The Northwest Tennessee Economic Development Council and the Tennessee Association of Community Action welcome Sherry Harpole, who has assumed the role of Head Start/Early Head Start Director at NWTEDC! 

Sherry holds a Masters in Early Childhood Education from the University of Memphis.  She obtained her Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, TN.  Prior to assuming the role of HS/EHS Director, Sherry served as Assistant Professor and Coordinator of Early Childhood Education for Dyersburg State Community College in Dyersburg, TN.  She worked more than 10 years with the Department of Human Services in the positions of Child Care Assessment Specialist, and later Regional Coordinator.  

Sherry is the President of the West TN Association for the Education of Young Children and also serves on the governing board for the Tennessee Association for the Education of Young Children. She has membership with the National Association for the Education of Young Children and the Southern Early Childhood Association.

Married to Heath Harpole, Sherry and her husband have two children and reside in Jackson, TN.  

TACA congratulates and welcomes Sherry!

Over 30 Shelby County CSA clients were interviewed and screened for employment.  Six clients left Shelby County CSA that day and went straight to work!  A couple of individuals declinded employment due to the rate of pay rate, and three were unsuccessful in the screenings.  The others faced transporation barriers.

Shelby County CSA works with other branches of government, businesses and other community stakeholders to help the citizens of Memphis and Shelby County break down barriers to               self-sufficiency.

 

Upper East Tennessee Human Development Agency (UETHDA) has a new tool in its efforts to help the low-income and underserved population in an eight-county region of East Tennesse.  The agency received a repurposed 19-passenger mobile services bus that has been retrofitted inside and out and has Wi-Fi accessibility, new tires and a custom wrap.  The bus was a gift from Atmos Energy.

"This bus will allow us the opportunity to take our services to the clients," says Timothy Jaynes, Executive Director of UETHDA.  "It allows us to reach into communities and neighborhoods not only to provide services, but to provide connections to available resources and opportunities for low-income individuals and families."

"Our shared future depends on the economic strength and social well-being of our communities.  That's why Atmos Energy is excited to partner with UETHDA to help those in need," said Sherry Kelly, Atmos Energy vice president of operations, Mid-Tex Division.

Photo coutesy of Rachel Kraft

Knoxville-Knox County Community Action Committee's Summer Child Nutrition Program (SCNP) was again a success!  This summer, in its 48 days of service, the program provided 132,109 breakfast and lunch meals and 67,188 snacks to children at 81 sites across Knox County.  Two buses served as mobile feeding sites to isolated areas where children were harder to reach because of where they live.  

Since 1968, the SCNP has been feeding hungry Knox County children during the summer.  Many low-income households often are at-risk of hunger during the summer months. They often rely on the free school lunch program for the bulk of their daily meals. When school is not in session, working parents may feel the financial strain of higher grocery bills.  This is were the SCNP bridges the gap to provide meals and snacks to hungry children in a safe and secure environment.

Not only does the program provide nutritious food, but it also provides summer jobs for those who need employment.  

      

ROMA NEXT GENERATION

 

The first public comment period (FRN#1) for ROMA Next Generation ended August 15th.  The second comment period (FRN#2) is set to begin this fall and will last 30 days. RNG is a system for continuous quality improvement to enable the network to measure, analyze and communicate performance.  It will help Community Action to shift to a culture of continuous learning rather than a compliance and reporting culture.  Ultimately, RNG will help the CSBG Network generate robust results for individuals with 

low-incomes and the communities served.

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