Local organizations and volunteers stock KCDC’s Liberty Place units with household goods

Local organizations have outfitted Liberty Place units with donated soft goods to make them move-in ready for veterans now that the permanent supportive housing development has been completed by Knoxville’s Community Development Corporation.

Volunteers with Daughters of the Revolution help outfit a unit they adopted at Liberty Place

The residential development, which is located at 3627 Division St., in West Knoxville, is KCDC’s first housing site specifically for veterans and provides 32 one-bedroom units to veterans who are homeless or in danger of becoming homeless. The local organizations have placed items such as bedding, towels and toiletries in units that they adopted.

“The construction of Liberty Place provides safe housing for veterans who need assistance to stabilize their life,” KCDC Executive Director and CEO Ben Bentley said. “The organizations that donated items ensured it felt like a home, and we appreciate the community stepping forward to assist a very vulnerable population in Knoxville.”

To date, Liberty Place units have been adopted by Paris Angel, Mary Burrus, Deon Ford, RaeLynn Herbster, Kerry Lovely, Karen Milliken and Tim Vowell; Beaver Ridge United Methodist Church Dorcas Circle Women’s Group; Daughters of the American Revolution, Emory Road Chapter; Daughters of the American Revolution, Samuel Frazier Chapter; Irreverent Warriors; Larry and Donna Edwards; Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Teresa Maples/Maury Middle School; Leadership Knoxville Class of 2024; NOI; Ossoli Circle; University of Tennessee Medical Center Hospice Services-Knoxville; and Women’s Council of Realtors Knoxville Network.

Ossoli Circle members and their husbands help set up items in one of the two units the group adopted at Liberty Place. From Left, Elaine Ralston, Frank Ralston, Lee Allan, Neil Bules, Terri Bules, Karen Johnson, Jim Price and Jeri Price.

Other monetary and in-kind donations came from Susan Cash; First Baptist Church Sevierville; Devoted Health; Freedom Investment Group; Nicole Gross; Sharon Hajko; Sherri Hopper; Ron Keeton; Phillip Lawson; Gloria Loftin; Terry McKee; Richard Moon; Ossoli Circle; Warren Palmer; Planet Xchange; Senior Financial Group; Glenda Smith; Gail Snyder; The Little Red Hen; Veterans Coffee Fellowship, Maryville, Tennessee; Leah Williams; and Elizabeth Wilson.

Government and other organizational support came from the American Heart Association; City of Knoxville Affordable Housing Fund; Electric Power Research Institute; Knox County Government; Oak Ridge National Laboratory; Tennessee Valley Authority; U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett, Community Project Funding; and U.S. Department of Energy Building Technologies Office.

Welcome home letters for veteran residents have been provided by Daughters of the American Revolution and Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc.

Knox County Commissioner Courtney Durrett helped coordinate the effort with fellow members of the Leadership Knoxville Class of 2024.

“Leadership takes many forms in Knoxville, whether it’s getting elected to office, leading a nonprofit or running a business,” Durrett said. “It also means giving back to people in the community. Helping veterans who served their country is a particularly special way to provide community service. The members of the Leadership Knoxville Class of 2024 embraced this outreach effort.”

Veterans Affairs will have offices onsite to offer case management services to residents that include coordination of medical services and community resources. The combination of intensive case management and long-term housing assistance will provide resources to allow the veterans to thrive in all aspects of their lives.

The fully furnished units, which include 16 fully accessible ADA units, provide utilities and conveniences such as walk-in showers and on-site maintenance. Liberty Place residents are participants in the HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) voucher program, a joint effort between the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Veterans Affairs (VA) to move veterans out of homelessness and into permanent housing.

KCDC is still seeking donations, such as rocking chairs, community room supplies and other household goods. Information on how to donate is available at kcdc.org/libertyplace.

About Knoxville’s Community Development Corporation

Since 1936, KCDC has been dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for the citizens of Knoxville and Knox County. KCDC’s mission is to improve and transform neighborhoods and communities by providing quality affordable housing, advancing development initiatives and fostering self-sufficiency. For more information, call 865-403-1100 or visit kcdc.org.

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