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.
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.
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COMMUNITY SERVICES PROGRAMS Community Services Block Grant Low-Income Heat and Energy Program (LIHEAP) Share The Warmth SAFER Homes, Ramp Services SAFER Homes, HomeShare Program Commodities Distribution in partnership with Second Harvest of East Tennessee
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COMMUNITY NUTRITION PROGRAMS Smoky Mountains Meals on Wheels Ani-Meals on Wheels Senior Meal Outreach in partnership with Second Harvest of East Tennessee Congregate Meals Food Pantry Resources Community Outreach Programs
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OFFICE ON AGING SMiles Program (Transportation) Benefits Enrollment Services ‘Focus on Seniors’ Educational Series SAILS (Senior Exercise) CHIRP (Telephone Check-ins) Senior Outreach and Referral Services Elder Abuse Prevention & Education, Community & Caregiver Advocacy
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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 citizens struggling with various challenges with the tools for increasing self-reliance, resiliency and economic stability.
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.
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.
2024: Blount County Results
- Housing Services
- Elderly Services
- Child Care Services
- Transportation Services
- Nutrition 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.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING: July 25, 2025 at 8:00am held at the Agency
Guests are requested to contact Tammye Pirie at tpirie@blountcaa.org prior to the day of the meeting with RSVP to ensure space for additional attendees and the ability to contact, if the meeting logistics change.
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 the community’s majority representative that has been deemed as a voice of advocacy 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 who are able to advance the Strategic Plan and impact of service delivery.
- The Service Population Advocates sector consists of various members of the community who have received BCCAA services, reside in service population areas or have direct connections and trust from the populations served by the agency
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Public Representative Sector
Tom Stinnett
Vacant
Fred Metz – Chair
Tanya Martin
Service Population Advocates Sector
Jerry Hall- Vice Chair
Vacant
Rosa Tellis
Marjorie Stewart
Private Representative Sector
Debbie Sudhoff- Secretary/Treasurer
Rob Britt
Bob Ramsey
Tom Taylor
Executive Director Tammye Pirie, MPH tpirie@blountcaa.org Deputy Director/Chief Financial Officer Paige King pking@blountcaa.org
Business Operations Manager Marjorie Hasting mhasting@blountcaa.orgCommunity Services Programs Community Nutrition Program Office on Aging Linda Kirkland Sheila Sutton Teresa O'Mary Kristi Cochran Nancy Reneau Becky Waugh Amanda Cooper Audrey Pettis Mary Mixon Tisha Byrd Scott Holloway Lindsay Reneau Phillip Newman Charlotte Douglas Maddie Taylor Ranee Jennings
