Visit Knoxville Announces Community Block Party Benefiting United Way of Greater Knoxville
KNOXVILLE, TN (August 11, 2026) – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Visit Knoxville announces today that the community is invited to the second annual Visit Knoxville and United Way Greater Knoxville Block Party, taking place in Market Square on Thursday, September 10, 2026, from 11 AM–2PM. All proceeds from this free event will benefit United Way of […]
UWGK’s Kimberly Pettigrew becomes first Tennessean to earn Fellow honors from Johns Hopkins Doctor of Public Health Program
Kimberly Pettigrew, director of healthy communities for United Way of Greater Knoxville (UWGK), has been selected by the prestigious Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health as a Bloomberg Fellow beginning in August 2026. Pettigrew is the first fellow selected from Tennessee to enter the Doctor of Public Health Program at Johns Hopkins through the […]
Working – and Still Falling Short in Tennessee: 4 in 10 Workers in Most Common Jobs Struggle to Get By
New research zeroes in on households living paycheck to paycheck, yet often with income that’s too high for assistance. In 2024, 41% of workers in Tennessee’s most common jobs lived in households that couldn’t afford basics, according to new data from United Ways of Tennessee and its research partner United For ALICE. In 2024, 26% […]
$500,000 Investment Strengthens Tennessee’s 211 Network
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — United Ways of Tennessee announced that a one-time $500,000 investment from the State of Tennessee will help strengthen Tennessee’s 211 network which provides critical statewide resources for residents seeking help with basic needs, crisis support and disaster response. The funding was initially proposed by Governor Lee and adopted by the state legislature in the final FY […]
United Way of Greater Knoxville shares State of ALICE Data, illuminating financial hardships facing many working households
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (June 12, 2026) — United Way of Greater Knoxville (UWGK) is sharing newly released ALICE data that explains financial realities facing households across East Tennessee. ALICE stands for “Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed,” which represents households with one or more individuals who are working but still struggle to afford essentials such as housing, childcare, food, transportation, healthcare and technology. These households make enough to fall above the Federal Poverty Line (FPL) but […]
National Volunteer Month Highlights Year-Round Reasons to Show Up
Carolyn Williams started with a question. “What can I do?” That was more than ten years ago at South Knoxville Elementary, a United Way Community School, where she and her husband, Wayne have shown up ever since. Carolyn, a retired teacher, sits on the school’s Site Steering Committee, helps in classrooms, and works alongside other […]
Day of Caring 2026: A Morning of Making a Difference
At the YWCA’s newly renovated historic building in downtown Knoxville, volunteers unpacked a boutique’s worth of clothing and prepared rooms for residents to move in. At MUSE Knoxville, they painted planters, refreshed the entrance, and helped install a French drain. At Koinonia Foundation, they helped the organization get runway-ready for “Custom Made Fashion Show”, their […]
What We Learn When We Listen
Shanae (Caity) Southall spent five months talking to families in her community about how they were managing rising food prices, especially those receiving SNAP benefits. Among the households she surveyed, 67% reported their benefits did not cover their monthly groceries. The average household receives $261 in monthly benefits, while food costs range from $493 to […]
United Way’s strongest work may be happening before families reach crisis
