By Vivian Shipe
KNOXVILLE, TN — The requirements were simple, if you were a church, day care, or nonprofit in need of masks, sanitizer, hand soaps and wipes, all you had to do was show up at noon, sign in and haul away cases of free supplies.
Partnering with DAY ONE Relief, an organization based in N.C. that works to serve marginalized communities, along with other local organizations – Keira Wyatt with C.O.N.N.E.C.T. and Cynthia Finch of New Directions Healthcare Solutions, made sure everyone who came got what they needed to keep their businesses safe as the pandemic takes its toll and it’s time leaving the city.
In a building stacked high, row upon row, with much needed supplies, all business leaders had to do was select what they wanted and load up the supplies in buggies waiting for them and place in their cars and trucks. Day care owners lined up to get much needed supplies to keep the children in their care safe, and the word spread quickly throughout the community. By the end of the day, only a few pallets remained.
The space to unload and distribute all of the items brought to the community by tractor trailers was donated by the Burlington Masonic Lodge and other sponsors helped also, including District Council member Gwen McKenzie, the Faith Leaders Initiative, and the City of Knoxville.
