“For it’s our grief that gives us our gratitude,
Shows us how to find hope, if we ever lose it.
So ensure that this ache wasn’t endured in vain:
Do not ignore the pain. Give it purpose. Use it.”
–Amanda Gorman
2022 has presented its fair share of highs and lows. Here at the Women’s Fund of Greater Chattanooga, we have felt first-hand the residual impact of burnout and economic strain on women in the workforce. Additionally, we continue to stand as a willing collaborator across the movement and various sectors as we understand how the reversal of Roe v. Wade challenges our current local and statewide systems and support services. Wading through our collective aches, we continue to find (and clarify) purpose and use it.
Throughout this report, we have highlighted many ways our organization has demonstrated resilience, pushing through uncertainty and a shifting landscape. This year, we expanded our youth engagement strategies, launching a youth Nightingale Network in partnership with CGLA & creating a continuum of support for local Hamilton County Public Schools students experiencing period poverty through a product drive in collaboration with GPS.
As we continue to assess pathways for a deeper local footprint, we are intentionally expanding the profile of a community advocate.
Looking ahead we have exciting partnerships that will continue to amplify the needs and priorities of women and girls across our city and state while shifting the political landscape in support of health and wellness for ALL women and girls! We are looking forward to working with our corporate partners to expand our understanding of women’s rights in the workplace and our Advocacy Institute will support nonprofits across our community exploring Advocacy for Board Members. We are happy to share that we are fully staffed as we head into 2023 in support of our strategic direction.
We address the root causes of issues with no champions.
We’re advocates, not politicians.
We change laws.
Thank you for continuing to support our work through your investment, Nightingale Network membership, volunteer service, advocacy and overall ambassadorship. It is our sincere hope that you see yourself and a specific issue that you care about reflected in the work and direction of WFGC. Hope is not just a plan for the future, but a contract. From our intentional Voices luncheon and expanding our youth engagement pipelines, to our deep internal investment and exploring DEI principles, 2022 was a solid step towards demonstrating our commitment to the future we hope for.
Across political lines, across life experiences, regardless of what initially brought you to the Women’s Fund, we are here together, and we are the work. As adrienne maree brown reminds us, “there is always time to do the Right Work!”
“May we not just grieve, but give. May we not just ache, but act.”
–Amanda Gorman, "Hymn for the Hurting"
We can and will make life better for every woman and girl in Tennessee.
Legislative wins
The 2022 Legislative season was full of highs and lows. Eight of our priority bills passed, and we held off challenges to past gains, such as an attempt to roll back restrictions on child coerced marriage. A few of our bills, including adding economic abuse to the TN code for domestic violence, were pushed to the 2023 session. We saw successes with important pieces of legislation such as Anti-Shackling of incarcerated pregnant women and Breast Cancer prevention care.
What about other priority bills?
A bill Eliminating Local Paid Leave Preemption, which would have deleted prohibition on local governments mandating that employers who do business with the local government or within its jurisdictional boundaries maintain certain sick and family leave policies failed in the Senate Committee. Similarly, The Advocate Confidentiality bill prohibiting disclosure of certain information by an advocate in regard to a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, or human trafficking in a judicial, legislative, or administrative proceeding unless the victim gives express written consent failed in the House Committee.
The Protecting Anonymous Reporting of Abuse bill that we opposed passed. As written, it specifies that if an anonymous report of harm is made to the department, a juvenile court can’t require the guardians of the child to allow the department to interview, examine, or investigate unless the department has presented evidence corroborating the anonymous report of harm.
Our proactive legislation adding economic abuse to the definition of domestic abuse and the Firearms Surrender Process bill didn’t run this year, but we anticipate their continued efforts next session. Additionally, two bills from our priority list were amended in committee to no longer address Women’s Fund priority issues.
Voices 2022
Author, advocate and empowerment coach Kristi Hemmer engaged a room full of over 300 guests during our first in-person luncheon since 2019. After Krisiti challenged the crowd to identify their "moxie," local artist Briah created an inspired painting in real time during the luncheon, bringing each guest into the process of art as advocacy. Power of the Purse™ also net its largest profit in the organization’s history!
This year’s Nightingale Network grant recipient, Girls, Inc., works to inspire and equip all girls to be strong, smart and bold leaders within their families, their community and society. The funds raised through Nightingale Network membership fees will support their IMPACT program, which helps define a sustainable and scalable approach to improving health care quality and delivery by directly engaging 12 to 15 teens 8th-12th grade in prevention and education.
Read more about our other two impressive finalists and watch their submission videos below.
Girl's Stance inspires Black girls to strengthen their social grace and mindfulness skills to steward a harmonizing future. Girl Stance began with the simple premise that mindfulness can cross boundaries and enrich lives. | Watch
First Things First provides valuable, affordable relationship resources to couples and families. First Things First is committed to sharing the tools and support needed to help relationships and families flourish. | Watch
"The people who are part of the Women's Fund are focused on advocating, collaborating, supporting and advancing opportunities to empower the women and girls of our community. Miller & Martin has been proud to partner with the Women's Fund, and I am continually inspired by the staff and board who work hard every day to fulfill this mission."
