Close Menu
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    • Home
    • About Us
    • Digital Subscription
    • Advertisement
    • Contact Us
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    The Tennessee TribuneThe Tennessee Tribune
    Advertise With Us
    • Home
      • COVID-19 Resource Center
        • Dr. Henry Louis Gates’ PSA Radio
      • Featured
    • News
      • State
      • Local
      • National/International News
      • Global
      • Business
        • Commentary
        • Finance
        • Local Business
      • Investigative Stories
        • Affordable Housing
        • DCS Investigation
        • Gentrification
    • Editorial
      • National Politics
      • Local News
      • Local Editorial
      • Political Editorial
      • Editorial Cartoons
      • Cycle of Shame
    • Community
      • History
      • Tennessee
        • Chattanooga
        • Clarksville
        • Knoxville
        • Memphis
      • Public Notices
      • Women
        • Let’s Talk with Ms. June
    • Education
      • College
        • American Baptist College
        • Belmont University
        • Fisk
        • HBCU
        • Meharry
        • MTSU
        • University of Tennessee
        • TSU
        • Vanderbilt
      • Elementary
      • High School
    • Lifestyle
      • Art
      • Auto
      • Tribune Travel
      • Entertainment
        • 5 Questions With
        • Books
        • Events
        • Film Review
        • Local Entertainment
      • Family
      • Food
        • Drinks
      • Health & Wellness
      • Home & Garden
      • Featured Books
    • Religion
      • National Religion
      • Local Religion
      • Obituaries
        • National Obituaries
        • Local Obituaries
      • Faith Commentary
    • Sports
      • MLB
        • Sounds
      • NBA
      • NCAA
      • NFL
        • Predators
        • Titans
      • NHL
      • Other Sports
      • Golf
      • Professional Sports
      • Sports Commentary
      • Metro Sports
    • Media
      • Video
      • Photo Galleries
      • Take 10
      • Trending With The Tribune
    • Classified
    • Obituaries
      • Local Obituaries
      • National Obituaries
    The Tennessee TribuneThe Tennessee Tribune
    Knoxville

    Wesley House: A Calling for 110 Years

    Vivian Underwood ShipeBy Vivian Underwood ShipeJuly 25, 2019No Comments3 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Telegram Pinterest Tumblr Reddit Email
    Exceutive Director Kara Finger, center, stands with Cheyenne and Jade, two of the 120 children served by Wesley House. Photos by Vivian Shipe
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

    By Vivian Shipe

    KNOXVILLE, TN — Imagine it is 1907, women are working in dangerous conditions at the Brookside Mill in Knoxville. The problem, they have no daycare for their young children and the mill is too dangerous to have them by their sides as they work in the harsh conditions
    to make a living.

    Ms. Emma Taylor one of the senior citizens served by the center.

    Enter the United Methodist Women. They get permission from the mill owner to open a day care in the building right behind the mill and thus Wesley House was born.

    Now, 110 years later, the children of the Lonsdale, Beaumont, Mechanicsville communities are still cared for by Wesley House; and not only the children, but also the senior citizens thru four dynamic programs.

    Kara Finger, the new Executive Director for what is now Wesley House Community Center, presented those programs along with her vision for the future during their annual Friends and Donors breakfast on July 19th.

    Three of the programs serve the children. The  C.A.R.E.S. program provides after school

    Minister Leah Burns Wesley House board member and one of 200 in attendance at the breakfast.

    tutoring, completion of homework while at the center, and focus on raising the GPA of the children. The P.A.C.E. program teaches skills beyond academia in areas such as sewing, music, dance, coding, and non-traditional sports such as golf. The S.T.E.P program is their summer day camp program that ends the week before school starts back. The program provides breakfast, lunch and snacks, and two and half hours daily of education instruction to help the children retain what they learned during the school year. They are rewarded each afternoon with field trips, swimming and other activities.

    The seniors of the community have been served by Wesley House for over 60 years thru meals, bingo games, and constant contact and well care checks to meet their day to day

    Bernice McClure sings during the breakfast.

    needs and break the barrier of social isolation many feel in the community.

    The vision of the center is growing under the new leadership. Ms. Finger has set a goal of bringing performing arts, musical instrument training such as African drumming, and slam poetry into the center along with learning new languages and cultures, and exposure to different sports. “Find their spark and run with it.” Finger said.

    Wesley House is located at 1719 Reynolds St. Knox, TN 37921 To volunteer or help meet the needs of the 120 children served by this center call 865 524-5494 or by www.wesleyhouse.com

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Vivian Underwood Shipe

    Related Posts

    Knoxville’s Beck Met Gala Raises $25,000

    May 15, 2025

    GRSM Opens Knoxville Office to Support Growing Demand Across Southern Region

    May 14, 2025

    Attorney Ben Crump Seeks Answers in Knoxville: “No One Can Explain Why They Killed Him”

    April 24, 2025

    Jackie’s Dream: A Homerun for Smokey’s Stadium

    April 1, 2025

    Black K.A.R.E. Health Fair: The Links Inc. Promotes Kidney Awareness

    February 27, 2025

    Mary Goins Celebrates 104 Years

    February 19, 2025

    Comments are closed.

    Business

    Charlotte Knight Griffin Takes Office as TBA President-Elect

    June 30, 2025

    EXCLUSIVE OP-ED: President Joe Biden Commemorating Juneteenth

    June 19, 2025

    FUNdraising Good Times Report from Neighborhoods USA Conference in Jacksonville

    June 4, 2025
    1 2 3 … 384 Next
    Education
    Education

    Austin Peay’s MPH program receives $27K for childhood literacy initiative. Community LIFT Project to be implemented at Head Start centers this fall

    By Ethan SteinquestJune 30, 2025

    CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Austin Peay State University’s Master of Public Health program is on a…

    TSU, State, reach agreement to reallocate $96M to school

    June 26, 2025

    TSU student lands prestigious internship at Harvard Medical School

    June 25, 2025

    FAMU stakeholders file lawsuit to prevent Marva Johnson’s confirmation as the university’s 13th President

    June 21, 2025
    The Tennessee Tribune
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    • About Us
    • Digital Subscription
    • Store
    • Advertise With Us
    • Contact
    © 2025 The Tennessee Tribune - Site Designed by No Regret Media.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

    Our Spring Sale Has Started

    You can see how this popup was set up in our step-by-step guide: https://wppopupmaker.com/guides/auto-opening-announcement-popups/