Founder:

 

CHEKESHA  CRIPPEN- FOUNDER

Chekesha Crippen is a mother of (10) 4 biological (6) Step children. Six are teenagers between the ages of 14-19. Chekesha Crippen brings forward her 20+ years of customer service experience which has allowed her to become an expert in problem resolution. She has worked in business administration, management and recruiting for a total of eight years. These positions required that she monitor business performance and manage business operations. Chekesha was responsible for making major decisions while working in the childcare industry. While employed in staffing and recruiting industries she was also a primary decision maker. The 10+ years of experience has qualified her to make informed decisions about business operations. She has also worked as a substitute teacher in Boston Public school system. Her work with various age groups was a learning experience that enabled her to understand how important it is to pay attention to the needs of all children.  Chekesha has also been aproactive planning manager in targeted sales opportunities, facilitation of technical support and merchant support on-site problem resolution.She has also played a key role while maintaining the responsibilities of a business marketing partner. Her experience portrays honesty, consistency and integrity. Chekesha was born in Boston MA primarily raised in Knoxville TN attending Austin East High School in 1988 and returning to Boston to graduate from Medford High School in 1991 going onto Knoxville College to major in Business Administration and Computer Technology; Communications.  While raising her own children Chekesha has taken in many children through the years believing “children didn’t ask to be here and we as adults owe it to them to encourage them to love them and to help them become productive members of society by any means necessary.”

 

Kimberly Rains-Rolins- Secretary

Kym Rains-Rollins was born and raised in Knoxville, TN.  She has been married for 4 years and is the step-mother to 4 beautiful children ranging in age from 21-12.  She attended Central High School and graduated in 1991.  Kym then went to Pellissippi State Technical Community College majoring in Sociology with an emphasis in Criminal Justice.  She participated in numerous volunteer projects with Inskip Baptist Church building houses in the Appalachian Mountains.  Kym has been in the staffing industry for several years.  She now holds the title of Operations Manager for a multi-million dollar staffing firm in the Knoxville area.  She finds it very fulfilling helping people obtain employment to support their families and boost their self-esteem.  She is a firm believer that children need to be taught responsibility and respect for others but they also need to be allowed to be children for as long as possible.

 

 

Brittney Phillos-Treasurer/Fundraising

Brittney Phillos is a 26 year old mother of two young children. She parents Milani who is seven and Elijah who is six. She also has seven step children ranging in age from six to 16.  She has a full understanding of child mentality and how their mind works and grows with maturity. Brittney finds a common ground when speaking with children and has the ability to help them understand things that otherwise may be difficult to grasp. She has resided in East Knoxville, Tennessee for her entire life and is very familiar with the community. She graduated from Austin East Magnet High School in 2005. Since then, she has been an active member of the community and has assisted in a variety of fundraising programs. Brittney has also volunteered her time in area programs that help teens and young adults cope with issues related to violence prevention. She continues to volunteer at local homeless shelters and is always eager to donate time and knowledge to the East Knoxville Community. Brittney states “if I do just one small thing for one person and it makes a difference or saves a life, it was worth every second I spent.” She fully agrees that the needs of our youth in society do not have access to enough resources that will help give them the guidance they deserve.

 

 

 

Susan Hill- Board Member

Susan Hill is a 47 year old native of East Tennessee. She is the mother of three grown children. Her youngest is a 21 year old boy who has multiple disabilities and still resides with her. Beginning in 1987, she was an LPN for 12 years and worked primarily in geriatrics. Her career goals changed and she began working as a client intake specialist in a homeless shelter on a part time basis. During that time she also pursued an AAS degree in Business Administration and Management.  During her tenure at the shelter, she gained hands-on experience and insightful knowledge about how area youth are negatively impacted by lack of resources. In 2006, Susan relocated to the Pigeon Forge, Tennessee area where she worked for a group of hotels in a call center environment and eventually worked her way into management.  During that time, she was also an independent contractor who worked from home on temporary projects such as sales, marketing, customer service and technical support.  Currently, Susan works from home as a freelance writer. She also works for a market research firm where she obtains data for rental property analysis throughout the U.S.  She has remained firm in her belief that resources are lacking when it comes to providing for the youth of the area. Her personal experience comes from that of making sure the needs of her special needs son are met while being primary caregiver and provider for him. Even though she wears “many hats,” between jobs and caring for her son, she always makes time to help others. Susan says “I always try my best to help others as much as possible, not because I have to, but because that is how I was raised.”