Serving the 560+ square miles of the county, the Blount County Community Action Agency (BCCAA) is a private, nonprofit, established in 1965, to provide resources and services that alleviate or eliminate poverty cycles and foster increased abilities of self-reliance for those who find themselves in temporary or longer-term situations of need.
Over the past 56 years, BCCAA has provided not only direct services for housing, food, health, education and advocacy needs but also, has fostered the ability to promote local control on identified solutions allowing the community to assess their own needs and solutions, avoid duplication of services, and engage local collaborations, stakeholders and volunteerism for the betterment of the community.
Blount County Community Action Agency operates three departments that house numerous programs and services.
See PROGRAM for more information | ||
COMMUNITY SERVICES PROGRAMS Low-Income Heat and Energy Program (LIHEAP) Rental (Housing) Assistance Dental Assistance Garden Program Gas Card for Employment Commodities Distribution COVID impact services |
COMMUNITY NUTRITION PROGRAMS Smoky Mountains Meals on Wheels Ani-Meals on Wheels Congregate Meals Rural Area Meal Program (RAMP Food Pantry Resources Child/Youth Outreach Community Outreach Programs |
OFFICE ON AGING SMiles Program (Transportation) Savings CheckUp (Benefits Enrollment) SAILS (Senior Exercise) CHIRP (Telephone Check-ins) SAFER Homes, Ramp Services Senior Outreach Programs Elder Abuse Prevention & Education, Community & Caregiver Advocacy |
COVID precautions and procedures are in effect for the agency and all programs.
Please see below for specific information:
Until further notice, we will be conducting all support by telephone or email and will have isolated, secure drop-boxes, if you are instructed to provide paperwork. Currently, the agency building is closed for public entry. Please do not make a trip to our building, unless instructed to drop off paperwork in the three drop off areas.
For all services, please first call 865-983-8411 and listen to the message extension information to quickly get you to the staff/program that will be able to help you. If you are instructed to leave a message, please do so. Our staff are ready to work diligently to support you and will return your call as soon as possible. Our staff is also available to be contacted by email. The email contact information is on our website, www.blountcaa.org. From our HOME PAGE, scroll to the bottom and select STAFF. The specific programs and Director’s email will be under this section.
What is Community Action?
Established under the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, President Lyndon Johnson’s War on Poverty focused efforts to “…not only to relieve the symptom of poverty, but to cure it and, above all, to prevent it”. Thus, Community Action Agencies (CAA) were created and charged to equip low-income citizens with the tools and potential for increasing self-sufficiency and economic stability.
CAAs address causes of poverty, not the symptoms, which means that:
• CAAs work to ensure their community offers everyone opportunities to become economically secure, and
• They invest in individuals and their families who are striving to develop their skills.
Local Control
The nation’s 1,000-plus Community Action Agencies are a robust, state and local force – reaching children and families in 99% of America’s counties with life-changing services that create pathways to self-reliance. There are 20 Community Action Agencies across the State of Tennessee.
The vast majority of Community Action Agencies (CAAs) are private non-profits, but some are agencies of local or county government. Both types of CAAs are locally-based organizations with a longstanding community presence, a community-selected governing board and transparent management systems.
CSBG requires local and state plans to address community improvements by:
• Supporting greater civic participation
• Developing “grassroots” public-private partnerships
• Funding innovative community-based initiatives
• Establishing better linkages among government programs
Place Based Solutions
Every three (3) years, each CAA must complete a Comprehensive Community Needs Assessment identifying local needs and a plan to address the identified issues and gaps, collaborative programming and supplemental services with Community Service Block Grant (CSBG) funding. Under the community action agency structure, the ability to promote local control on identified solutions allows communities to assess their own needs, avoid duplication of services and prescribe place-based solutions.
2021: Blount County Results
1.) Transportation
2.) Housing Services
3.) Needs for the Elderly
4.) Healthcare Services
5.)Energy Services
Local control allows communities to assess their own needs and prescribe place-based solutions. Local plans for using CSBG funds must reflect a well-conceived strategy for ameliorating poverty; that strategy must include approaches and activities chosen from those listed in the CSBG Act which the local agency leaders deem to be necessary and effective for their community:
Information provided by the National Community Action Foundation.
CAA’s are mandated to be governed under a tripartite Board of Directors membership identified by their representation of three sectors of the community.
These sectors include the public, private and the low-income representation.
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- The public representative sector consists of elected community officials, who represent the leadership that the citizens of the community have selected to serve in various government roles. This membership sector does not create political affiliations or bias for BCCAA, yet reflects who the community has deemed as their voice to address and solve many impactful community service needs.
- The private representative sector membership consists of individuals in various business, industry, labor, religious, welfare, education or other major groups and interests in the community.
- The low-income representative sector consists of various members of the community who are either members of the community who have received BCCAA services or represent agencies that also service low-income populations.
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Public Representative Sector
Tom Stinnett- Chair
Bob Ramsey
Fred Metz – Vice Chair
Tanya Martin
Jeff Jopling
Low-Income Representative Sector
Jerry Hall
Jeff Barbra
Peggy Campbell
Rosa Tellis
Marjorie Stewart
Private Representative Sector
Debbie Sudhoff- Secretary
Rob Britt
Bill Brewer
Tom Taylor
Bryan Sandmeier
Executive Director
Tammye Pirie, MPH
tpirie@blountcaa.org
Chief Financial Officer/Deputy Director
Paige King
pking@blountcaa.org
Community Services Program Director
Mitzi Long
mlong@blountcaa.org
Community Services Staff:
Linda Kirkland
Kristi Cochran
Judy Ferguson
Amanda Cooper
Tisha Byrd
Senior Nutrition Staff:
Sheila Sutton
Audrey Pettis
Violet Ross
Renee Jennings
Charlotte Douglas
Barbara Harrington
Nancy Reneau
Tony West
Scott Holloway
Office on Aging Director
Teresa O’Mary
tomary@blountcaa.org
SMiles Manager
Linda Crawford
lcrawford@blountcaa.org
SMiles Specialist
Lindsay Reneau
SAFER Homes, Ramp Program
Joani Shaver
Benefits Enrollment Center Specialist (Savings CheckUp)
Becky Waugh
bwaugh@blountcaa.org