionate program for them. And so what I'm going to do is ask you first to introduce yourself, tell everybody who you're with. Then we're going to talk about this program that you have. Okay, so you go first.
[00:10:32] Speaker F: My name is Traci Nelson, and we are, all of us are with Smith County Humane.
[00:10:39] Speaker E: My name is Jessica DeFiore and I'm Patty Rothfuss.
[00:10:43] Speaker A: Okay. And you guys got a big event coming up in December. Now we're talking about it in November so people can have time to find out where it's at and details about it. But let's give them some details. Now, first off, where is your event and when is it happening?
[00:10:59] Speaker C: Well, we have our fifth Annual Winter Ball coming up.
[00:11:03] Speaker F: The Positively Magical Winter Ball.
And it is at 101 Transport Drive. It's at the Armory in Gordonsville.
And the date is December 13th.
[00:11:19] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:11:20] Speaker C: From 5pm to midnight.
[00:11:22] Speaker A: All right. And that's a good, good venue. And over there, there's plenty of parking. Okay, Absolutely. Now, I know this is passionate for you, so I'm just going to jump around.
Why do you think people ought to come to this ball?
[00:11:34] Speaker F: Well, this is our largest event of the year, and it helps us to raise money to sustain all of our programs throughout the year.
[00:11:40] Speaker A: Okay, and what are some of the programs you have?
[00:11:43] Speaker E: Oh, this will help with spay and neuter programs. It also provides food vaccines for cats.
[00:11:50] Speaker C: And dogs that we take in. And unfortunately, in Smith county, we have.
[00:11:55] Speaker E: A lot of feral cats out there that need to get taken care of and dogs on the street.
So when they come into our possession, we get them, nurse them back to health and get them adopted.
[00:12:07] Speaker A: Okay. And since you mentioned feral cats and things like that, and whoever wants to answer this, I had a neighbor tell me that they found a feral cat and they brought it, I believe, to you guys and got it neutered, and then they just went ahead and released it back so that it could continue to do what it had been doing. But it's not going to be increasing the population.
Is that a viable concept?
[00:12:31] Speaker C: Yes, it is.
[00:12:32] Speaker E: That's correct. If we find the cats that we are friendly, we do try to adopt those. But some cats, they're just happier outside.
[00:12:41] Speaker C: But with them spayed and neutered, it.
[00:12:43] Speaker E: Prolongs their health or their life.
[00:12:47] Speaker C: And then, like you said, they're not reproducing. And cats can have kittens as young as about four months. So mom could be nursing her kittens.
[00:12:56] Speaker E: And get pregnant again.
So you can imagine how fast that.
[00:13:01] Speaker A: Colony increased the population.
[00:13:03] Speaker C: Absolutely.
[00:13:03] Speaker A: Quite a bit.
[00:13:04] Speaker E: Absolutely.
[00:13:04] Speaker A: Okay. Well, we're glad you're doing this. And I'm sure you do other programs, like with dogs and any other animals around in the county. If somebody wanted to join your organization or get in touch with you, how would they do that? Tracy.
[00:13:23] Speaker F: You can go to our website and we have some applications for volunteers on there.
[00:13:31] Speaker C: I'll give it to Jessica to give us the website.
[00:13:35] Speaker F: It's smithcountytnhumane.com okay.
[00:13:39] Speaker A: All right. And then you probably don't have an office phone call that they can make.
[00:13:46] Speaker F: We do. It is a recorded line, and then we return the calls because, again, we are all volunteers. So, you know, most of Us have jobs, families, things like that. But the phone number is 615-735-7028.
[00:13:59] Speaker A: Okay, I'm gonna ask the loaded question. I home, there's three dogs on my doorstep I can't keep. But one, I got to do something with. The other two, what do I do?
[00:14:11] Speaker F: That is a very loaded question.
Unfortunately, because we do not have any type of shelter or generally speaking, any animal control in this county. It's pretty much just us. And again, we're volunteer run. We don't have a, you know, a building or the facilities to hold animals like that.
You can always call us and let us know. Of course, the main thing is always, always posted online because even if we do have the capability of helping, there is a three day to a five day stray hold depending on if the dog has a collar.
