Monroe-McMinn County July Newsletter

What an incredible honor and blessing! We are deeply grateful to everyone who voted Isaiah 117 House Monroe-McMinn as the Daily Post-Athenian's Best of the Best in the Non-Profit category.

This recognition is a reflection of the amazing support, generosity, and compassion of our community. We share this award with our dedicated volunteers, faithful donors, valued partners, and every person who has come alongside us to help change the way foster care begins for children right here in Monroe and McMinn Counties.

Because of your belief in our mission, children entering foster care are met with comfort, care, and dignity during one of the most difficult moments of their lives. Simply put, Isaiah 117 House Monroe-McMinn would not exist without this incredible community.



Thank you for your support, your encouragement, and for believing in the work we do. We are truly honored and thankful to serve alongside you! YOU are the best of the best!

Our community continues to show up year after year to make our Lemonade Stand Challenge a HUGE SUCCESS—and we cannot do it without YOU!

We have big plans this year! Lemonade taste-testing contests with celebrity judges, Lemon Mobiles, scavenger hunts, cup decorating, premier locations, and so much more. You won’t want to miss it! But we need your help to make it happen.

This year, our goal is 1️⃣1️⃣7️⃣ lemonade stands, and we still need more stand hosts to help us get there. Every stand matters. Every participant matters. And every person who says “yes” brings us one step closer to reaching our goal and making an even greater impact.

Every cup of lemonade, every lemon treat, every lemonade stand host, every customer, and every single lemonade stand will help change the way foster care begins. The difference we make together starts with one simple act of showing up.

📢 Youth groups, churches, sports teams, cheer teams, civic groups, families, friends, businesses, Beta Clubs, schools, and organizations—we need you!

Whether you've hosted a stand before or this would be your first year, now is the time to get involved. We are counting on our community to help us reach 117 stands and make this our most impactful Lemonade Stand Challenge yet.



Take a stand and help us change the way foster care begins—one cup at a time!

🍋 Choose Your Location

Need a place to host your stand? Let us know! We're happy to help secure a location for you.

🍋 Pick Your Date & Hours

While we'd love for all stands to be open on July 18th, we understand that schedules and circumstances vary. If you need to host your stand on a different day—or even over multiple days—no problem! Simply note your preferred dates on the signup form.

🍋 Make Your Stand Your Own

Have fun and get creative! Over the years, participants have partnered with local businesses, hosted car washes, featured silent auctions, offered carnival games, held prize drawings, served frozen or flavored lemonade, sold sno cones, and so much more.

Of course, some of our most successful stands have kept it simple with classic lemonade. Whether your stand is big or small, every effort makes a difference!

🍋 Sign Up

Complete the registration form using the link below.

🍋 Gather Your Friends & Family

Recruit your crew and start planning your stand.

🍋 Have Fun!

Enjoy the experience while making a meaningful impact in our community.

💛 What We Provide

✔️ A lemonade stand sign

✔️ Promotion of all participating stand locations

💛 Exciting Incentives & Competitions

🏆 Best Stand Design Competition

The winning stand will receive the coveted Lemon Trophy and a $1,000 donation made in the stand's name, generously sponsored by Peoples Bank of East Tennessee.

🍦 Top Youth Fundraiser Award

The youth stand that raises the most money will win an ice cream party!

🍋 Lemonade Taste Testing Contest

Show off your recipe and compete for bragging rights!

🍋 Don't Delay—Sign Up Today! 🍋

Together, we can squeeze every drop of fun out of a great cause! 💛🍋

A Lemonade Story From Our Home

It was Lemonade Stand Weekend 2025, and we had the sweetest little guest in the house. After hearing all about our Lemonade Stand Challenge and how our community comes together each year to support the children at Isaiah 117 House, she was immediately inspired. She decided she wanted to host a lemonade stand of her own so she could “help all the kids at Isaiah House like me.”

She poured her whole heart into it. She made lemon decorations, created play money with little lemons on it, and carefully prepared her lemonade. Then she proudly told every volunteer and case worker why they should buy a cup. She explained that the money would help buy toys, snacks, and “everything the kids wanted.”

One of our volunteers traded her play money for real money, but our sweet guest didn’t want to keep a single dollar for herself. Instead, she insisted on donating it back to Isaiah 117 House so she could help even more children. She even prepared a special presentation for the big donation.

This precious child walked through incredibly difficult circumstances. She had every reason to be angry at the world. But instead, she chose joy. She chose love. She chose compassion.

And somehow, in the middle of her own healing, she was already thinking about the children who would come after her.

That is the heart of Isaiah 117 House. That is the power of love, safety, and community. And that is exactly why our Lemonade Stand Challenge matters so much.

Thank you to every person who hosts a stand, donates, volunteers, shares our mission, or cheers us on. You are helping create moments like this — moments where children begin to believe that even after the hardest roads, goodness still exists.

