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Leadership class donates $8.5K
Leadershop class pic.jpg
Photo provided  Members of the 2022 Leadership Class are co-chair Justin Walling, Adam Hollandsworth, Thomas Stafford, Ashley Gillentine Wright, Harley Martin, Matt Richey, co-chair Autumn Malone, Katie Smartt, co-chair Dayron Deaton Owens, Andy Aguilar, Adam Hollandsworth, Brooke Adamson, Jackie Borowiak, Kelsey Taylor, Kelvin Douglas, Karla Addesso, Desi Jefferson, Carla Bush and Brandi Cotten.

The Leadership McMinnville Class of 2022 raised $8,562 with its 2022 Autumn Street Fair project. Those funds were divided between three local non-profits chosen by the class earlier in the year. 

Class president Ashley Gillentine Wright was pleased with the amount the class raised and was glad that their work could help local people. “These organizations are why this group worked so hard over the last year. We had a wonderful group of sponsors, a great team of volunteers, and a host of other supporters who made this year’s Autumn Street Fair a huge success and allowed us to make a real impact with our fundraising and donations,” Wright said. 

The organizations that received $2,854 donations from Leadership are:


The Children’s

Advocacy Center

for the 31st

Judicial District

The CAC strives to provide a safe and welcoming place for young victims of abuse to be heard. The organization provides a variety of resources for victims and their families, among other services to the community and seeks to reduce the trauma from abuse through well-coordinated multi-disciplinary investigations.

 

The Warren County Emergency Food Bank

The local food bank is dedicated to providing temporary emergency food assistance to local families. It is located at 314 West Morford St. and are open on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

 Warren Arts

Warren Arts provides a wide range of arts education and performance opportunities for all ages in Warren and surrounding communities. The group manages a comprehensive arts center featuring a large special event venue. Their stated mission is to support, empower and progress in the arts and to create art that is important in the community and the world. They seek to showcase the good that our community is capable of.

The recipients of the donations were appreciative for the efforts of Leadership class. Helen Owens, director of the Warren County Food Bank expressed her appreciation for the much-needed gift. “Every week our supplies cost us around $480 and we serve at least 97 families a month, so this donation will cover several weeks of groceries for those we serve. In addition to the families we provide for, we also keep extra supplies on hand for members of our local homeless population and we help them out whenever we have the opportunity.”

With over 200 vendors and over 60 sponsors, this year's class held the most successful and highest-grossing Leadership McMinnville Autumn Street Fair to date.

“This year’s Leadership class far exceeded my expectations. The class worked harder for its goals and the members worked so well together. Each member of the class grew and developed their skills and they all used their individual strengths to the best of their ability to help the team and they encouraged each other to do better,” said 2022 Leadership co-chair Dayron Deaton Owens.

The Leadership McMinnville Class of 2022 will be the last one carrying the McMinnville name. Beginning with the 2023 class, the group will be known as Leadership Warren County. While previously the community had a Leadership Warren County group, that group was for alumni of the Leadership McMinnville Class. There has been interest for a Leadership Warren County Alumni Group and those plans are ongoing at this time.

The class provides an opportunity for participants to get more involved in their community and to build a relationship with fellow members as they work together to make a difference.

“Volunteering or supporting any type of community service is such a selfless act, especially in this day and time. I’m so proud of what this group has accomplished over the past year individually, in their class and with the Autumn Street Fair,” said interim Chamber president Melissa Mullins.

Leadership is a program of the McMinnville-Warren County Chamber of Commerce and is designed to motivate participants to develop and enhance leadership skills by addressing pertinent community issues. The 2023 Autumn Street Fair is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 7. Contact the McMinnville-Warren County Chamber of Commerce at 931-473-6611 or visit warrentn.com for more information about the class and the street fair.