Leah Gerbitz
Board Chair 2022
Chatt & Chew
This year as we prepared for our first in-person Voices luncheon since 2019, our team took a different approach to the typical VIP Event. As our organization continues to seek ways to deepen our local footprint and strengthen the pathways for feedback and information sharing, our inaugural “Chatt & Chew” proved insightful and invigorating. Voices’ keynote speaker Kristi Hemmer co-facilitated an important and informative conversation about working across racial lines of difference.
UTC Service Learning Intern
WFGC was honored to support University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Service Learning student Megan Dorman this spring. Here she shares her research and policy recommendations.
Youth Nightingale Network
We also launched a pilot with Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy. Thanks to the support of our Edna level members, students participated in a series of workshops, learned about philanthropy, and created their own rubric and review process.
They awarded Chattanooga Free Store a grant of $525 to support their mission.
GPS Period Product Drive
Building on the impact of our 2021 legislative success, students at Girls Preparatory School carried the torch of advocacy planning and executing a Period Product Drive. We know that 1 in 5 women and girls report missing school or work because they don’t have access to or cannot afford period products. In October, GPS students collected over 2500 period products to be distributed in Hamilton county School’s Care Closets. Another drive will be held in the spring.
"I joined the WFGC at the request of a business buddy. I've stayed with this organization because this group of women are inclusive on every level. Many organizations say they want to support an inclusive agenda, however, when you look at their internal makeup and how they operate from the inside, many times there are gaps in what they say and what they do. WFGC provides a voice at the table for all women from everywhere...in its advocacy, in its community support, and in its infrastructure. I am honored to be a part of this community of women who not only say what they want to see, and they also show how it should look."
Linda Murray Bullard
Board Member
Investment at work
This work was too important for me to stay silent. I support the Women’s Fund with my donations and by making advocacy calls.
kelly Allen
Past Board Chair
Thank you for a great year!
Champions
BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee
Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga
Truist
Karen Elliott
Vicky Gregg
Sustainers
Anynomous
Bobby Stone Foundation
Ashley & Ward Davenport
Ann Coulter
EPB
K: A Boutique by Katherine Roberts
Kelly Fitzgerald
First Horizon Bank
Deb Hulse
Sarah Lorberbaum
Lorie and Bill Runge
Changemakers
Ann & Bill Aiken
Kelly Allen
Cory Allison
Cathy Boettner
Bridge Financial Planning, LLC
Charlie Brock
Nina & Pat Brock
CBL & Associates
Andrea Crouch
Joesph Davenport
DeDe Engsberg
Alexandra Foote
Leah Gerbitz
Hamico, Inc.
Henderson Hutcherson & McCullough, PLLC
Michelle Hunter
Husch Blackwell LLP
Mary Kilbride
McCallie School
Frances McDonald
Miller & Martin's Women's Network
Norma & Olan Mills
Kristina & Tom Montague
Rebekah Montgomery
Carla Morgan
Noon Development, LLC
Margaret Oehmig
Pathway Lending
Karen Persinger
Pinnacle Bank
Rachael Sauceman
Beth Simon
Marian Steffner
Rebecca Stimson & Tom Jenkins
Julie & Patrick Stowe
Julie Taylor
The Patten Group
UNUM
Emily & Teo Valdes
Mary Wagnon
Waller Landsen Dortch & Davis LLP
Lea Anne Wiles
Sue Anne Wells
Dakasha Winton
Edna Varner
Collaborators
Annette Allen
Avery Barron
Monique Berke
Susu & Paul Brock
Autumn Witt Boyd
Kitty Caldwell
Mary Chastain
Chattanooga City Council
Claridy Communications
Stefanie Crowe
Shelly Elliott
Girls Preparatory School
Amanda Fabrizio-Grzesik
Jenny Hill
Hinton & Co.
