Martha O'Bryan Center

05/20/2026

20 years ago, a company toured our campus and a partnership was born.

They went back and held an informal event with employees selling nearly-new things from their own closets and garages. They gave us $20,000, and the CEO matched it. Three years later, we created a golf tournament as a fundraiser.

This April, we celebrated the 20th Annual Workwear Outfitters Golf Tournament, and Workwear CEO Chris Holcombe and his team presented MOBC with a check for $240,000, raising their total gift over two decades to more than $2.5 million for Nashville families.

The night before the tournament, Workwear staff and vendors heard from Charissa — a woman who came to MOBC looking for summer camp for her kids and found family coaching, adult education, and a new healthcare career (she starts nursing school soon).

"They didn't just help me find a job," she said. "They helped me find myself again."

That's what 20 years of consistent partnership makes possible. We're grateful to Workwear Outfitters for their generous support, and we can't wait for next year!

Learn more about how we’re helping Nashville families build momentum at marthaobryancenter.org.

05/11/2026

A HUGE thank you to The Cupcake Collection and Chick-fil-A Melrose Music City for sponsoring our MOBC Staff Picnic last week. We are incredibly grateful for your partnership, generosity, and support as we serve our community of families and students every day. Your contributions helped make the day special for our staff, and we truly appreciate you being part of it.

05/08/2026

Mr. Cody Shumaker has been selected to lead the team at Explore Community School, beginning June 1, 2026.

He brings a wide range of experience in education, including classroom teaching, eight years of experience as a school principal in Mississippi, work with the Mississippi Department of Education, serving as Chief Academic Officer of a charter school in Alabama, and most recently as Executive Director of a charter school network in Nashville.

A Nashville resident, Mr. Shumaker is both excited and honored to continue serving the Explore! Community School family.

He shared, “After working here in a consulting role since August, I have truly fallen in love with Explore! and am deeply grateful to Mr. Gish’s leadership over the last four years, and for the opportunity to serve this special community moving forward.”

05/04/2026

Bright smiles were everywhere at Martha O'Bryan Center in April.

For three days, Tamieka Gesse with Colgate's “Bright Smiles, Bright Future” program brought hands-on dental health workshops to our Early Learning Center kids, our Family Success Network caregivers, and our K–8 afterschool students.

Kids learned about dental hygiene and received dental kits (toothbrushes, toothpaste, and activity books) to care for their teeth.

Parents were in on it, too. They got practical information on keeping little smiles healthy and access to a dentist for their questions.

That's the power of this partnership. Colgate helps us make dental health approachable and fun for families, connecting them to resources they can use.

Thank you, Colgate and Tamieka, for showing up for our families in such a meaningful way.

04/29/2026

We don’t talk enough about how hard it is to ask for help.

It means saying out loud what you've been carrying alone. It means admitting there is distance (sometimes painful distance) between where you are and where you want to be.

That takes courage. And we don't forget it.

When you come to us for immediate help, family coaching, your child’s education, or support in pursuing a long-held dream, we meet you in the moment it matters most. You set the direction. We walk with you.

04/24/2026

We have exciting news. 💙

Our Board of Directors unanimously selected Kent Miller as our next Chief Executive Officer. To support Kent, Adrienne Useted will step into the role of President and Sherica Clark Nelms, Ed.D., will continue as Chief Program Officer. All three take effect May 1.

Kent has spent 16 years at MOBC shaping and funding the programs that have opened doors for thousands of Nashville families. This thoughtful, board-led search reached a clear conclusion: the right leaders for this work are those already doing it.

We’re also celebrating 25 years of extraordinary leadership from Marsha Edwards, who will remain with us as President Emeritus through September.

Read the full announcement in our News & Events at marthaobryan.org.

03/26/2026

Ready or not, here comes summer!

And our March 31 giving deadline to create a summer of wonder for hundreds of kids is 5 days away.

From field trips to friendships, every part of our free 4-week camp exists because neighbors, businesses, partners, and donors like you decide it matters.

If you haven't given yet — or want to give again — tap the Donate link below before March 31. Every dollar goes directly to work:

1. Breakfast, lunch, and snacks every day.
2. STEM enrichment.
3. Adventures across Nashville.
4. Exploring sports like soccer and volleyball.
5. And a community where kids find belonging.

That's worth FIVE more days of showing up. You can help make it happen.

03/24/2026

We are hiring for a rock star ⭐ Fundraising Data Analyst ⭐ to join our development team. If you love donors (like we do) and using data to shape donor engagement and events, this position is a chance to bring your talents to the Martha O’Bryan Center and help solve for the root causes of generational poverty.

Full job description link in the comments. Apply today or share with someone you think would be the perfect fit for our team.

02/20/2026

Don’t let scammers ruin your tax season.

Join us for a free event on February 24 to learn how to stay safe online this tax season in a relaxed, supportive environment. Perfect for beginners with no tech experience needed.

01/30/2026

Experiencing poverty up close, even in a simulation, can be eye-opening.

That was the sentiment shared by Martha O'Bryan Center partners participating in a recent poverty simulation hosted by MOBC and the Tennessee Alliance for Economic Mobility.

Together, playing families in different economic situations, they experienced firsthand how a single setback can quickly erode financial stability and how difficult it is to navigate everyday life under strain.

The simulation, facilitated by UT-TSU Extensions of Rutherford and Trousdale counties, is an emotional reminder of the daily realities many families face long before they walk through our doors.

This coverage from NewsChannel 5's Robb Coles captures moments of realization and reflection, and why empathy, understanding, and community support are essential to breaking cycles of poverty.

The gathering trained workers from the many organizations that are part of the Tennessee Alliance for Economic Mobility.