The YWCA of Knoxville and the Tennessee Valley officially launched the Keys of Hope Capital Campaign on April 24, 2024, with the goal to raise funds to renovate the YWCA building and expand its lifesaving program for women.
During the campaign launch event, YWCA recognized Nancy and Stephen Land for their lead gift to transform the 100-year-old Clinch Avenue building, which will now be known as the YWCA Nancy J. Land Center.
The campaign will help fund essential renovations and updates to the facility, which will achieve the safety, efficiency and functionality needed to operate fully.
Additionally, this campaign will expand the proven successful Jenny Boyd Keys of Hope Women’s Program, that has a 90% success rate. The expansion will allow more women in Knoxville to find permanent housing, regain self-sufficiency and reclaim roles as contributing members of their communities. On any given day, more than 10,000 Tennesseans are homeless, many of them women. The program prevents women from starting or falling more deeply into the cycle of chronic homelessness. Moreover, the cost to house a woman at the YMCA for a year is only 10% of the cost to support a chronically homeless person.
“We have always supported the mission of the YWCA and we have sponsored and attended the Keys of Hope luncheon for many years,” Nancy J. Land said. “It’s not easy to adequately convey how much good this program does. We ask everyone to please help in any way that you can through your time, talents and treasure. Every dollar makes a difference.”
“I could not be more grateful for the donation efforts we have made so far in this impactful project, but we still have a ways to go,” YWCA CEO Stephanie Burrage said. “The YWCA does such amazing work and makes a difference in so many lives. My goal is to continue that good work and improve the facility and programs we offer through community donations to continue making a difference in both the women’s lives we serve and the community.”
Donations to the campaign will ensure more women have continued access to a safe and effective program to rebuild lives devastated by abuse, loss, tragedy, addiction, incarceration and other circumstances.
For more information about YWCA Knoxville and the Tennessee Valley and to donate, visit YWCA Knox.
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