KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs is highlighting nonprofits and local charities seeing an increased need during the pandemic.
This week, he spoke with Steve Diggs, president of the Emerald Youth Foundation.
The nonprofit serves around 3,000 young people living in Knoxville’s urban neighborhoods every year. While they’ve added several safety precautions, they haven’t slowed down in 2020.
“We can’t run out of the fire or away from the fire – we’ve got to run into the fire So, we’ve looked at COVID like a fire that we responsibly go into and keep things going for young people,” Diggs said. “They need structure during this time so we can’t shut everything down.”
Diggs also said the focus of the foundation’s work has also shifted a little bit during the pandemic.
They’ve conducted more job training and have focused on helping their families keep the lights on.
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