January
Wednesday, Jan 7th
Nancy J. Land Center ribbon cutting
YWCA of Knoxville & the Tennessee Valley will officially open the doors of the 100-year-old, newly renovated building now called the Nancy J. Land Center.
The ribbon cutting and celebration will be held on Wednesday, Jan. 7 at 10:30 a.m. at YWCA at 420 W. Clinch Ave. in downtown Knoxville.
The center will support and expand the Jenny Boyd Keys of Hope Program for Women, which combats homelessness and ensures women in need have the chance to rebuild lives devastated by domestic abuse, addiction, loss and other challenges. The recent renovation added nearly 30% more resident rooms to the building and expanded the program to provide services for more than 200 women each year who otherwise would be homeless.
Wednesday, Jan 7th
Feeding Pets of the Homeless
CMOco Marketing & Advertising, a Knoxville based advertising agency, has partnered with a national nonprofit to collect pet food for animals of people experiencing homelessness. Feeding Pets of the Homeless is the first national nonprofit organization dedicated to providing pet food and emergency veterinary care for pets that belong to people experiencing homelessness. The organization works with partners nationwide to collect donations and distribute essential supplies to help keep pets healthy and with their owners. Donations of pet food and supplies may be dropped off at CMOco’s office at 2030 Falling Waters Road during business hours, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. For more information on how to become a donation site or contribute, visit petsofthehomeless.org or call 775-841-7463.
Friday, Jan 30th
Tennessee’s EFS application window open
Tennessee’s Education Freedom Scholarship (EFS) application window for the 2026–2027 school year is open. Families who are already EFS beneficiaries and wish to renew for the 2026–2027 school year can begin submitting their renewal applications now. On Jan. 13, 2026, the application window opens for students who are not currently receiving an EFS scholarship. All applications must be submitted by Jan. 30. For questions related to all available school choice programs, call 615-741-5158 and select the prompts for Office of Programs and School Choice or e-mail EFS.Questions@tn.gov
