The Upper Cumberland region of Tennessee is experiencing a surge of initiatives aimed at enhancing early childhood education, reflecting a community-wide commitment to supporting young learners and their families. Community investment in early education is crucial because it lays the foundation for a child’s lifelong success and strengthens the fabric of the entire community. Investing [...]
Recently, Megan Spurgeon, Empower Upper Cumberland Director, sat down with Ben Rodgers, Newstalk 94.1 reporter, to discuss how she came to be the program's director; including what it was like starting a new position with Upper Cumberland Human Resource Agency as one local disaster and a worldwide pandemic unfolded. Part 1 Part 2 This content [...]
Earlier this week, Empower Upper Cumberland team members assisted with a food drive in White County. This event provided one box of food per car and was made possible through a grant awarded to our local YMCA by Save the Children. Volunteers boxed and distributed 200 food boxes for White County families with children in [...]
Empower Upper Cumberland continues to make significant strides toward alleviating poverty in the Upper Cumberland. Recently, the Empower UC team held its inaugural advisory board meeting in which board leadership was selected. Congratulations to Jackson County Mayor Randy Heady and White County Executive Denny Wayne Robinson on being selected to lead the Empower UC [...]
Photo courtesy of Cookeville-Putnam County Chamber of Commerce. From left: Nick Bishop, Janice Terry, Page Bryant, Becky Hull, Jasen Knight, Mike Porten, Phillip Clemmons, Matt Billings, Heather Thomas, Mark Farley, Angie Wells, Megan Spurgeon, Ben Rodgers, Adam Poe, Stacey Baxter, James Mills, Jon Ward, Ryan Barnhart, Tony Whiteaker, Jay Albrecht, Luke Eldridge, Ali Bagci [...]
The Empower Upper Cumberland Bootcamp training program recently came to an end after six weeks of intensive training. Twenty-seven individuals completed the 200-hour training program; a first-of-its-kind training program in the Upper Cumberland was truly a collaborative effort. Presenters included team members from UCHRA, UCDD, community partners, business leaders, and several other community organizations. In [...]
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS The Upper Cumberland Human Resource Agency (UCHRA) will solicit bids from qualified companies for office furniture with the below specifications: All furniture, excluding chairs, is to be grey in color and wood or laminate material. Companies can submit multiple proposals; however, each individual proposal should be the same brand/style throughout the proposal. [...]
UCHRA/Empower UC staffers, Heather Thomas and Balinda Westmoreland, go over the rules of Circles meetings and the expectations of all participants. In the months since being named one of seven collaborations selected from across the state to receive $25 million in TANF Opportunity Act funds, Empower Upper Cumberland has hit the ground running; [...]
