real tennesseans. real stories.
Courage. Candor. Compassion.
Every day we bear witness to the heartwarming and heartbreaking personal experiences our clients face.
We must lift up our neighbors who have no access to health insurance, have delayed care, or have crushing medical debt, as well as those who are thriving because of public programs like TennCare and CoverKids.
These are real-life examples of policy failures and the missed opportunities of our leaders, as well as the triumph of getting hard-fought access to life-saving care.
Our voices in harmony create a powerful force that can move hearts and minds. We believe at the core that Tennesseans must be heard and considered in decisions that greatly impact their lives. Their voices ring out clear, singing a song of empowerment, opportunity, and justice.
RESOURCE INDEX
general stories
Military Members and Veterans Facing Food Insecurity in TN
Military Members and Veterans Facing Food Insecurity in TN November 2022 Too many military and veteran households experience food insecurity, with nearly 1 in 5 military families reporting food insecurity and veterans experiencing it at a rate 7.4% higher than their civilian counterparts. Despite high
Damon Fair
TJC Story Blog July 2021 Damon Fair Damon Fair has lived in Knoxville, Tennessee, for most of his life. He is a type 1 diabetic and has end stage renal disease with hemodialysis. Due to his
Andrea Riley
TJC Story Blog Apr 2021 Andrea Riley Andrea Riley is the mother of a 23-year-old son. Her son was diagnosed with high functioning autism when he was 19 years old. He also has ADHD, anxiety, and
black health matters
Alice Allen
TJC Story Blog Jul 2021 Alice Allen Ms. Alice Allen is a 63-year-old African American woman who has health insurance through a private plan. She shared that she has felt discriminated against while accessing healthcare based
Clarice Rankins
TJC Story Blog Jul 2021 Clarice Rankins Ms. Clarice Rankins is a 71-year-old African American woman who has Medicare and a supplemental plan. She shared that she has felt discriminated against while accessing healthcare based on
Patricia Watson
TJC Story Blog Jun 2021 Patricia Watson Ms. Watson, a 69-year-old Black woman, shared with TJC that she has felt discriminated against because of her race or ethnicity while accessing healthcare. Ms. Watson said, “I have
independence
Amy and Greg Wagner
TJC Story Blog July 2021 Amy & Greg Wagner Accessing health services in rural areas is hard. It has been especially hard for Amy and Greg Wagner of Canon County. Mrs. Amy Wagner
Christina Wolfe
TJC Story Blog May 2021 Christina Wolfe Christina Wolfe lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with her 25-year-old daughter. Her daughter has some disabilities and has been enrolled in the ECF CHOICES program since 2016.
(Anonymous) Katie Beckett Recipient
TJC Story Blog Apr 2021 Anonymous Katie Beckett Recipient In October 2020, a baby with a rare genetic disorder was born to a family living in Memphis. The disorder presents complex health complications,
Sierra Clark
TJC Story Blog Feb 2021 Sierra Clark Sierra Clark lives in Millington, Tennessee with her husband and five children. She is a stay-at-home mother and her husband works. Sierra and her husband have
Medical Debt Story – Anonymous
TJC Story Blog Feb 2021 Medical Debt Story – Anonymous “About three months ago I had to go to the Baptist Memorial Hospital ER twice for the first time in my life. I
nutrition
Pandemic Overpayments Causing Greater Hardship for Low-Income Families
Pandemic Overpayments Causing Greater Hardship for Low-Income Families February 2023 An East Tennessee family of four applied for SNAP during the pandemic when they struggled to put food on the table for their two children. They were approved by DHS to receive the maximum SNAP
Long Call Wait Times and Inaccessible Caseworkers for Tennessee’s Hungry
Long Call Wait Times and Inaccessible Caseworkers for Tennessee’s Hungry December 2022 Many Tennesseans are hungry and cannot access SNAP and not because they don’t qualify. An inefficient DHS Families First telephone system prevents many eligible individuals from accessing the SNAP program. To complete an
Tennessee Children Need Nutritious Food in the Summer
TJC Story Blog Feb 2022 Tennessee Children Need Nutritious Food in the Summer Families across Tennessee report difficulty feeding children without access to P-EBT, or free school meals, during the summer. A mother
P-EBT Supports Families with Children as Pandemic Intensifies
TJC Story Blog Sept 2021 P-EBT Supports Families with Children as Pandemic Intensifies During the pandemic, many families who do not qualify for SNAP were able to access important food assistance through the
Anonymous P-EBT Recipient (Memphis)
TJC Story Blog Sept 2021 A Time When Nutrition Programs are Needed Most Tennessee families struggled to afford nutritious foods and pay their bills before the pandemic, but one Memphis mom has had
Elizabeth Franklin
TJC Story Blog Sept 2021 Elizabeth Franklin As the primary caregiver for her four grandchildren, Mrs. Elizabeth Franklin knows the importance of nutrition programs like SNAP and Pandemic-EBT (P-EBT). Elizabeth’s grandchildren
medicaid expansion
Charles Lawrence
TJC Story Blog May 2021 Charles Lawrence My wife has been uninsured for almost 7 years now in Tennessee. The state may not realize, but disincentivization of life of a married couple dedicated
Clarence Black
TJC Story Blog May 2021 Clarence Black Clarence Black is a 50-year-old man living in Columbia, Tennessee. He has a lot of pain in his limbs and especially in his arms, likely from
Richard Shanker
TJC Story Blog Jan 2021 Richard Shanker Mr. Richard Shanker is 47 years old and lives in Milan, TN. He is diabetic and has been on insulin since he was 3 ½ years
Elisabeth Firestone
TJC Story Blog Nov 2020 Elisabeth Firestone I’m Elisabeth, a college-educated, professional musician who’s worked as a church Music Director for over 20 years. In 2014, shortly after I moved to TN and
aca
Jasmine Snell
TJC Story Blog Jan 2021 Jasmine Snell Jasmine aged out of the foster care system and had no health insurance. When the pandemic hit, she was suddenly unable to support herself as a
Irvin Family
TJC Story Blog Dec 2020 Irvin Family Our daughter, Sadie, was born 4 ½ weeks early and weighed 4lbs. 14 oz. Shortly after birth, doctors detected a heart murmur, a mild case of
Sage Snider
TJC Story Blog Nov 2020 Sage Snider I wrote this in July, 2017: "A letter to my family, friends, and fellow Tennesseans: As some of you know, I spent much of this year
amc
A.M.C. et al. v. Smith Class Action Lawsuit Plaintiffs
TJC Story Blog January 2020 These are the stories of the plaintiff's of the A.M.C. et al. vs. Smith, a class action lawsuit TJC filed in the spring of 2020. The lawsuit addresses