There is a Facebook site that is, I think it's Smith County TN lost and found animals.
So they should all be posted to there and that then starts that stray hold for us so that if we can find another partner rescue to take it or if we happen to have space for it, we've started that Also, sometimes dogs just wander from home, you know, and by removing them immediately, you're taking away that chance for them to make it back home.
If we don't have space, we do ask if it's possible to kind of hold in place or leave them there. We'll offer food to help get them by and everything until we can get them vetted and get them into a facility or something.
[00:15:24] Speaker A: Right. Well, and to at the expense of telling a story. I was raised on a farm here in Smith county and some of the best dogs that we ever had. I wandered up two of the probably smartest dogs that I ever had because it was almost like they could understand what I was saying to them. That's how smart they were.
Came up and wandered up and we started feeding them. And so I have a special place in my heart and an affinity for a stray dog that's kind of not got a home because I gave a home to three of them and they were really special dogs to me, so it makes a difference. But if another story about two years ago, there was a little dog on the road out there and I went down and it didn't run away from me. And I coaxed him up to the house and it was hungry and I gave him water and I gave him food. And then I just absentmindedly snapped a picture and sent it out as a text to some of my friends. Next thing I know I'm getting a phone call and somebody come over. This little dog, just little tiny dog, had traveled about nine miles away from its home, and the people were out desperately looking for it. So when you see a stray like that, it's not necessarily a dog that nobody wants, because they definitely wanted this dog and they really appreciated it. So I guess when you see an animal like that, you don't need to judge that it might not belong or it might not have anybody that cares about it because this little dog, he looked pretty rough, but boy, he went home.
[00:17:00] Speaker F: Yeah. Yeah.
[00:17:02] Speaker A: So it's a special thing that you guys do, and I really appreciate what you do. And Smith county has always struggled with animal control, and I don't know what the future holds, but I'm really glad that you guys are here.
[00:17:16] Speaker F: Well, thank you.
[00:17:17] Speaker A: Yeah, we are, too. All right. And we need to just give that contact out again and then we'll end the session again.
[00:17:24] Speaker F: The phone number is 615-735-7028 and the website is SmithCountyTNhumane.com okay, thank you all for coming.
[00:17:34] Speaker A: You know, many times we get celebrities that come by and UT Extension is full of celebrities, and two of them are here today.
Guys, introduce yourselves. Although I know everybody out there already knows who you are, but go ahead and tell them.
[00:17:48] Speaker G: I'm Mary Draper. I'm the family and consumer science extension agent and county director for UTSU extension in Smith County.
[00:17:55] Speaker H: And my name is Will Herbert. I'm the Ag and natural resources agent here in Smith county as a part of utsu, Smith County Extension.
[00:18:02] Speaker A: All right. And these guys, they have a lot of programs that are going on. And since you have the microphone, I guess instead we'll start with you first. And you, you need to talk about ag stuff, don't you? Yeah, always have something to talk about, what's going on.
[00:18:14] Speaker H: So we've got a lunch and learn coming up later this month about composting. So if you're interested in composting, it's kind of an introductory one hour course. It's going to be held on Monday, November 17th, at the Smith County Ag Center. So if you guys are interested, make sure to call the office and get you a spot. And lunch is provided and the cost is $5.
[00:18:36] Speaker A: Yeah. And the lunch and learns are great. The last one, of course, I always talk about the B1 because everybody attends that, don't they?
[00:18:44] Speaker H: Oh, yeah, everybody's interested.
[00:18:45] Speaker A: Composting's gotta be popular, though.
[00:18:47] Speaker H: Yeah, especially this time of year. You know, you Got all the leaves falling off the trees. And you can strip those leaves and put them in, put them in your composting bin along with vegetables and fruits that have gone bad in the kitchen. You kind of mix it all together and you can use that as your own mulch so you don't have to buy it at the store.
[00:19:05] Speaker A: Right. And in the spring you've got a nutrient rich mixture that you can put on your plants and things like that. So that's really good. Okay, well, now I guess we segue to Mary. Mary and I was schooled fcs, right?