If you’d like to join us and host a lemonade stand of your own, you can sign up at the link below

Is your church hosting a VBS or summer camp this year?

We would love the opportunity to come and share about the mission and heart behind Isaiah 117 House Monroe-McMinn. It’s a great way for kids and leaders to learn how they can make a difference right here in our community.

If you’re interested in having us come speak, we would be so grateful to connect with you!

Please reach out to us at monroetn@isaiah117house.com for more information.

Our mission is to reduce trauma for children entering foster care, ease the transition for foster families, and lighten the load of the child welfare workers. Since opening our doors, we have been busy walking our mission.

We have served 515 children since opening our doors. On a really hard day, children enter our home scared, lonely, confused, dirty, hungry, hopeless, and broken. We step in to meet them where they are, make sure they know they are not alone, show them love and grace, and give them back their dignity.

Our house matters! Lavish love matters! Being present matters! THANK YOU to everyone who makes it possible. We could not do it without you!

There is no greater honor than knowing that children walking through our red door feel the tangible love of God! We do not take it lightly.

We want as many people as possible to know about removal day and the gap that Isaiah 117 House is standing in on that really tough day.

Whether you're just learning about Isaiah 117 House or you're familiar with our mission and want an update on our efforts, we'd love to share our story and house updates with you.

Our team is passionate about sharing our story and building partnerships within the community. We would love the opportunity to speak to your church, women's or men's group, civic clubs, business, school, or any other organization/group interested in making a difference in the lives of children entering foster care.

❤️Do you have a church, Bible study, or youth group we could speak to?

❤️Are you part of a civic organization?

❤️Do you have monthly staff meetings that we could briefly speak at?

❤️Maybe your kids are on a sports team or in a club that would be interested in hearing our mission?

❤️Are you part of a school that wants to see kids helping kids?

❤️Maybe we’ve already shared with your group and you would like to hear an update!

If you'd like more information, have questions, or want to schedule a time for us to speak, please send us an e-mail at jennifer.collins@isaiah117house.com

Together, we can change the way foster care begins!

SHARING OUR MISSION

Thank you for allowing us to share our mission! We do not take the opportunity for granted! We had a wonderful time with each group/church in May and June. We'd love to add your group to the list.

THANK YOU...

Watson Chapel

Cambria Baptist Church

Jacob's Tent

Poplar Bluff

St Mary's Church

North Athens Baptist Church

FUMC Madisonville

Center Presbyterian

Journey of Faith Fellowship

Roar into Reading with Tellico Plains Public Library

VFW Post 5146-Athens

Thank you, VFW Post 5146-Athens for hosting a BBQ dinner and donating all proceeds to Isaiah 117 House.

As an organization made up of veterans who have dedicated their lives to serving others, the VFW continues to make a difference long after their military service ends. Their heart for supporting fellow community members reflects the very spirit of what we strive to do every day—show up for those who need care, comfort, and support.

Because of the generosity of VFW Post 5146 and everyone who came out to enjoy a meal, children entering foster care will be met with a warm welcome, clean clothes, comforting essentials, and a place where they can simply be kids during a difficult time.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for standing with us and helping change the way foster care begins—one BBQ sandwich, one act of kindness, and one child at a time.

Kids Helping Kids Talent Show

What an incredible day of generosity, talent, and community!

A heartfelt thank you to DJ Tiffany Salley, Brooke Best, Carpool Garage, and Team for hosting the Kids Helping Kids Talent Show and creating such a meaningful opportunity for young people to use their gifts to make a difference. Your vision, dedication, and passion helped bring our community together in support of an important cause.

Thank you as well to The Lazy Beagle for partnering with this event and generously donating $500 from drink sales to support Isaiah 117 House. Your commitment to giving back is making a real impact for children in need.

Most importantly, thank you to all of the amazingly talented kids who participated in the show. Your courage, creativity, and willingness to share your talents are helping change the way foster care begins for children right here in our community. You are proof that no one is too young to make a difference.

Together, we are helping ensure that children entering foster care are met with comfort, dignity, and love during one of the most difficult moments in their lives.

Thank you to everyone who attended, supported, performed, volunteered, and donated. What a beautiful example of a community coming together to make a lasting impact!

Belk Charity Sale

We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Belk for allowing Isaiah 117 House to be a part of this year’s Belk Charity Days event. We are grateful for the opportunity to share our mission and connect with so many members of our community.

We also want to sincerely thank everyone who supported Isaiah 117 House through your purchases, donations, and encouragement. Your generosity helps us continue providing physical and emotional support in a safe and loving home for children awaiting foster placement.

A heartfelt thank you to Monroe County Farm Bureau for their generous donation of fresh beef to Isaiah 117 House, and a special thank you to Matthew Brown, Agency Manager of Monroe County Farm Bureau, for donating a deep freezer to store it.

Because of your kindness and support, the children we serve will have nutritious meals and full bellies during what is often one of the most difficult times in their lives. Your generosity goes beyond providing food—it offers comfort, care, and the reassurance that our community is standing beside them.

