Winter Storm Impact: Franklin Nonprofit Sees Rising Need as Cold Snap Continues
Nearly 170,000 Tennesseans are still without power as the winter storm continues to ravage the state. With the power outage and other impacts of the storm come unexpected costs: emergency motel rooms, higher utility bills, missed work, and kids requiring extra meals as they stay home from school.
GraceWorks Ministries in Franklin is already preparing for increased demand across Williamson County and the greater Nashville area.
While the storm has forced the nonprofit to temporarily close its doors, Graceworks is pivoting quickly and preparing to serve scheduled appointments and distribute generous emergency food boxes to neighbors who missed appointments due to the storms. They are also planning for post-storm increased demand.
“Cold weather events like this don’t just disrupt routines. They stretch household budgets to the breaking point,” said Alicia Bell, CEO for GraceWorks Ministries. “We want families to know help is available, and we’re planning now to meet the increased demand we expect in the coming weeks.”
GraceWorks is encouraging neighbors who are able to help by donating $25 Kroger or Walmart gift cards, which allow the nonprofit to respond efficiently and meet urgent food needs. Community members can also clean out pantries while stuck at home and bring donations once GraceWorks reopens.
This is a timely opportunity to both show how local Tennesseans are responding to a natural disaster by helping their neighbors and to let those neighbors know where they can turn for support during and after the storm.
Alicia Bell, CEO, GraceWorks Ministries
Alicia Bell is the CEO of GraceWorks Ministries. She first served GraceWorks as Director of Development from 2017 to 2024. She went to Lipscomb University before obtaining her Masters of Public Administration from Indiana University, US News’ #1 program for nonprofit management. Before her time at GraceWorks, Alicia served in Development at Faith Family Medical center in Nashville, ran a small United Way in Tullahoma, Tennessee, and worked with the Tennessee Secretary of State office.
GraceWorks Ministries
“Neighbors serving Neighbors, by the power of God’s grace”
GraceWorks Ministries was established 1995 by a group of concerned Williamson County citizens and faith leaders who sought a comprehensive, collaborative solution to the complex issue of poverty. Our founders recognized that local low-income residents had diverse needs – food, clothing, housing support, and financial assistance – yet, most area nonprofits and churches focused on only one or two services. By pooling church resources with private and public sectors, GraceWorks has been able to offer wraparound services to a large number of individuals and families in need, closing our more recent fiscal year having served 13,517 unduplicated Neighbors.
GraceWorks’ communal approach to charitable work is expressed in our mission statement: Neighbor serving Neighbor, by the power of God’s grace. GraceWorks is comprised of a 21-member Board of Directors, 50+ staff members and an average of 270 volunteers serving onsite each week.