[00:19:19] Speaker I: Yes.
[00:19:20] Speaker G: So the family and consumer sciences and we are gearing up for our Maintenance Pain Don't Gain challenge. So this is something that we do in conjunction with seven other central region counties. And it is coming up starting on November 23rd, and it runs through January 10th. So the seven week challenge is virtual. Anybody can sign up and it's free.
And each week we'll just get healthy tips on how to resist temptations throughout the holiday because it can be a time where we are eating maybe more than more than we usually do and not exercising maybe as much. So getting those good tips as well as if you sign up, you get free access to the Smith County Fitness center for the duration of the challenge.
[00:20:02] Speaker A: Okay. And you just described the holiday that we're in right now, eating more than you should and exercising less than you should.
[00:20:09] Speaker G: Yeah. So the average American actually gains one pound usually throughout the holiday season. So maybe that doesn't make as big as a difference, but they actually research shows that you don't, you don't lose it. So over a period of time, that can cause health effects.
[00:20:26] Speaker A: So it accumulates over the years and that does make sense.
Okay. Now Rachel is not here to defend herself, so we could talk about her. But I guess what we ought to do is let you talk about her program.
[00:20:37] Speaker J: Yeah.
[00:20:37] Speaker G: So Rachel right now she's actually has the 4H banquet coming up. We're excited to attend that. Will and I are both going to attend it this week, but then in December, I think Will and I are also going to get to or this month she's doing public speaking. So we're going to go to some of the clubs as well. Here's some public speaking contests. And through that, the first and second place winners get to go on to the county public speaking contest, which has held in December. So we're excited about that as well.
[00:21:06] Speaker A: Okay. And I jokingly said everybody knows you, and that's probably true, but how do they get in touch with you if they've got questions.
[00:21:12] Speaker G: So if they have questions, they can give us a call at 615-735-2900.
[00:21:17] Speaker A: Okay. Well, guys, thanks for coming by and it's always a pleasure.
[00:21:21] Speaker G: Thank you for having us. Bill.
[00:21:23] Speaker A: We're still here at uchra, which is a wonderful building and it's full of people that really want to help people in the camp. And you are one of those.
Why don't you introduce yourself and tell them who you're with?
[00:21:36] Speaker I: Hi, I'm Tonya leclair and I'm proud to represent Vault State Community College, their adult education program for Smith County.
[00:21:45] Speaker A: Okay. If somebody is wanting to kind of find out about the program or they've got a question, how do they get in touch with you?
[00:21:52] Speaker I: Oh, well, the easiest way is just to give me a call.
The Number here is 615-735 and I'm extension eight, adult education.
[00:22:02] Speaker A: Okay. And tell us a little bit about your programs.
I make the presumption, and we kind of discussed this a little before.
It gives you opportunities that you wouldn't have normally. It allows you to step up from where you are in your life. But what program? What is your program? How does it work?
[00:22:24] Speaker I: So adult education is for people who don't have their high school diploma.
So we offer free high school equivalency classes here on site and in the Smith county jails as well.
And the nature of that is we're able to take a student as however they may come in, whether it's they've been in school last year or it's been 50 years since they've been in school. We'll find out what their strengths and weaknesses are. Today we'll make a customized lesson plan specific to what they need, which helps them get to that high school equivalency diploma faster. And once they have that diploma, the number of jobs that become available to them, really, it just blossoms. And together with going on and using the Tennessee reconnect or Tennessee promise programs, which gives students up to two years of free career specific education, they can easily double, triple their income.
[00:23:29] Speaker A: Oh, that is a wonderful thing. And of course, Vaughn state is supporting this and they have a lot of resources that if you wanted to continue after that, you could go and avail yourself of, correct?
[00:23:41] Speaker I: Absolutely.
They are one of the main providers of these certificates. Some of these certificates are only a few months, months long for people who just want to kind of go in and out, you know, and get something under their belt.
And some are up to two years long.
But when you marry that together with the high school equivalency diploma and these career certifications, it's a quick way, like I said, to really boost their income, their financial security.
And then, of course, Tennessee also has a stronger workforce because of.
