East Tennessee Collaborative

ETC puts you and your family in charge of creating a path to economic independence.

Through the East Tennessee Collaborative (ETC) program you and your family will:

Partner with a mentor for up to two years
Make a plan to achieve your goals
Earn and receive financial support
Access skills and opportunities to increase your income and financial wellbeing

You may be eligible if you:

Have at least one child age 17 or younger in your home OR are pregnant OR are age 18 or younger and the head of your household
Are a U.S. Citizen and a Tennessee resident
Are unemployed or underemployed and have low or very low income
Are interested in pursuing economic independence

Learn more about this FREE program!

Call: (865) 521-0861

Email: ETC@unitedwayknox.org

The ETC is a grantee of the Tennessee Opportunity Pilot Initiative (TOPI).
TOPI is a grant brought forth by the TANF Opportunity Act.
TOPI helps individuals, families, and the state of Tennessee by creating a new vision for Tennessee’s social safety net and is dedicated to helping low-income families grow beyond their vulnerabilities.
TOPI empowers all Tennesseans by partnering with local organizations to reach deep into their communities and work shoulder to shoulder with individuals and families, growing their capacity to take on life’s challenges and reducing their dependence on the social safety net.

Mobility Mentors

Mobility Mentors are trained in the EMPath Model and will use the Bridge to Self-Sufficiency as their guide.
Mobility Mentors will provide families with coaching and help them plan, reach, and sustain their goals in five essential areas: family stability, well-being, education and training, financial management, and employment and career management.
The model is relational, evidence-based, and led by the participant, not the mentor.
Currently, 9 Mobility Mentors are housed within our partner organizations. We will add 6 additional Mobility Mentors bringing the total to 15 by Fall 2023.

EMPath

Poverty – and the stress, trauma and oppression that accompany it – affects behavior and decision-making.
Using brain science, Economic Mobility Pathways (EMPath) utilizes a one-to-one coaching approach designed to overcome chronic stress and achieve long-term success.
EMPath’s Bridge to Self-Sufficiency is a theory of change that breaks down silos and uses a comprehensive approach to upward economic mobility.
The Bridge helps families plan, reach and sustain their personal goals in five essential areas: family stability, well-being, education and training, financial management, and employment and career management.
Bridge Assessment PDF
www.empathways.org

East Tennessee Collaborative
Interest Form