KNOXVILLE, TN — In 2006, an organization was formed to serve the community outside the church walls. Founded by Keira Wyatt and her late husband David Wyatt, for over two decades the organization has served thousands through its many programs. C.O.N.N.E.C.T. stands for “community organizations networking neighborhoods encouraging change together.”
From its origin, the organization has done exactly that. It is a Christ-centered, hands-on resource center whose first partnership with Greater Warner Tabernacle A.M.E. Zion Church has grown into connections with multiple organizations over the years.
C.O.N.N.E.C.T. became a 501(c)(3) in 2008 and serves as an in-house hub of activity, offering referrals, job readiness training, housing services, and community resources. The organization serves those in the community who are underserved and underrepresented, including disadvantaged youth, homeless individuals, ex-offenders, and veterans. Every year, they serve thousands who walk through their doors.
Located in the heart of the historic Burlington district of East Knoxville, the organization has long been an innovator during trying times. During the pandemic, the organization worked in partnership with churches and local organizations to set up drive-through vaccination lines, providing free vaccines for over 80,000 people; helped order 18-wheeler truckloads of food for the food deserts around them; provided the space for trainings for the successful GO PLACES project that helped 183 justice-involved youth get a fresh start; and, through their CONNECT WORKS 4U initiative, has provided opportunities for paid workforce development through different partnerships, the most recent being its R.E.S.E.T. program, which has a 100 percent graduation and job placement rate, working in partnership with the area trade unions to provide a fully paid apprenticeship program.
Tabernacle Baptist Church and the East Tennessee Development District formally recognized the dedication and impact the organization has made in the city of Knoxville for over 20 years. During the month of September, during their annual awards programs recognizing changemakers, Tabernacle presented a check to Wyatt and her organization in recognition of their work during its annual She Shines Royal Tea, and ETDD, which serves 16 counties across East Tennessee, recognized C.O.N.N.E.C.T. Ministries as the Knox County honoree for their workforce development success over the years.
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