[00:24:16] Speaker A: Well, are the classes like a group setting or individual? How does that work?
[00:24:22] Speaker I: Well, here in Smith county, we're a small county, so it is a class, but the class is very, very small. So there's a very low teacher student ratio.
So our classes typically have maybe two, three students. We have morning classes, we have evening classes, and you can come to one, the other or both.
[00:24:44] Speaker A: Okay. And basically same time frame during the week and same days?
[00:24:49] Speaker I: Yes, yes.
[00:24:50] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:24:50] Speaker I: So in the morning, it's about 8 to 11, Mondays and Tuesdays, and on Mondays and Wednesday evenings, 4 to 6.
[00:24:59] Speaker A: Okay. So you've got a variety there where they can come either way.
[00:25:04] Speaker I: Yeah.
[00:25:05] Speaker A: What am I not asking that I should be asking that folks out there need to. To know about the program.
[00:25:12] Speaker I: First of all, it's a free program.
Second of all, we work around your schedule.
We work specifically to what you need. We don't. Some. Some classes that others give sometimes teaches everybody everything.
And we don't do that. We. We feel like that's kind of wasting some of your class time if I bother trying to teach you something you already know. So that's. The beau program is we're going to teach specifically to what you need and not what anybody else in the class needs.
And that just makes them go through the program quicker. And once you get that diploma, I mean, your world, really your options and your careers and you just have a stronger financial future.
[00:26:01] Speaker A: Okay, well, thank you for coming and being here. We really appreciate that. Why don't you give that number one more time in your extended.
In case they want to learn about the adult education program.
[00:26:14] Speaker I: Sure. Thank you.
So again, it's 615-735-0476, extension eight. Hope to see you.
[00:26:25] Speaker A: Okay. Uchra Building is full of places and full of people that want to help other people. And you are one of those, Kevin, if you don't care, give them your name and your program that you're with.
[00:26:40] Speaker J: Kevin Alsteins. I'm a case manager with community intervention. What our program does, it takes people with felony drug convictions, tries to get them to come into our program, learn emotional regulation, substance abuse treatment, helps them to achieve milestones in their life like retaining their driver's license or getting their driver's license if they've never had it.
Employment, housing, food. We try to offer anything that anybody could possibly need.
[00:27:10] Speaker A: Well, you know, a lot of people and that word felony, you know, some people, they look at that and they go, hey, my life's over. But that's not true. You can come out from under something like that. And that's what your program is about.
[00:27:23] Speaker J: Correct. As long as you have some of the quote unquote tools to do the right things in your life, a felony drug charge does not restrict you from achieving a lot of things in life.
[00:27:32] Speaker A: Okay, well, now your clientele, of course, we're sitting in Smith county and we're at the UCHRA here.
Do you cover just this area or you got a broader area that you cover?
[00:27:43] Speaker J: We cover all the counties that UCHRA covers. But my program, I'm only in Smith county, but we do have an office in McMinnville and an office in Cookeville that run the same type of program.
[00:27:53] Speaker A: Okay, so. And I think UC HRA is 14 counties. So, yeah, I believe so. It covers a. But what that means is even though you're covering Smith county, you have a lot of resources that are available to you that wouldn't be if you were just alone.
[00:28:07] Speaker J: Correct. Because, like, for example, I have clients from Wilson County, Smith county and Jackson county currently. So it's not. Just because I'm in Smith county does not mean that I only take clients from that county. And I can also contact my other offices to see what types of resources they have. If I may be. Perhaps not being. Might not be thinking of a resource, or maybe they've had better experience with one. I have other people I can kind of lean on for assistance as well.
[00:28:32] Speaker A: Right. Well, and if somebody is. They either know someone, someone in their family, or they themselves are in this situation, how do they get in touch with you? To learn more about the program, you.
[00:28:46] Speaker J: Can email questions to Mhoisington. M H O I S I N G t o n chra.com you can call me at 931-261-6259.
Or the way we get clients is they're justice involved, so have them talk to their attorney or their. Whoever they have helping them with their case, and they can get some information from them because all of the local attorneys and judges know about our program as well.
