Melanie Tucker: Appreciating the bright spots

Good Neighbors of Blount County and I have at least one thing in common — we both can claim 30 years serving this community. On Thursday night, volunteers, board members and fellow nonprofits came together for the Spirit of Good Neighbors Awards. It was a grand affair at Skyview at Broadway Social in downtown Maryville.I was definitely among friends as I covered the event for this newspaper. Karla Suszek, Executive Director of Good Neighbors, has taken a firm foundation and built a program that continues to serve the hurting population in this community. Families facing eviction, the elderly struggling to pay their bills and those faced with catastrophic events that left them feeling hopeless. Good Neighbors has been here for 30 years now, making a real difference.There were people in the audience like Blount County native Mandy Proffitt, the Executive Director for A Place to Stay. Like Suszek, she’s on a mission to fill desperate needs in this community on the housing side.

This excerpt comes from the named source. Read the original for the full reporting.