Wilson County opens housing for young adults transitioning out of foster care
LEBANON, Tenn. (WKRN) — Wilson County and growth commonly go hand in hand. However, as the population rises, so does the demand for critical services, such as foster care.
News 2 spoke to local nonprofit, The Bridge House, which is meeting the need for housing, support, and hope for the most vulnerable population.
Tucked away in Lebanon is a safe haven for young women aging out of foster care.
'This is just my heart and my passion,' said Jennifer Gallahar, Director of Operations at The Bridge House.
Since 2022, The Bridge House has been providing transitional housing for children in the foster care system.
📧 Have breaking news come to you: →
'There is a shortage of foster homes, so on average we have five to six children there all across the state of Tennessee each night,' Gallahar said.
A few weeks ago, the nonprofit opened its second home for young women between 18-20 who are aging out of the system.
'And that is kind of what birthed this location, we just saw so many kids coming in and out of the location that were aging out of foster care and had no idea where to go next and our team just really believed they wanted to do something in this space,' John Widrick, Executive Director and Founder of the Bridge House said.
Widrick said the need for housing has increased for children in foster care.
'When you look at the state of Tennessee, you're talking over 8,000 children in custody in the state of Tennessee, 900 aging out of the foster care,' Widrick said.
He said Middle Tennessee has become a hot spot. So here at The Bridge House, their mission is not just providing housing, but hope, mentorship, and even life skills workshops.
'We have a pantry here, dishwasher, oven, hopefully we will be able to teach women cooking skills in this kitchen,' Gallahar said.
Over at Two Hidden Acres, there are six bedrooms in total. The nonprofit helps young women learn how to live independently.
'One of the things we say at the Bridge House, we want kids to transition with purpose,' Widrick said.
And for both Widrick and Gallahar, they told News 2 this is more than a job, both of them fostering over a dozen children with their own families.
⏩
'And really, this whole thing we do at the Bridge House, it's that project house, it's the DNA of my life,' Widrick said.
If you are interested in volunteering or donating, click here. The nonprofit relies solely on private funding.
The next step is potentially opening a transitional house for young men aging out of the system.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Washington Post
20 hours ago
- Washington Post
It's a lonely time to be a very online Biden guy. Not a joke!
Chris D. Jackson doesn't think there was a cover up. In fact, he doesn't think there was anything to cover up. 'I fully admit that he got older, he got slower, but his mind was still there,' Jackson says of Joe Biden's much-discussed faculties. In fact, maybe Biden's advanced age made him a better president. 'When he was younger, he was a little less disciplined — he would make verbal gaffes, and he'd walk them back,' Jackson says. 'The president I saw over four years was more deliberative, he waited before he spoke, he made good decisions.' Jackson, 38, chairs the Democratic Party in Lawrence County, Tennessee, and was an early, enthusiastic volunteer for Biden's 2020 presidential campaign. He built a sizable online following by posting a ceaseless stream of pro-Biden content to his then-Twitter account and was rewarded in kind with invitations to the White House. Every time Jackson saw him — at least half a dozen times since 2019, Jackson says — he says Biden seemed sharp. The president always recognized Jackson and would recall specific details, such as calling Jackson's father when he was sick in 2019 and sending Jackson flowers after he was injured in a motorcycle accident in 2024. About that disastrous debate performance — where Biden appeared, in the worst way, every bit his age? 'He was definitely sick that night,' Jackson says. 'I think we've all had moments like that.' But the idea that Biden's struggles were nefariously hidden from the public? Jackson will have not of it. 'There was no cover-up, period,' he says — saying the punctuation mark aloud, as Biden often did when making a point. A recent book begs to differ. 