EVENTS
"Amachi is more than a program. It is the passionate response to the needs of children with one or both parents in prison. These children are invisible to most of us. There are few viable programs to address the specific needs of the 'invisible' children. The Amachi program is designed to address these needs and alter the potential negative direction of these children's lives. Through Amachi, mentoring matches are made and support is offered by Amachi partners and participating Amachi congregations."
-Rev. Dr. W. Wilson Goode, Sr.
Amachi Knoxville is a partnership of local organizations, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Tennessee Valley, Project GRAD Knoxville, The University of Tennessee's College of Social Work, and Knoxville Leadership Foundation, modeled after Amachi programs in Fresno, California; Lexington, Kentucky; Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
We provide referral of the children and assistance in matching them with mentors. Amachi Knoxville helps local congregations establish their own Amachi church-based mentoring programs. We provide assistance in selecting, training, supervising, and supporting the mentors, as well as helping them obtain needed resources for the families served.
Amachi Knoxville works with a carefully selected group of congregations, recruiting and supporting the caring adult volunteers who serve as mentors to the children. The five initial congregations are:
Community Evangelistic Evangelical Presbyterian Church
Freedom Fellowship Christian Church
Peace and Goodwill Baptist
Word of Life Ministries
Washington Pike United Methodist
The Amachi Knoxville mentoring initiative is a way to help shape the lives of children who may otherwise find themselves headed for prison. If you are interested in knowing more about Amachi Knoxville, know of a family that this program may benefit, or would like to be a mentor, please fax an application to (865) 524-4213 or contact Stanley Taylor, Amachi's Director.