We are deeply grateful for your partnership and your commitment to making a difference in the lives of children in Monroe and McMinn County. Thank you for helping us create a place where children feel loved, supported, and cared for....with full bellies!

We extend our sincere gratitude to Volunteer Federal for their continued support of the children served by the Isaiah 117 House. Your generous donation of a fun basketball goal will provide countless hours of recreation, laughter, and positive activity for the children in our home.

Because of community partners like you, we can create a welcoming environment where children feel valued, supported, and encouraged during a difficult time in their lives. Thank you for investing in our mission and helping make a difference, one child at a time.

We are truly grateful for your partnership and your commitment to the children of our community. 🏀💙

LEMONADE STANDS

A huge THANK YOU to the three amazing groups who have already hosted Isaiah 117 House Lemonade Stands this season!

🍋 Kids Helping Kids with Pecan Patch – home of the cutest little lemons!

🍋 Pilot Club of Athens

🍋 Squeeze the Day

Because of your generosity, hard work, and community spirit, you're helping us provide comfort, care, and support to children entering foster care. Every cup of lemonade served makes a difference for kids who need it most.

Thank you for standing with Isaiah 117 House and showing what it means to be a community that cares. We are so grateful for each of you and the impact you're making—one cup at a time! 💛🍋

Gift Cards are such a blessing for so many reasons, Gift Cards allow us to run out to the store to pick up whatever we may need for our current guests. This could be a specific pair of shoes, a certain style of clothing we don't have in stock, or a meal from their favorite restaurant. Gift Cards also help us stay stocked on snacks, drinks, and food for the house. Gift Cards also allow us to keep household items, such as cleaning supplies, stocked.

We could really use Wal Mart gift cards at this time. Wal Mart Gift Cards will allow us to purchase the items needed for guests. You can drop gift cards off at the McMinn County Clerk's Office, Skyway Title Services, or you can e-mail us to arrange drop off.

Every child who enters our home receives bags filled with brand new clothing, shoes, hygiene items, toys, Bibles, journals, and so much more — giving them comfort and dignity!

Our entire upstairs is our Giving Room and it is organized in bins labeled with size, gender, item, etc. for children entering our home!

Bin Buddies make it possible to pack bags for children! We are looking for Bin Buddies to sponsor a bin! By sponsoring a bin in our Giving Room, you help ensure our shelves stay stocked so every child leaves with what they need.

This is a simple, hands-on way to make a BIG difference! It’s perfect for individuals, families, churches, teams, women’s groups and youth groups looking to serve.

Ready to fill a bin and a child's heart, or do you want to learn more about Bin Buddies? Click the button below to learn more information and then you can select a bin to sponsor!

Become a Pantry Pal

Want to make a BIG impact in a small, consistent way? Become a Pantry Pal today! Signing up as a Pantry Pal is a meaningful way for organizations, churches, businesses, small groups, families, or individuals to get involved and be connected to our mission.

When children enter our

home, we have all the snacks and drinks to make their time with us as special

as possible. On a really hard day, we provide comfort through lavish love and

snacks! Whether it's a Rice Krispies treat and a Dr. Pepper or a fruit roll-up

and juice, our guests know that there are plenty of snacks for them to choose

from.

We've also added some

household items on our list as well. We do a lot of dishes, laundry, and

cleaning at the house. We go through a lot of paper towels, laundry detergent,

and dish washing pods. Becoming a Pantry Pal is a tremendous help to us!

How do you become a Pantry Pal? Simply choose your favorite snack and make sure it stays stocked for the kids in our home. Once you sign up, we will reach out to you when your snack or drink is running low.

Want to make a difference from the comfort of your own home? It's just a few clicks away! We work diligently to keep our Amazon Wish List up to date with our most current needs. All purchases arrive right at our red door! No hassle shopping and delivery! We are running low on car seats, booster seats, and bunk beds.

Want to shop locally? You can take a look at our Wish List and then purchase locally. You can drop off items at the McMinn County Clerk's Office, Skyway Title Services, or e-mail us to arrange drop off.

What is a Sock Buddy!? 

❣️It’s simply a recurring, monthly donor.

What does it mean to become a Sock Buddy? 

❣️It means that a child will be lavishly loved when they walk through our red doors. 

❣️It means that a child will be able to pick out BRAND NEW clothes, shoes, & other fun things that *they* like - a luxury that some of them have never experienced 

❣️It means that a child will be able to walk into their foster care journey feeling more confident 

❣️It means that a child will be shown that they are SEEN and VALUED 

❣️It means that a child will be able to take all their new things to their placement home in brand new duffel bags or a suitcase - not a trash bag 

❣️It means that YOU become part of the story of LOVE for each child who will enter our red doors on what may well be the worst day of their lives. 

When you become a Sock Buddy (recurring donor) we will send you exclusive Isaiah 117 House socks to say, “Thank you for walking this jouney with us."