[00:29:11] Speaker A: Okay. So you're intertwined into the court system to where they can get the information. Well, that is really good. And I know you. You've got clients and people that. It's really changed their lives. I know you. You can't speak for them, but you can speak probably about some of the things you've been told.
[00:29:27] Speaker J: Yeah, like I'll see a client come in. Day one. They may be high anxiety, low self esteem, low self worth, but through working with them, letting them see the goals they achieve and the progress they're making throughout our program, all that stuff is boosted up. Their anxiety is lowered, their self esteem is boosted. They've achieved quite a few things throughout the process. And they leave the program with the competence that they probably didn't know they would have.
[00:29:51] Speaker A: Yeah. And that's wonderful because nobody should be thrown away.
That's just our humanity should tell us that. And if you can help somebody to achieve a goal and bring themselves up, that is a wonderful thing. And I really appreciate the program and what you're doing because people, sometimes you need help.
[00:30:15] Speaker J: Correct. Nobody's perfect in the world. So everybody needs a little hand up.
[00:30:18] Speaker A: Sometimes, every once in a while.
Sometimes we don't even realize we need a hand up. But you get in a situation where you need somebody to reach out to.
[00:30:28] Speaker J: Very true.
[00:30:29] Speaker A: Okay. Is there anything we've missed that you'd like to tell folks about, about your program?
[00:30:35] Speaker J: Everybody's touched by addiction somehow. So try to look at these people who are having issues with it with compassion instead of negative judgment.
[00:30:43] Speaker A: Okay. And Uchra is a good type of point. They can come to the front office here if they don't remember any of this and they can ask about the program and they can get them in touch with you.
[00:30:55] Speaker J: I'm here Monday through Friday most days, so if anything, they can just come by the office and ask for me.
[00:31:00] Speaker A: Okay. So, Kevin, thanks a lot.
We appreciate what you're doing.
[00:31:05] Speaker J: All right, no problem. Thanks.
[00:31:06] Speaker A: Okay. Uchra, there is so much technique, so much knowledge, and so many programs here just in this one building. And of course, you're one of those. So introduce, Introduce yourself. Tell them who you are and what you do.
[00:31:21] Speaker E: Thank you. I am Marissa Alsteins. I am a navigator for Empower Upper Cumberland.
[00:31:26] Speaker A: Okay. Now, I'm not sure I know what empower means, because the first thought that comes to my mind is electricity. That's not what we're talking about, is it?
[00:31:35] Speaker E: No. Empower is a grant with TANF money to help families in all 14 counties. But I work in Smith county, increase their income.
[00:31:44] Speaker A: Okay, well, everybody would love that.
Okay, it begs the question then. Is, is there a range of income that you work within?
[00:31:54] Speaker I: Sure.
[00:31:55] Speaker E: Eligibility.
First question is always going to be, are there children in the home? So in order to be eligible, you do have to have custody of A child or at least partial custody of a child 18 or under if they're in high school and still 18. And then you could still be eligible. And then if you receive TENNCARE or SNAP benefits, you're automatically going to be eligible for our program.
But then we go by case by case basis on per capita who's in the family. And I will say that our program reaches more families than even SNAP and tenncare. So if you think you might be on the line or you're considering it, reach out because most likely you would still be eligible.
[00:32:32] Speaker A: Okay. And a lot of people don't realize this, but if you've got one child in the family and you might qualify if you've got three, four, five children in there, they're probably moves you over the rail to be in.
[00:32:47] Speaker E: The more dependence you have in the home, the more likely that the more you have to make up for each child, each person in the home. So yeah, reach out even I have a lot of families, a lot of moms who are one, maybe two children who are eligible and eligible still for the program. Well, after they don't have those benefits of SNAP or tend care anymore.
[00:33:08] Speaker A: Well, and you see people out here in know, maybe they're like I described, they got like six children in a house and they got a nice car and they've got a good job, but they're struggling.
[00:33:18] Speaker E: Yeah, yeah, a lot of people are struggling. And I'm very excited to be part of this team because it's just wonderful to see families have hope and opportunities. So we really, we have lots of different partners that we work with. We work with Tennessee Tech, we have specific partners that help with resume building and job mining.
