Loree Knowles is the Resource Parent Support Team Coordinator for the Middle, Upper Cumberland, and West regions in Tennessee. She has been with Clarvida for 10 years. This article is based on an interview with her on January 28, 2025.

What drives you to do all these things in your community?

I consider myself a missionary. I like helping others, especially children and families, because that’s what I’ve done all my life. As far as politics, my dad was the first Black mayor in the state of Tennessee, and so the political stuff I got from him. I didn’t think I would ever be in this position. But it’s like he spoke to me one night, and the morning after telling several people, no, I will not do this, I finally said yes. I just like helping people. And I love talking with people about the foster kids that we serve, what they can do, and how they can benefit the lives of children and biological families.

My dad was a teacher for 40-plus years. I watched him be father to a lot of students that came through school. And it didn’t matter what color they were, they could be green. If they needed him, he was there. I think I got that from him because I’m a social butterfly, and I never meet a stranger.

What motivates you?

What motivates me is seeing people happy, feeling that sense of self-worth, watching my grandkids go through different situations so I can advise them appropriately on how they should deal with them. And I know kids nowadays don’t like to be given advice, so I have to go about it in a roundabout way to get my point over. And then they understand.

My faith, family, children, and grandchildren are my main encouragers. I give all praises to God for all of the blessings I continue to receive. 

I worked at one time for the Department of Children’s Services, and there were two young men that lived up the street from me. They played football for my husband’s football team in Pop Warner. They wound up in court for neglect issues. I was court liaison, so I went to court that day. I knew the judge really well, and he was also a football referee. Instead of putting these boys in foster care, the judge asked if I would consider taking these two boys in and making sure they finished school because they had great athletic ability and could go somewhere and be something. And I thought about it, I prayed about it, and then I said yes without talking to my husband, without talking to anybody, because I felt compelled to do so. 

The oldest one stayed with me until he turned 18. He was doing well in school and he excelled in sports. And the day he turned 18, he wanted to move back home, and he did. And within four months, he was locked up. The other one was nominated for Mr. Football in the state of Tennessee, and he went on to college. To this day, I’m considered their second mom. 

Tell me about some projects you’re working on for your community.

One of the biggest things in my community is building renovations that have caused some businesses to leave because they weren’t getting any traffic. It has caused a lot of concern within the community. So, I’m reassuring everyone that, yes, this project is taking a long time, and we’ve lost businesses. But I have full confidence that we will be able to attract more businesses to meet the demographic of our city. And once the renovations are done, they are going to be proud of the finished product.

Another is getting the Boys and Girls Club implemented in my city for middle and high school students. I’ve gotten them a spot in our community center where they can house middle school and high school students, and then the elementary school will house the elementary school kids. We have blueprints already in the works with a spot for the Boys and Girls Club.

Who has inspired you?

There are so many people, but I love Michelle Obama, because she she says what she means, and she means what she says. Also, Harriet Tubman. She was a tough lady. She led people to freedom. She saw the future. She had that determination that I want. 

There is my friend Rhonda Brown. While we were working together, she was getting her master’s in social work. And just watching her go through that process and seeing her determination, even though she had four kids to raise and a husband, she did it. She’s a full-blown counselor now for everything that you could possibly think of, and she’s still in practice. It was her and another friend of mine, Sheila Taylor. I watched them struggle through that whole process and still come out on top, and they are still doing the best work they could possibly do today. Then, of course, there is one person who continues to drive me on a daily basis. Laura Lackey, my supervisor at Clarvida, has shown me great determination. She is an amazing encourager, and her support is like no other.

One of my other main influencers was my dad. And my mom, because she was right there by his side. And she supported us through each and every thing that we did. And there was one very, very special encourager, and that’s my brother. He passed away in 2020, but he and I were very close, and we worked together in the community. He was a family resource director at the elementary school, and a coach as well. Two years ago, they named the softball field that he and my husband built for the girls after him.

What advice do you have for others during Black History Month?

I would say historically, as a race of people, we have been oppressed, but we have to be able to move on. Because it’s going to take all of us to push that rock to the top of the hill.

So, we need to just focus on what’s going on now. Look at yourself in the mirror and ask yourself, how would you want to be treated? How do you treat others? And how do you see your children treating others? Because your children are going to model exactly what they see you do. And this is regardless of whether you have biological children, you have children on your caseload as a worker, or there are children who see you in the community. So, I say be the best you can be. Because if you don’t stand for anything, you’ll fall for everything.

What does Black History Month mean to you?

It’s a month where we spotlight those African-American trailblazers who paved the way for us as far as civil rights, giving us hope, being able to live the dream that Dr. King had, and to keep the dream alive, to continue with the dream. And what I take from that dream is to treat everybody with kindness, regardless of what your status is, what your color is, and what your age is. Everyone deserves respect.

What do you enjoy about working for Clarvida?

I told you I am a social butterfly, so I get to meet all kinds of people. I get to go out in the community and persuade people to become foster parents. I get to go to churches and speak to different organizations and let them know that if they become a foster parent, it would be one of the most beneficial things that they would ever do in their life. Just talking to people about foster care gives me joy.

There was a sibling group of five that I worked with, and they ranged from age 15 to age two. Their mom was not in the picture. Their dad was struggling to take care of all of them, plus work on a daily basis. So, he was not focused on what he should do as a parent, and especially not therapeutically. The kids went without a lot. I got the case, and I went in with my cape on and started working with the oldest child. She was playing the mother role in the house, making sure all the kids got up and went to school, and she was really stressed.

After working with them for five months, including the dad, I was able to get all of them on a routine. The father worked with his job so that his schedule accommodated his children. I coached them and was in their home consistently, three days a week, and they lived almost two hours away from me. But I was not going to give up. 

I am so proud to say that the oldest girl has now finished college. Her younger sister finishes college this year, in 2025. The son went to the military. The youngest daughter is a sophomore in high school. And the oldest and the second oldest still reach out to me and say, hey, just wanted to say hi, thank you for everything you did for us.