Dawn Hjelseth
Maeghan Jones
Rebecca Klein
Katherine Marek
Anne McDonald
Cannon Montague
Virginia Ann Sharber
Alice Smith
UTC Women, Gender, & Sexuality Studies
Women of Color Collaborative
Elizabeth Wilson
Advocates
Debby Alper
Terran Anderson
Amy Andrews
Gail Barille
Kristin Bell
Melissa Blevins
Mattie Bono
Dominique Brandt
Anne Bright
Nanette Brown
Rokeisha Bryant
Linda Bullard
Erika Burnett
Tiffanie Campbell Robinson
Wendy Caswell
Connie Cavett
Dr. Kay K. Chitty
Shara Claybrook
Mandy Cowley
Melissa Curtis
Storme Davis
Bena DeVaney
Jane Elmore
Chris Evans
Hope Flammer
Victoria Galen
Tonya Gentry
Elizabeth Grant
Kathi Grant Willis
Amy Grogg
Lauren Hall
Elizabeth Harper Neeld
Carolyn Hart
Ann Howell
Dory Johnson
Richard Johnson
Tangela Johnson
Toccora Johnson-Peterson
Patricia Joly
Laura Ketcham
Jennifer Kline
Maria Krysa
Catherine LaRue
Carrie Lawson
Alison & Alan Lebovitz
Mary Stewart Lewis
Stacy Lightfoot
Sharon Love
Stefanie Mansueto
Linly Mason
Amye McCallie
Dorcas McDonald
Diana McElveen
Pamela McKenney
James McKissick
Shannon Millsaps
Sophie Moore
McCall Morgan DeVaney
Kathleen Nolte
Ashlee Patten
Ellen Phillips
Andrea Perry Lyons
Peggy Petrey
Helen Pregulman
Lucrecia Ramsey
Meghan Scanlon Roach
Donna Roddy
Christie Sell Faires
Lisa Shanahan
Lisa Shander
Elizabeth Simon
BettyeLynn Smith
Leslie Smith
Katy Spurlock
Susan Stein
Shannon Stephenson
Elaine Swafford
Chantelle Swaren
Ongeleigh Underwood
Tina Vance
Zumra Velic
Nicole Watson
Jessica Whatley
Tracy Wood
Sandy Zabel
Friends
Lee Ann Adams
Stefanie Altman
Elizabeth Appling
Sandra Baker
Alayna Best
Jaclyn Bishop
Julie Brandao
Kali Chastain
Michelle Coakley
Katey Dailey
Catharine Daniels
Zaria Davis
Julie Davis
Heather DeGaetano
Andrew Derrick
Paula Dzik
Shannon Edmondson
Karen Estes
Deborah Flagg
Pamela Fleenor
Alexandra Foote
Edwina Freeman
Ali Gant
Amber Gardner
Maria Gilchrist
Davin Gilkey
Lissa Goeltz
John Haley
Elizabeth Hammitt
Kathy Hanson
Janet Hartman
Alyson Haugland
Kristina Head
Katie Hendrix
Jessica Henn
Jennifer Holder
April Holland
Jeannine Houck
Grace Hudson
Sarina Keffer
Hannah Lancaster
Mary Kathryn Levy
Rebecca Marr
Cara McGowan
Beverly McKeldin
Katie Nelson
Emily O'Donnell
Avery Patten
Fawn Pattison
Nattaly Perryman
Takesha Pratt
Karen Richards
Donna Roddy
Carolyn Runyon
Jeanne Rybolt
Jordan Scruggs
Amanda Senn-Simmons
Melody Shekari
Kim Shumpert
Priscilla Simms-Roberson
Leisl Slaughter
Debra Smith
Kenzi Smith
BettyeLynn Smith
Susan Spletzer
Emily Straussberger
Rebecca Styles
Kimberly Thomas
Elizabeth Thompson
Caroline Walker
Kristin Watts
Ann Weeks
Elizabeth Williams
Yolanda Williams
Kirby Yost
Leanna Young
Pinky Young
Leanna Young
Adrienne Zingrich
Sharon Alexander
Kelly Allen
Alayna Best
Melissa Blevins
Dominique Brandt
Nightingale Network
Nanette Brown
Blair Brown
June Caldwell
Ann Coulter
Mandy Cowley
Jennifer Crutchfield
Kelly Daniels
Shelly Elliott
Karen Elliott
Denise Estes
Kelly Fitzgerald
Hope Flammer
Alex Foote
Elisa Fox
Tonya Gentry
Lissa Goeltz
Leslie Graitcer
Meghan Greene
Hannah Groenendyk
Melissa Hamilton
Jennifer Harper
Aly Haugland
Dawn Hjelseth
Deb Hulse
Suzanne Igoe
Lya Kimbrough
Trish King
Colleen Kirk
Maria Krysa
Amanda Leming
Sharon Love
Rachel Lyons
Ana Mancebo
Stacy Martin
Sophie Moore
Linda Murray Bullard
Kathleen Nolte
Amy Jo Osborn
Marlena Palmer
Kristen Pavlik McCallie
Rachael Sauceman
Lynn Seeger
Stephanie Sexton
Beth Simon
Katy Spurlock
John Strawn
Edna Varner
Lea Ann Wiles
Haley Wilson
Elizabeth Wilson
Pinky Young
Sandy Zabel
Special thanks to our 2022 voices sponsors
Bridge Financial Services
Chattanooga City Council
Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy
Claridy Communications
Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga
Heritage Financial Planning/Mary Chastain
HHM
Husch Blackwell
Hinton & Co
Pathway Lending
Pinnacle Bank
Waller Law
Edna Varner
Rent All Store
Imbibe
Vision Hospitality Group