Habitat for Humanity of Anderson County is a special partner of Grace Covenant Church, since both the Executive Director and the Manager of the Habitat Home Store (the Reverends Susan and Rodney Parrish) are members of our congregation. A number of our members are regular Habitat volunteers, and we participate as a congregation in a number of activities throughout the year supportive of Habitat’s work.
The Ecumenical Storehouse: Grace Covenant is one of ten congregations responsible for the financial support and volunteer staff for the day-to-day operation of the Ecumenical Storehouse--a warehouse operation which collects and dispenses gently used furniture, appliances and household goods to families seeking to establish or re-establish a home under adverse circumstances.
Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties: Grace Covenant supports through its annual budget ADFAC's distribution of local emergency aid and also provides support through volunteers and participation in ADFAC's annual campaigns for school supplies, Christmas gifts for teens, and its Crisis Cupboard. Food-4-Kids: In celebration of its 5th anniversary, Grace Covenant partnered with the Oak Ridge Schools Family Resource Center and Second Harvest Food Bank to sponsor the Food-4-Kids program for the Oak Ridge Schools Preschool, providing weekend meals for fifty children through the school year.
Healthy Start/Healthy Families: Grace Covenant annually provides for the care of a child through Healthy Start's professional home visitor services to first-time parents whose babies are identified as being at risk for abuse or neglect.
CONTACT Helpline: Grace Covenant members serve as volunteers with CONTACT and our budget supports CONTACT's provision of an East Tennessee telephone ministry that answers over 7000 calls annually from people needing listening, counseling, information, referral, and suicide prevention services.
CASA of the Tennessee Heartland: Grace Covenant is pleased to provide financial support for CASA's mission to train volunteers to serve as advocates for the best interests of abused and neglected children under the protection of the juvenile court. East Tennessee Domestic Violence Shelter also receives volunteer and financial support for the operation of its family shelter and second-hand store.
