Catholic Charities of East Tennessee, Inc. (CCETN)

Open 24-hour/365 days per year, CES is a haven for children (birth to 17 years of age) removed from their homes due to allegations of abuse. With CES, children can stay with us for up to ten days while a next of kin is located. During this time, the children are not yet in the state’s custody and therefore cannot be placed in foster or group homes.

CES aims to ease the jarring transition that comes from being taken from ones home due to abuse allegations. It is also our goal to assist the Juvenile Courts in keeping children out of state’s custody, if at all, and placing them with relatives.

Samaritan Place provides shelter for seniors in crisis. Oftentimes, seniors arrive at SAM having been the victim of theft, emotional, or physical abuse. In addition to shelter, we offer intensive case management to each senior we support. Not only is Samaritan Place the only housing program providing emergency, transitional, and permanent supportive housing for seniors in Knoxville – it’s one of only 12 programs in the United States offering seniors a complete continuum of care from emergency to independent housing. From the moment a senior arrives at Samaritan Place, they receive food and shelter, unwavering support, and assistance in accessing resources that help them regain control of their life.

Horizon Houses 1 & 2 and Five Rivers House provide permanent supportive housing for adults with chronic and severe mental illness. Catholic Charities staff provide non-medical case management services to residents. The goal of the program is to allow clients to be as independent as possible within a safe and home-like environment. Our adult group home residents benefit from residential neighborhood settings; each home features up to 8 private bedrooms. Horizon and Five Rivers' group homes are in Knoxville, Maryville, and Morristown.

Much like our other community supportive housing programs, The Home Place is a residential facility that provides a stable environment and intensive case management services for individuals who are homeless or with limited income and are living with HIV/AIDS. We’ve been operating this Chattanooga-based program since 1997. With partnerships with public transportation, hospitals, and local doctor’s offices – the Home Place allows our residents to be as independent as possible while living within an environment that is conducive to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. After six months at the Home Place, all residents have an undetectable HIV viral load.

Crazy Quilt Friendship Center, located near Jellico, TN, includes emergency assistance programs, summer programs, as well as a food pantry. For years it has been a sustaining resource for the poverty-stricken Newcomb area. Every three months, recipients are eligible to receive assistance with utility payments as well as fully stocked, family-size food boxes. During the summer, Crazy Quilt’s Mountain Arts Program provides creative programming for children ages 5 to 15. The four-day M.A.P. program includes a nutritious lunch each day and each participant receives shoes, clothing, and classroom supplies for the coming school year.

Born out of the hardships presented by the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic, HOPE Kitchen is CCETN’s community-wide food assistance program that provides immediate resources such as hot meals, sanitary supplies, and clothing to our neighbors who experience homelessness and/or are food insecure. At varying times of the month, rain or shine, CCETN staff, and community volunteers gather to pass out and deliver supplies to these vulnerable members of our community. In partnership with the Diocese of Knoxville parishes.

HOPE Kitchen currently includes two locations:
• HOPE Kitchen at Holy Ghost Church (Knoxville)
• HOPE Kitchen at Immaculate Conception Church in support of Summit Towers (Knoxville)

The goal of our Pregnancy Help Centers (PHCs) is to empower parents who are in low-income situations with the education and resources that will help lead to self-sustained parenting and provision for their child(ren).

With services spanning from the initial pregnancy test through a child’s second birthday, our PHCs are a present help to couples and parents throughout their pregnancy and parenthood. Our Earn While You Learn model through BrightCourse allows clients to take parenting courses that are redeemable for infant and toddler necessities. Not only can clients use their course credits to redeem items like food, clothing, and toys, but larger items such as cribs, mattresses, and car seats are also available.

Our Office of Immigrant Services provides low and pro-bono legal services to our immigrant and refugee neighbors throughout East Tennessee. As a Department of Justice recognized law office, OIS offers legal assistance with:
• Family Reunification and Petitions
• Naturalization and Citizenship
• Immigration Petitions for Victims of Crime (VOCA)
• Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Initials and Renewals
• Temporary Protected Status (TPS)
• Green Cards (including asylees and refugees)

The goal of our Counseling Services is to build upon personal strengths and development to help clients achieve their interpersonal well-being goals. 50-minute in-person and telehealth counseling sessions are available to adult individuals and couples who experience marital issues, anxiety, depression, grief, stress management, and faith/spirituality issues.

All fees for counseling services are based on a sliding scale with consideration to the client’s household income and other variables.