'Original Sin,' by CNN's Jake Tapper and Axios's Alex Thompson, alleges that Biden showed signs of cognitive decline while in office, such as being unable, at times, to remember the names or faces of aides and longtime acquaintances. They reported that members of Biden's inner circle limited his work schedule to a narrow band of hours when he was sharpest — while shielding Democratic officials and even senior members of his administration from a full picture of the president's limitations. ('There is nothing in this book that shows Joe Biden failed to do his job, as the authors have alleged, nor did they prove their allegation that there was a cover up or conspiracy,' texted a spokesperson for the former president, who called Biden 'an effective President who led our country with empathy and skill.') The book's arrival has sharpened the recriminations of Democrats in the aftermath of President Donald Trump's return to power. Many party officials now concede that the 82-year-old Biden was, in fact, too old to run — even the ones who defended his fitness for office before he dropped out of the race in July. 'It's frustrating. He was a good president,' Jackson says. He has a hard time watching some of the same people who supported Biden this past summer turn into critics and second-guessers. 'He's just a decent guy. For people to be attacking him, and there being very little pushback …' So Jackson takes it upon himself to push back, upward of dozens of times a day, to his 125,000 followers on X. 'Who else is going to do it, if I don't do it?' he says. Who's with him? Well, there's Jaime Harrison, the former Democratic National Committee chair, who disputed an account in the book that suggests Biden didn't recognize Harrison at an event in South Carolina in 2023. ('Better check my cognitive abilities as well because I sure as hell don't remember this,' Harrison wrote on X.) There are some former aides, such as former White House speechwriter Dan Cluchey, who said 'the relentless, ravenous media effort to portray' Biden as 'mentally incapacitated' was 'distasteful & baffling to me.' There are family members, such as Biden's granddaughter Naomi, who described the book as 'political fairy smut for the permanent, professional chattering class,' and his daughter Ashley, who posted a seaside selfie with the former president and first lady with a caption that began, 'The ONLY coverup of this family is a BEACH coverup.' But Jackson's campaigning on behalf of Biden's fragile legacy might be the most relentless. He posted recent images of Biden — 'looking sharp, relaxed, and unbothered,' the caption read — and wondered if Tapper and Thompson 'need a wellness check.' On May 14, about a week before the publishing date of 'Original Sin,' Jackson posted that the book's 'breathless hype and promises of political bombshells … is now being compared to the infamous Fyre Festival.' As to who was making that comparison, he didn't say in the post. (Asked about it this week, he says he was referring to himself.) Then there were the AI renderings he made of a reimagined book cover ('Original Sin: The Dramatic Overhyping of a Presidential Crisis That Never Happened'), and of Tapper and Thompson dressed as clowns. Spokespeople for Tapper and Thompson did not respond to requests for comment. The book debuted at No. 1 on the New York Times bestseller list and has been out for more than two weeks. The passage of time hasn't made Jackson any less vigilant. On Monday, he lashed out at former congressman Dean Phillips (D-Minnesota), one of the only Democrats to challenge Biden in the 2024 primary, over comments Phillips made about Democrats hiding 'the truth' about the former president. 'You ran, you got humiliated by a man we all knew was old,' Jackson posted on X. Jackson, who has a day job in higher education, says he is not paid for his constant posting, which, he admits, can become all-consuming. 'My wife says I spend too much time on it,' he says. But his work has not gone unappreciated by the remaining Biden ride-or-dies (Bide-or-dies?): Jackson says has received notes of gratitude from some people who were 'pretty high up in the administration.' Though he won't say who. The Biden presidency is over, and his legacy may be in jeopardy. But Jackson has no plans to concede. 'As aggravating as this stuff is, I won't give up,' he says, 'because I know the president won't give up.'
