Project #1: RYDE Community Glow Pop-Up Series
Royal Youth Dance Ensemble (RYDE) is launching the “Community Glow Pop-Up Series,” a free traveling dance and creative wellness experience for Knoxville youth and families. Through pop-up dance sessions, confidence-building activities, and community performances, we will bring safe, uplifting arts experiences directly into neighborhoods, schools, and community spaces where youth may have limited access to affordable arts programming. The project will provide youth with opportunities to move, express themselves creatively, build confidence, and connect with positive mentors in a supportive environment. Each pop-up will include beginner-friendly dance activities, wellness and self-esteem exercises, music, creative movement games, and a mini community showcase moment where youth can shine. Our goal is simple: create joyful, welcoming spaces where every child feels seen, valued, and encouraged to glow with purpose.

Project #2: Scruffy City Real Talk - Conversations That Can Change Lives
Scruffy City Real Talk brings empathy and education directly into our local neighborhoods. We are seeking SOUP funding to provide free, community-wide QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) training sessions. Taking as little as one hour, this proven, evidence-based program strips away the awkwardness around mental health. It gives everyday people the tools they need to recognize the warning signs of suicide, and to help save a life. Funding will be used to purchase QPR training materials, and cover mileage to host these classes at community spaces across the city. This project will launch within the next 30 days, proving that anyone in Knoxville can learn to break the silence and offer hope.

Project #3: Red Book Improvement
The Knox County Red Book of Resources is a free community resource hub designed to connect people with the help they need when they need it most. From food assistance and housing support to healthcare, recovery resources, legal aid, transportation, and senior services, the Red Book helps Knox County residents navigate difficult situations by putting critical information in one easy-to-access place.

Project #4: Native Plant Rescue Squad Volunteer Program
For the past 11 years, Native Plant Rescue Squad (NPRS), an educational and conservation-focused 501(c)(3) nonprofit, has worked to restore this vital biodiversity by collaborating with builders, developers, and landowners to rescue plants from threatened sites and reestablish them where they can thrive. Once rescued, these plants become the foundation for ecological restoration projects and hands-on educational programs, fostering stronger habitats, healthier communities, and a deeper public appreciation for the value of native flora. Our mission depends on volunteers who rescue native plants from sites slated for development by digging them, nurturing them at our greenhouse nursery, and sharing them with the community through restoration gardens and outreach. Currently, our capacity is limited by a lack of proper tools and resources. Without adequate equipment, our volunteers are unable to work as efficiently or safely, limiting the scale and impact of our conservation work. We are requesting financial assist with strengthening our volunteer support program. Volunteers are the Squad in NPRS, and the backbone of our organization, dedicating their time and energy to rescuing native plants, caring for them, and engaging the community. This funding will provide the tools, training, and resources necessary to expand and sustain our volunteer-driven efforts.