Giving back to our community is at the heart of what we do and who we are. We believe when our communities thrive, people thrive. One of the many organizations we support is RISE UP Grundy, located in Palmer, TN. Their mission, “Changing lives … one child at a time,” is one we can get behind. Their goal is “inspiring youth to stay in school and providing hope for a future.” Learn more about RISE UP Grundy here.
Deborah Frost, RISE UP Grundy’s cofounder, has been a longtime Lee Company residential customer in Franklin, TN. She’s spearheaded the RISE UP Grundy ministry to enrich the lives of people around her.
Because of her personal history with Lee Company, Deborah called us to help renovate a 75+ year old building, originally built for the Tennessee Coal Mining Company, and has served many different purposes through the years.
Jacob H, an account representative for Lee Company, said, “Initially, this was a project we were hesitant about; it was a broken down building in the middle of nowhere with a lot of unknowns. But, after speaking with Deborah Frost and hearing her passion behind this mission to help kids in need through ministry, education, and mentorship, it was very difficult to say no. At Lee Company, we have the same passion for the communities we work in, and when I discussed this project with our Chattanooga team, we knew we needed and wanted to support Deborah anyway we could.”
We’re honored to be part of a bigger plan to help many people throughout the region receive ministry services including: life skills, counseling, meals, workforce skills training, and much more as the program develops. They’ve already got something for July on the books! RISE UP Grundy will partner with the South Cumberland VISTA Meal Distribution program to serve over 2,000 meals to kids ages 0-18.
“The newly renovated youth center is ready to host our nature-based STEM summer program during July. In August, our free-of-charge after school program will launch to ensure that students return home with their homework done, their tummies full of nutritious food and they will have engaged in healthy social interactions with both mentors and peers,” says Co-founder Loren Frost.
On Tuesday, May 17th at 4pm, RISE UP Grundy held a Building Dedication, where they invited members of the community to celebrate. It’s a joy and honor to build environments where people’s lives can be changed.
If you’d like to join a team that invests in its communities, visit leecompany.com/careers to apply!