We do a short curriculum, but mostly we're going to work together for a year with all of our participants, specifically with their families. I meet with everybody at least once a month in person. And we also have financial benefits. So if someone is looking to after maybe they've gone and got their GED or they do have a diploma, we can help with that. If they haven't, but then we can start looking at some certifications that will really boost their finances. So I have a family who got a phlebotomy so certification and started in the medical field or real estate license and empower was able to fund that schooling for them.
[00:34:16] Speaker A: Okay. So basically you kind of look at people where they're at and see what would take them to the next level and you help them achieve that. Is that an oversimplification?
[00:34:28] Speaker E: Well, I mean, it's pretty complicated, I tell you. But ultimately, it's just exciting to meet people where they're at and really get to talk about what are their. Because like you said, I think so many of us are just trying to get by that we're taking whatever job might have that 25 cent to a dollar raise because we just, we have to pay the bills. But I enjoy my job because I get to sit with families and dream a little bit and talk about what if you could work in an industry that you enjoyed, what would that be? And then we can start to build a plan as how we could help them get there.
[00:34:56] Speaker A: Okay. Well, obviously this needs to be someone that's out of high school, that's working and are single people eligible for the Empower program?
[00:35:08] Speaker E: So for Empower, currently, no, you do have to have a child. That is the only. That's. That's one of the biggest and only eligibility requirements. Then there's the financial.
But like I said, most families in Smith County I do think would be eligible as long as they have a minor child.
[00:35:23] Speaker A: Okay.
A lot of grandparents are raising their grandchildren or people like that.
[00:35:29] Speaker E: Yes, sir.
[00:35:29] Speaker I: Yep.
[00:35:30] Speaker E: So if they are a foster parent, they would be. If they have, they've adopted a child or are a grandparent raising a child, we'll just have to prove for the state that they have custody of that child one way or another. But once we prove that, that should be no problem.
[00:35:43] Speaker A: Okay. Well, in my mind, I'm having a little trouble knowing how that would help unless it's a grandparent that's working and they want to increase their income.
[00:35:54] Speaker E: So you're touching on. I mean, we are looking for families, adults, individuals who are ready, willing and able to go to work. This is definitely at its. At its core workforce program.
We are, we're looking not necessarily to just fund, but to do that. Hand up is if there's somewhere you want to be but you haven't been able to have that opportunity.
That's what we're doing.
[00:36:16] Speaker A: Well, what if a person sitting out there and they don't know, like they're working at a job and they think they're doing pretty good, but they don't know what is available out there. Would that be. Would you be able to counsel them?
[00:36:30] Speaker E: Well, I would definitely. I would really encourage anyone to apply. Right now, we are across all 14 counties still enrolling, but there will be a cap once, once we're filled, I will only be allowed to have so many participants I work with at a time.
So, yeah, we, we're looking for anyone who might consider. Think they're eligible just to go to empoweruppercumberland.org and you'll be able to check out our site a little bit better, see what options there are. And there's a little, little apply now tab. It's like six or 10 questions. And once you complete that application, that'll get sent out to the correct county. So you'll come to me in Smith County.
[00:37:07] Speaker A: All right, that. That sounds wonderful. And it sounds like a wonderful program. And of course, the. Is there a phone number or.
[00:37:15] Speaker E: I. I do have a person. My personal cell phone, which I have written down, so I don't forget, is 931-357-0661.
You could always reach out by text or call. And then probably the easiest thing to do would also just to be go online and apply. And that. That'll answer your question for you if you're, you know, if this is something that would work for you. And once we get that application, it'll just. It'll get sent to me here in this office.
[00:37:42] Speaker A: Okay. And if they just type in Empower Upper Cumberland.
[00:37:45] Speaker E: Yes.
[00:37:45] Speaker A: It should take them to the right.
[00:37:46] Speaker E: It'll take them. Right. You can just Google that. And we're the only one.
[00:37:48] Speaker A: Yeah. Well, and I'm sure that the UCDD is on also part of the.