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Yahoo
Summertown Metals makes first-time expansion to East Tennessee
Summertown Metals, a major building materials supplier headquartered in Summertown, Tenn., is set to expand its operations to East Tennessee for the first time. The Southern Middle Tennessee company will invest $22.6 million and create 170 new jobs through its expansion of distribution and manufacturing operations in Morristown in Hamblen County. Upon completion, Summertown Metals will employ nearly 600 people across its facilities in Summertown, Hohenwald and Morristown. Summertown Metals is a leading provider of metal building solutions for pole barns and barndominiums, "committed to delivering quality craftsmanship, customer service and value," the company touts. Gov. Bill Lee, Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Stuart C. McWhorter and Summertown Metals officials made the announcement June 4, through a state media release. The expansion marks the company's first time to add additional locations outside of Southern Middle Tennessee. 'We are ecstatic that Summertown Metals has chosen Morristown and Hamblen County to be its latest expansion location," Hamblen County Mayor Chris Cutshaw said. "East Tennessee is an epicenter for growth. The site chosen is adjacent to the interstate and also part of the redevelopment of our Lowland area, making it a great fit for everyone. We are glad you are here with your many great products and, in the words of Summertown Metals, 'Building Dreams That Last.'' Founded in 2006, Summertown Metals is a Tennessee-based company that has expanded from a single building materials supplier into a custom building materials distributor. Business: Mersen workers file complaint, fight for jobs after layoffs, sweeping furloughs The expansion to East Tennessee will allow the company to better meet customer demand, providing additional space for metal roll forming, wood and steel truss manufacturing and warehousing and distribution, the state media release said. 'We are honored by the trust our clients place in our services and products and are excited about the opportunity to serve our clients better with our new East Tennessee location," Matt Stoll, CEO Summertown Metals, said. "We are committed to continuing to provide exceptional value to everyone we are privileged to serve, along with providing so many new career opportunities.' The company mission is "to maximize the team's God-given abilities and experience in ways that positively benefit customers, team members, and the community by providing exceptional and affordable building products and services," the media release said. Morristown Mayor Gary Chesney welcomed continued industrial growth. 'It is always exciting when Morristown is chosen to be part of new journeys in present-day industrial growth. Summertown Metals embodies a company tuned into the needs of both small and large operations representing a wide variety of interests." Ripple effect: How a boom in manufacturing is building Maury County's future Rep. Jeremy Faison, R-Cosby, attributed the state's business-friendly environment to the expansion decision. 'Tennessee's conservative policies and hard-working residents continue to attract and retain quality businesses, strengthening our state's economy," Faison said. Since 2020, TNECD has supported 61 economic development projects in East Tennessee, resulting in nearly 11,000 job commitments and approximately $3.4 billion in capital investment. Kerri Bartlett is Middle Tennessee Region Editor. This article originally appeared on The Daily Herald: Summertown Metals building supplier to expand to Morristown East TN
USA Today
21 hours ago
- USA Today
Tennessee baseball practices on grass ahead of 2025 Fayetteville Super Regional
Tennessee baseball practices on grass ahead of 2025 Fayetteville Super Regional No. 14 national seed Tennessee (46-17) won the NCAA Tournament Knoxville Regional on Monday. The Vols will next play in a Fayetteville Super Regional at No. 3 national seed Arkansas (46-13). The best-of-three series will be contested, Saturday-Monday, at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Baum-Walker Stadium has a real grass playing surface. Tennessee practiced Wednesday away from Lindsey Nelson Stadium before traveling to Arkansas. The Vols practiced at Covenant Health Park, home of the Cubs' Double-A affiliate Knoxville Smokies. Covenant Health Park opened April 15 and has a real grass playing surface. "We were happy to host a practice for the reigning national champion Tennessee Vols this morning," the Smokies announced. "We wish them the best of luck in Arkansas! Go Vols, and go Smokies!" Game 1 between the Vols and Razorbacks in the Fayetteville Super Regional is scheduled for 5 p.m. EDT on Saturday, and will be televised by ESPN. The second game will take place Sunday at 3 p.m. EDT (ESPN), while first pitch for Monday's if necessary series finale is to be determined. More: Christian Moore returns to Knoxville at Covenant Health Park More: Former Vol transfer commit Ryan Galanie hits game-winning grand slam at Covenant Health Park Follow Vols Wire on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter).
