KIN - CONNECT
  • Get Involved
    • Volunteer >
      • LaMP
      • Embrace Initiative
      • Adult English Programs
      • 2nd Home
      • Occasional Opportunities
      • Translate/Interpret
    • Training >
      • Adult English Teacher Certification
      • ELL Teacher Continuing Education
      • Cross-Cultural Seminar
      • Knoxville International Experience
      • Culture Orientation
    • Growth Resources
    • Events & Festivals
    • Other Language Classes
    • Finances & Donations
  • The Network
    • Partner Portal
    • Volunteer Portal
  • Resources for Local Internationals
    • Adult English Classes
    • Immigration & Naturalization
    • International businesses >
      • Restaurants
      • Food Trucks
    • Multilingual Churches >
      • Arabic
      • Burmese
      • Chinese
      • English
      • Kirundi
      • Korean
      • Romanian
      • Russian
      • Spanish
      • Swahili
    • Employment Assistance
    • Healthcare Resources
    • Driving Resources
    • Home Ownership & Money Management
  • Impact Stories
  • DONATE

Increasing Impact

1/15/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
2019 n01
​The year was 1982. The World’s Fair in Knoxville captured the nation’s attention, and one insolent reporter gave us the “Scruffy City” moniker. At the same time but less widely known, the
United Nations High Council for Refugees (UNHCR), through Bridge Refugee Services, began placing Burundian and Congolese refugees in our city.

Twenty-eight years later (2010), refugees and other internationals from around the world populated certain apartment complexes and neighborhoods across metro Knoxville. A few churches and other organizations already served our new international neighbors, but they knew they needed to do more. ​

The churches began praying together and discussing how to increase their effectiveness. How could they unite all the disparate ministries and nonprofits so that new internationals could get the help they needed? How could they tangibly obey God’s command?

Within a year, this small band founded Knoxville Internationals Network as a volunteer organization. They hosted community meetings to raise awareness and invited other organizations to connect for the purpose of sharing information and resources.
When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.
​
-Leviticus 19:33-34 NIV
The needs—and the number of internationals—continued to grow. In 2014, KIN appointed a full-time director and became an official nonprofit, focusing on education, employment, and healthcare. More recently, in 2021, we added two part-time employees and shifted our focus to empowering volunteers who empower local internationals in an effort to further increase our impact.

Every year since 2014 has brought increasing impact. Check out our timeline (link coming soon) to see all the milestones!

​READY TO GET INVOLVED?
Want to hear the stories that have proven KIN's impact? (We're sure you don't have time to hear all the stories we'd love to tell you, but we can choose a few!) Take one of us out for coffee or invite us to speak to your group. We would love to talk more.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    IMPACT

    Read the stories of Knoxville's local internationals and the volunteers who have impacted their lives. Get a first-hand view of what it's like to move here and/or to serve those who've moved here from other countries. Discover how KIN has impacted life and culture in metro Knoxville.

    Archives

    December 2022
    October 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    October 2021
    May 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018

    Categories

    All
    Accent
    Adult English Class
    Afghanistan
    Africa
    Asia
    Asylees
    Behind The Scenes
    Birthday
    Children
    China
    Christmas
    Citizenship
    Covid
    Culture Class
    Donations
    Driving
    ELL
    Embrace
    Families
    Field Trip
    Food
    Healthcare
    History
    Home Ownership
    Hospitality
    Immigrant
    Immigrant Heritage Month
    Intern
    Internationals
    INVEST
    Iraq
    KIN
    LaMP
    Library
    Mental Health
    Mentoring
    Middle East
    Multi-cultural Celebration
    Nations Next Door
    Partner Organization
    Reading
    Refugees
    Restaurant
    School
    Special Immigrant Visa
    Students
    Teachers
    Thailand
    Thanksgiving
    Transportation
    Tutoring
    Ukraine
    Venezuela
    Volunteer
    Volunteers
    World Refugee Day

    RSS Feed

About

Why KIN?
​
Our Team
​KIN's History
Statement of Faith
Numbers & Need
KIN in the News

Contact KIN

865.235.1476​
admin@kin-connect.org

Mailing
PO Box 31052
Knoxville, TN 37930
​
Office
6300 Deane Hill Drive
Knoxville, TN 37919
Picture
Picture
Proudly powered by Weebly
Photos used under Creative Commons from shixart1985, jonkriz, shixart1985
  • Get Involved
    • Volunteer >
      • LaMP
      • Embrace Initiative
      • Adult English Programs
      • 2nd Home
      • Occasional Opportunities
      • Translate/Interpret
    • Training >
      • Adult English Teacher Certification
      • ELL Teacher Continuing Education
      • Cross-Cultural Seminar
      • Knoxville International Experience
      • Culture Orientation
    • Growth Resources
    • Events & Festivals
    • Other Language Classes
    • Finances & Donations
  • The Network
    • Partner Portal
    • Volunteer Portal
  • Resources for Local Internationals
    • Adult English Classes
    • Immigration & Naturalization
    • International businesses >
      • Restaurants
      • Food Trucks
    • Multilingual Churches >
      • Arabic
      • Burmese
      • Chinese
      • English
      • Kirundi
      • Korean
      • Romanian
      • Russian
      • Spanish
      • Swahili
    • Employment Assistance
    • Healthcare Resources
    • Driving Resources
    • Home Ownership & Money Management
  • Impact Stories
  • DONATE