[00:37:52] Speaker E: Yes, we partner with ucdd. Yep. We have partners over there. And so, yeah, it's a great program. Our goal really is to remove barriers for family. We know and see often that childcare or transportation has been an issue for some moms being able to go to work. And our goal is to be able to remove those barriers so we can look at. Is there a way we can financially help with childcare or maybe the car needs a repair? And that might be something that we're able to help with, get you back on the road and back into that employment.
[00:38:21] Speaker A: Okay, well, thank you for coming by. I really like your program. I think a lot of people need to avail themselves of it.
[00:38:29] Speaker E: Well, good. Thank you.
[00:38:30] Speaker A: Okay. We hope you enjoyed our show today. We had a lot of special guests. And if you come to the UCH IR Building, which is over here in South Carthage, there's a lot of services and a lot of things that are available here. And one of the things that I wanted to talk about was the senior center.
The senior center is something that was started many years ago, and it's basically a place where if you're 60 or older and there's some special exceptions even to that, you can Come here and you can get free meals. And they serve meals.
I think you gotta let them know in 24 hours ahead that you're gonna come or at least by 9am that morning. And then they start serving the meals at 11am and you can come get a meal every day if you want to. And there's a lot of folks that are here. You can meet some friends, make some new friends.
Ms. Jan Johnson is the one that runs this place and her and Christy, they take care of it and it's just a good place to be. Ms. Marilyn does the cooking.
I grabbed one of the menus for November and they've got several things going on. In fact, they got the menu here and it looks like they're serving every day except Veterans Day and Thanksgiving during the week. Now they're not serving during the weekends, but every day during the week. And it looks like there's a wide variety of food available on this menu. So if you want to come by and get a meal at their daily lunch menu at 11am I know they would be happy to see you. And Ms. Chan, love to have you come and sign up. Then there's a lot of activities here too.
Walking with Marilyn, music with Don, healthy living, table talk.
Brother Bobby Peoples comes over and does a talk.
And then they've got several other things. And this is all during the month of November that this is going on.
And if you want to avail yourself of their services here, plus all these other folks that we interviewed today are here in this building. So if you've got something going on in your life and you think you need help, then you can come over here and they can guide you to the right person that would be able to help you get the help that you need or advise you. Or maybe you've got a friend that you know needs help and you'd like to have them know about this, well, you can come over here and find out for them. So there's a lot of good things that the building over here where the senior center IS and the UCHRA are located also. November 29th is small business Saturday, and it's an open house over in Carthage. And if you are traveling around on that weekend, that Saturday, you need to come over and see what's going on. On Small Business Saturday, there's a lot of folks that are going to be open. They'll be running specials. They're going to be open from 10 until 2 for sure, and 10 until 4 for some of them. And so if you want to just come by and see what they've got to offer a lot more people over here than you would realize. If you want more information about Smith county, you ought to come by the Chamber of Commerce and get one of these experience Smith county magazines. A lot of good information in here. It's QR code driven and so you can take your phone and you can pop one of those QR codes and it'll take you to the website or wherever the information is on that. And these magazines are available for anyone. They're absolutely free. And it tells you about what's happening in Smith county with some of the businesses and also with some of the programs that are going on here. And there's a lot of good things inside this magazine. So come by and get you one of these and we hope that you'll stop in and avail yourself of some of the other brochures and things that we have. We've got brochures on kayaking the Caney Fork. We've got brochures if you're needing help business wise, if you're starting a business or if you're getting ready to expand your business, we've got people that can help you do that and give you advice on that. It's absolutely free.
So you come by and you visit us and see what we've got to offer. So until next time, May God bless you. November is a special month because of Thanksgiving at the end of it and we all need to be thankful about how we are blessed and we truly are blessed here in Smith County. So hope you have a great Thanksgiving. Looking forward to Christmas. Don't forget the Christmas parade is December 7th at 4:30 in Carthage and December 6th at 5:00 in Gordonsville. Two Christmas parades and on the 7th in Carthage they have hometown Christmas there on the square and the businesses will be open and there will be a lot of things going on. There will be some food vendors and just a lot of good things happening in Smith county during this time of the year. So don't forget that. Go by and visit and we hope that you have a good holiday season in Smith County. May God bless you and we'll see you next time.
