Welcome!!

Hello! We are five University of Tennessee, Knoxville students partnering with Hand UP for Women, a local nonprofit that helps women in our community break free from addiction, abuse, and poverty. Our goal is to raise $1,000 to help pay off the newly purchased Miracle Ridge property to allow renovations to begin and create safe housing for women in need.

For this blog, we’re focusing on what home really means to us. We all have something that makes where we live a home, maybe its family dinners, traditions or our childhood bedroom. Home is different for everyone, but it's always special. In this, we hope to remind you also that not everyone has a home. Luckily, organizations like Hand Up For Women are striving to change this, and with your help, you can change that too.

Personal Introductions: 

Julia:

Hello! My name is Julia Dieter, and I’m a third year student at UT Knoxville studying Public Affairs with a concentration in National Security. Ultimately, my goal is to pursue a career in law and politics, which actually ties into why having a “home” is so important to me. 

Everyone deserves not only somewhere to live but they deserve a home. For me, home has been incredibly important in shaping who I am today. Without having a stable home, I would not have the confidence that I do today to pursue the career I am. Within said career, I hope to work in public service, ensuring that everyone has the access to the tools that it takes to build that home.

Home is clearly so important to me, and my home would not have had the impact it did on me without some of our family traditions. Christmas is always my favorite holiday spent at home, and I love our tradition of having a fancy Christmas Eve meal followed by getting take out on Christmas night. This, coupled with playing cards all night and having fresh baked goods has always made Christmas a special time in our home. These traditions and moments are what makes our house the home it is. 

Colleen:

Hey everyone! I’m Colleen, a third year kinesiology student, and I absolutely love my major! One day, I hope to one day become a pediatric physical therapist. Working with kids and seeing them grow brings me so much joy. 

Although I’ve certainly made a home in Knoxville, my true home is about 8 hours away located in Rockville, Maryland. Being far has really made me appreciate my home more. There's something special about being surrounded with things you're familiar with and grew up with. 

One of my favorite things about being home is the home cooked meals my mom makes. Everytime I go home my mom takes “meal requests” and recently my go-to has been shrimp scampi with fresh sourdough (nothing beats bread right out of the oven!)

With the holidays coming up, I’m excited to go back home. The holidays are always filled with decorating, cookie making (and eating) and spending time with family. After all, there is no place like home for the holidays :) 

Theresa: 

Hi everyone! My name is Theresa Grill and as a marketing major who loves design, I spend a lot of time thinking about creativity, presentation, and how things make people feel. But nothing inspires me quite like home does. Home has always been the place that grounds me, the space where comfort has meaning. It’s not just where I live, but it’s where my favorite memories were made, and where I’ve learned what truly matters. No matter how hectic my schedule gets with classes, projects, or work, walking through my front door always feels like a reset.

The first thing that always hits me is the smell of one of my mom’s amazing meals. She has this way of making dinner feel special, even on an ordinary night. Her cooking isn’t just good, it’s comforting. It’s the kind of food that brings everyone to the table, even after long, separate days. Those moments, laughing, sharing stories, passing dishes around, remind me what home really means. It’s warmth, togetherness, and love all wrapped into one.

Home has shaped who I am more than anything else. It’s where I learned patience, responsibility, and the importance of showing up for people. It’s where I’ve seen how small things, a meal, a kind word, a safe place to land, can make a big difference. Even as I grow older and chase new goals, I carry that feeling of home with me. It’s my reminder that no matter how creative or ambitious I get, the most beautiful things in life aren’t designed, they’re felt.

Megan Lyons:

Hello! My name is Megan Lyons and I am a marketing major who loves fashion. I think that fashion is an amazing way to express yourself, but beyond this, a home can be a great reflection of you as well. Often, our home is what shapes us. Whether that is defined by one space, multiple places, or just the people around you, a home - or lack thereof - can be very defining. 

I grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, and did not move around much. I never moved schools and stayed in the same neighborhood. My home brings me feelings of nostalgia and familiarity as I think about it while I am away at school. It makes me miss my dad grilling dinner on the barbeque and binging trashy tv with my mom. As I really think about my home, it is not actually the house that is that important, it is more so the people and the memories tied to it.

Beyond this though, after coming to college, I realized I have a home in Knoxville as well. The people and life I have created for myself here is also something I consider to be a new home. In the same way I miss my family while at school, I also miss my friends and my routines when I am at home. I am lucky to be able to say I have homes in two places, which is why I also want to be a part of helping women who may feel like they do not have one at all. While for these women it is very much about the physical home and safety it provides, a Hand Up for Women also makes deep connections with the women involved. These connections give them a circle of people to consider home, beyond just giving them a room to stay in.

Alessia Simone

Hello! My name is Alessia Simone, and I am a second-year dual Accounting and Finance major. I’ve always been drawn to the world of business and finance. Growing up, many members of my family worked in the financial field, so conversations about investments, budgeting, and the stock market were a regular part of life.

I’m from upstate New York. My house there is full of wonderful memories that I carry with me wherever I go. My favorite part has always been our backyard pool, which became the heart of so many special moments. My second favorite part of my house is our custom dining room table that my mom got so our entire extended family can all fit around one table during holidays and gatherings.

Because I’ve been so fortunate to have that sense of home and support in my life, I feel deeply connected to A Hand Up for Women and the work they do. The organization helps women who may not have that same foundation by providing them not only with safe housing but also with a community that feels like family. I admire how A Hand Up for Women helps women find their footing and creates an environment where they can thrive. Everyone deserves to feel the warmth and support that comes from having a true home, and that’s why their mission resonates so strongly with me.

Outro:

Everyone deserves to have special memories and traditions in their home, but unfortunately, some people do not even have a home. With your help, we can help Hand Up For Women in renovating their Miracle Ridge Property to give these women access to a new home.