Uplift Appalachia

09/18/2026

Our partners at ISAAC International Substance Abuse and Addiction Coaltion recently posted an article about the work that our President Andi Deason Clements was recently invited to in Washington DC.

Read the story here:

In July, Andrea Clements, an ISAAC member was invited to Washington, D.C., to take part in an important conversation about the role of faith communities in responding to addiction and behavioural health.

08/14/2026

Would you pray with us this week?

Jesus told His disciples,

"The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest." — Matthew 9:37–38

Over the past year, our volunteer drivers have given tens of thousands of miles of rides to men and women working to rebuild their lives after addiction. Those miles represent much more than transportation. They represent conversations, encouragement, friendship, and the beginning of new community.

Today we're asking you to pray.

• Pray that God would continue to protect and encourage the volunteers already serving.
• Pray that He would raise up new drivers who are willing to build relationships with people in recovery.
• Pray that churches throughout our region would see caring for people struggling with addiction not as someone else's responsibility, but as part of the calling God has given His Church.

We believe recovery is about more than helping people survive. It is about helping people find lives of flourishing. The Church has a unique role to play in that work.

If the Lord places this ministry on your heart as you pray, we'd love to talk with you about how your church—or you personally—could become part of what He's doing through Uplift Rides.

07/27/2026

Join Uplift President Andi Clements for an introduction to Trauma-Informed Care tomorrow.

07/22/2026

Where has Uplift been lately?

It's been a busy few weeks, but we're grateful for every opportunity God continues to provide to share a simple message:

Recovery is about more than overcoming addiction. It's about helping people find a life of flourishing.

Over the past few weeks we've had the opportunity to:

➡️ Join more than 400 faith, nonprofit, government, and philanthropic leaders at Governor Bill Lee's Faith & Community Summit in Knoxville to discuss how we can better serve our most vulnerable neighbors.

➡️ Meet with leaders in Unicoi County to continue conversations about strengthening collaboration and supporting local recovery efforts.

➡️ Present in Washington, D.C. after being invited by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), SAMHSA, and the Administration for Children and Families to discuss how the faith community can play a practical role in recovery through relationship, transportation, and community.

➡️ Join the Bald, Blind, and Buddies podcast to discuss what the research tells us about addiction, the importance of asking what actually works, and why we believe the Church has an essential role to play alongside treatment and recovery services.
(https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/professor-andrea-clements-on-exploring-social-connections/id1745983439?i=1000776520791)

➡️ Be featured on the Community Spotlight segment of Daytime Tri-Cities, sharing the vision behind Uplift Appalachia and inviting our community to become part of the work.

Each of these opportunities may look different, but they all point toward the same vision: equipping the Church to love and serve people struggling with addiction, mental health challenges, and other life challenges on their journey to flourishing.

We believe the Church has something uniquely valuable to offer our communities—not because it replaces treatment or recovery services, but because it provides the relationships, belonging, and hope that help people truly flourish.

If this vision resonates with you, we'd love to connect. Whether you're a church leader, healthcare professional, community organization, potential volunteer, or someone looking to support this work, let's start a conversation. Together, we can help build communities where people don't simply survive addiction—they find a life of flourishing.

07/21/2026

Come join us on Saturday!

07/09/2026

We were grateful to be invited. It was a great opportunity for collaboration and connection!

400 East TN leaders came together in Knoxville for the third Faith & Community Summit hosted by TN Governor's Faith-Based and Community Initiative

➡ 46% non-profit leaders
➡ 28% faith leaders
➡ 18% government leaders
➡ 7% philanthropic leaders

Speakers included: Gov. Bill Lee Tennessee Department of Human Services Commissioner Clarence H. Carter, Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs, Knoxville Mayor Mayor Indya Kincannon Knoxville Leadership FoundationPresident Chris Martin, GFBCI East Regional Director Emily Hager East Tennessee Foundation President Keith Barber, Knox Area Rescue MinistriesPresident Danita McCartney, Eternal Life Ministries Bishop Evans Kariuki, and performance by the Emerald Youth Foundation Choir.

100% of the attendees surveyed asked for more gatherings that unite leaders across Tennessee to focus on serving vulnerable neighbors.

06/24/2026

Invite a friend and come hang out with us on Saturday!

☕ Coffee & Conversations ☕
Have you ever wondered what Uplift Appalachia does—or how you can be part of restoring hope in our community?
Join us for Coffee & Conversations at The Moon Coffee & Tea House on June 27th. This is a relaxed, no-pressure opportunity to meet the Uplift Appalachia team, hear stories of impact, and learn about ways to get involved.
✨ Learn about our mission
✨ Meet current volunteers
✨ Discover opportunities to serve
✨ Ask questions and share ideas
✨ Enjoy a free cup of coffee—on us!
Whether you have an hour a month or a heart to make a difference, we’d love to connect with you.
📅 June 27, 9:30a-12p
📍 The Moon Coffee & Tea House
☕ Coffee is on Uplift!
Together, we’re restoring hope, rebuilding lives, and strengthening our communities.
Tag a friend who might be interested and join us for a cup of coffee and a conversation that could change lives.

06/16/2026

☕ Coffee & Conversations ☕
Have you ever wondered what Uplift Appalachia does—or how you can be part of restoring hope in our community?
Join us for Coffee & Conversations at The Moon Coffee & Tea House on June 27th. This is a relaxed, no-pressure opportunity to meet the Uplift Appalachia team, hear stories of impact, and learn about ways to get involved.
✨ Learn about our mission
✨ Meet current volunteers
✨ Discover opportunities to serve
✨ Ask questions and share ideas
✨ Enjoy a free cup of coffee—on us!
Whether you have an hour a month or a heart to make a difference, we’d love to connect with you.
📅 June 27, 9:30a-12p
📍 The Moon Coffee & Tea House
☕ Coffee is on Uplift!
Together, we’re restoring hope, rebuilding lives, and strengthening our communities.
Tag a friend who might be interested and join us for a cup of coffee and a conversation that could change lives.

05/29/2026

We got to visit our friends at Merkinch & South Kessock Free Church for food, fellowship, and worship in Inverness, Scotland. This church is a living example of the kind of close, compassionate community that we hope to see in more churches, both here and in the U.S. They are also a member of the 20 Schemes church planting network, a potential ministry partner in Scotland that we would love to work alongside.

Chris Davidson is the pastor of Merkinch & South Kessock Free Church, and was featured on a recent episode of our podcast Intrinsically Motivated, which you can find on our About page.

Please pray for the Merkinch church, and pray that the Lord would open doors for future partnership and encouragement for us in gospel ministry.

05/26/2026

We're thrilled to have shared our Trauma-Informed Church training with the compassionate community at Granton Baptist in Edinburgh, Scotland. Here we found a group of like minded and big-hearted Christians who are passionate about serving those who need it most. We're excited to see the ripple effect of hope and healing that will come from our time together.

Interested in empowering your community to make a meaningful difference in the lives of those affected by addiction or trauma? Let's explore how we can work together to train, equip, and encourage one another.