2024 Staff Highlights
Martha’s Top 3
1. Finishing a wonderful 3 year time of service to Americorps with their Aging in Place program and Narrow Ridge Earth Literacy Center.
2. Being hired as the Interim Director for Mountain T.O.P. and becoming so fascinated and enamored of what this organization does for the community.
3. Being hired as the permanent Executive Director for Mountain T.O..P. and looking forward to a future of working with this wonderful place and fantastic staff.
Personal highlights: Becoming a great-great aunt once again to Waylon Baker in Utah!!
Rachael's Top 3
1. The first Staff Alumni Camp! After over a year of planning, the first former staff camp finally happened in July. Over 20 staff alumni gathered at Cumberland Pines from across multiple generations. For many, this was their first time returning to Mountain T.O.P. in decades.
2. Anytime I connect with a new volunteer group! I love getting to share about the mission and impact of Mountain T.O.P. with people who have never met us before. During a phone call with a new group earlier this fall, I learned they had been referred to us by another group who served with us this summer and had a very impactful experience. They were recommended to us because they knew Mountain T.O.P. would be a welcoming and affirming space for their youth to serve. A huge compliment!
3. Witnessing the launching of Housing Hub as its own nonprofit! This project started here at Mountain T.O.P. and has since branched out into its own entity. We each have our unique focuses on the housing continuum, but now our community is blessed to have two housing-focused organizations.
Personal highlights: a trip to Scotland in August, lots of walks on the Mountain Goat Trail with my dog, and the opening of multiple new restaurants in the area!
Jacey's Top 3
1. Supporting my wonderful Day Camp staff! Getting to watch my four summer staffers serve alongside campers and community children was such a blessing. From silly Day Camp songs and spirit awards, to corn dogs during Friday celebrations, it brought me so much joy to see my staff and the children grow spiritually.
2. Bringing back Summer Plus! Getting to connect with 15 teens in Grundy County and support them through their chosen workshops of woodworking, creative arts, Bible study, and finance was so much fun and brought back fond memories of when I was in their shoes! I am already preparing for next year and cannot wait to continue engaging with the teens of Grundy County.
3. Leading our Fall Festival this year was another full-circle moment for me. Getting to partner with all of the families in the community and share a joy so familiar and meaningful was one of the highlights of my year. We welcomed 315 community members into camp and distributed 1,111 books, 205 pairs of shoes, 226 coats, 517 winter accessories, an insurmountable amount of socks, 200 hygiene kits, and around 300 lunches! I couldn't help but cry tears of joy seeing all of our hard work come together.
Personal highlights: Visited 15 states this year, completed my first backpacking trip on a 10-mile hike, and grew my own garden!
Jane’s Top 3
1. Supporting Program Managers this summer! Being able to support and have a part in the position that was my favorite whenever I was on summer staff was so beautifully full circle. The true gift of being able to support this position was how amazing Natalie and Elysa were.
2. The success of our Brick and Mortar dinner. Working as an intern was challenging but Brick and Mortar felt like a fruit of all my labor. It is so rewarding to be able to fundraise for our endowment that secures our future.
3. Leading a workshop at Summer Plus. I am not usually able to work with our participants hands-on and leading teenagers in art was so much fun. All of our Summer Plus teens were so fun and interesting and eager to learn.
Personal highlights: Graduating college!! Becoming an aunt and spending time with my brothers!
Annabel’s Top 3
1. This spring I finished a year-long grant project at the St. Mark's Community Center in Sewanee building a garden. I worked in collaboration with amazing people from The Roberson Project, Growing Roots, St. Mark's Community, and the Sewanee Farm. This partnership helped increase MTOP's presence in the Sewanee area and officially include it in our Service area to work on home repairs more regularly.
2. When I was a YSM camper in 2019, there was a homeowner in Pikeville that I got to know well and had a great time working with. This summer, I finally got to see her again and reconnect. She's been involved with MTOP since the 80s both having work done on her home and being a camper herself working at other people's homes. She told me she loved seeing campers stay involved with the ministry and go on to do summer staff and full time staff.
3. In August I got certified as an Aging in Place Specialist. The concept of Aging in Place was introduced to me last year at the Coalition for Home Repair's Annual Conference. Now every home repair project I work on, I have the perspective of how to make everyone's lives easier and safer as they age in their homes. The most important thing I learned: Everyone is aging!
Personal highlights: In September, I went to New Hampshire with my dad to see family and the beautiful fall scenery up north. I moved from an apartment to a house!
