NASHVILLE, Tenn. — After 31 years of service to the Nashville community, You Have the Power (YHTP) will officially cease operations on September 30, 2026, bringing to a close three decades of education, advocacy, and community engagement focused on crime prevention, victim support, and safer communities.
You Have the Power has delivered training sessions on human trafficking, sexual assault, bullying, child sexual abuse, and domestic violence to thousands of people all across the United States.
The closure follows a transition that began last year, as YHTP phased out its educational classes and the production of its printed resource guides and focused on the Children’s Memory Garden of Nashville in Centennial Park.
Centennial Park Conservancy will become the new home of Children’s Memory Garden programming, including Voices from the Garden and family events. The transition will allow the Garden to continue serving as a place of remembrance and connection for families whose children have lost their lives to violence.
“The Children’s Memory Garden has become an important part of You Have the Power’s legacy,” says Andrea Conte, Founder and Lifetime Board Member, Former First Lady of Tennessee. “We are grateful to Centennial Park Conservancy for continuing the programming connected to the Garden and helping ensure that these children, their families, and their stories continue to be remembered.”
Founded three decades ago, You Have the Power has worked alongside survivors, families, advocates, criminal justice professionals, volunteers, and community partners to educate and empower Tennesseans through programs, resources, and community initiatives that address crime, violence, and victimization.
“As we prepare to close You Have the Power, we are incredibly grateful to the staff, board members, volunteers, donors, partners, and community members who have supported this work over the past 31 years,” said David Hart, Board Chair. “While the organization is closing, the impact of that work continues through the people, organizations and families committed to preventing violence and supporting victims.”
Information about future Children’s Memory Garden programs, including Voices from the Garden and family events, will be available through Centennial Park Conservancy and the Children’s Memory Garden website as those resources are updated.
