Marilyn Greer

The Tennessee Justice Center is excited to honor Marilyn Greer as a 2020 Mother of the Year for her commitment to her children, grandchildren, and community.

Marilyn Greer first became connected to the Tennessee Justice Center at a leadership workshop. She has a lot of leadership experience. She is on the Board of Directors for both the Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency and the Martha O’Bryan Center. She also serves on an advisory board with the police department and public defenders.

Marilyn was born and raised in Nashville, where she is still living. She is the mother of 7 children and works at the Nashville Symphony. When her children were younger, Marilyn struggled with addiction. She spent time homeless and in prison. About 13 years ago, one of her daughters took her in and Marilyn began to transform her life. She became sober and decided to give her life to God. She had started enjoying life again.

It was around this time that Marilyn decided that she wanted to give back and to start helping others. She got her first apartment at the Cayce Homes in East Nashville. She wanted to bring more happiness and joy to her community that was struggling with a lot of crime when she moved in. She wanted to help people in her community to not feel hopeless or stuck. Marilyn started organizing a big Easter egg hunt for children who probably did not get anything else for Easter. She also organized a coat drive for children who did not have warm clothes to wear in the winter.

Marilyn’s grandchildren are on TennCare and she has never encountered problems with their ability to access health care. She wants the best for all of them and helps make sure they go to doctor and dentist appointments. She says that advocacy means everything to her. She knows that a lot of people feel hopeless and they need someone to talk to and to speak for them. Marilyn says that “my voice is their voice.”

Tennessee Justice Center is honored to celebrate Marilyn Greer and her dedication to advocating for her community.

Photo Credit: Chad Crawford Photography (Instagram: @chadcrawfordphotog)