Category: General

Financial Aid – TN Dept of Human Services

The Tennessee Department of Human Services (TDHS) is making essential financial resources available to families that have been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 emergency.  Beginning 10 A.M. CST Thursday, March 26, families can begin applying, online, for up to two months of emergency cash assistance if they were employed as of March 11, 2020 and they’ve lost employment or at least 50% of their earned income as a result of the pandemic.

Visit TN DEPARTMENT HUMAN SERVICES for the application and more info.

COVID-19 Response Fund (United Way of Greater Nashville)

COVID-19 continues to impact our entire region. Our hearts go out to those who have lost their jobs, seen reductions in hours or are experiencing loss of income due to closed establishments or canceled events. Here are SOME RESOURCES that are available right now.

CARES Act( (Federal Coronavirus Aid Package, passed Friday, March 27, 2020)

* Direct payment of $1,200 to individuals, $2,400 for married couples, plus an additional $500 per child. Payments available to individuals with an income of up to $75,000 and $150,000 for married couples.
* Provides $250 billion for an extended unemployment insurance program and expands eligibility and offers workers and additional $600 per week for four months, on top of what state programs pay.
* All testing and potential vaccines for COVID-19 will be covered at no cost to patients.

These are definitely concerning and overwhelming times for all of us, especially following the recent devastation left by the tornado.

Given recent recommendations by our Governor, the CDC, and Metro Health Department, and to ensure our staff and families’ health and well-being, our board has elected to close our center effective Wednesday, March 18th through Friday March 27th.

UPDATE 3/26/2020: In a continued effort to ensure everyone’s safety and health, we will remain closed until Friday, April 3rd. 

UPDATE 4/2/2020: We will remain closed until Friday, April 10th.

UPDATE 4/9/2020: We will remain closed until Friday, April 17th.

UPDATE 5/8/2020: We will remain closed until Friday, May 15th.

Hello, friends. Much has happened in our community and we wanted to give you an update on where we’re at with Yum!East 2020. After talking with a few of our participants, they felt it best for the community to have this party.

“East-siders are a tough little tribe and will remind everyone what ‘normal feels like.”
“Everyone is looking for ways to support the community…I think it would be a way to get together and have fun.”

To our Fannie Battle families:

Our administration and board want to assure you that we have the health of our children, families, and staff is of the utmost importance in our policies and daily practices. Please refer to our family handbook, page 17, to review guidelines regarding children who have symptoms of illness. At our center, our guidelines regarding healthy safety extend to daily routines, such as meal service, diapering and toileting, and cleaning and sanitizing classroom furnishings and materials.

From December 8th to December 14th Donut Distillery will be offering a special Christmas Fannie Pack of mini donuts and donating $5 back to Fannie Battle for every pack purchased. Packs retail for $20.

These packs will be filled with 5 different flavors: strawberry, powdered sugar, chocolate with snowflakes, chocolate with festive sprinkles, and vanilla with green sprinkles. These packs are great for gifts for clients, teachers, friends, family, and holiday parties.

Have a large catering order? Donut Distillery will be donating a portion of proceeds back to Fannie Battle, as well!

Visit Donut Distillery at 311 Gallatin Ave. Nashville, TN 37206. For hours and other questions, visit their website at donutdistillery.com 

Come celebrate 103 years of Caroling for Kids at this family and pet-friendly event, benefiting Fannie Battle Day Home.

East Nashville Beer Works has an amazing menu with tasty appetizers, delicious pizza, and fresh salads. There are non-alcoholic drink options for the whole family. (And wine and cider for those non-beer drinkers).

Fannie Battle board member, and parent, Curtis will bring his guitar and hopes you will join him in a fun – and definitely hilarious – round of carols from 3p – 3:30p.

If you can’t make it during our gathering stop in the brewery any time as 15% of proceeds from the entire day will be generously donated to our center.

I had a great time at our 3rd Caroling Open House last week catching up with many of our long-time volunteers, members, and past board members.

We are all really proud of how far Fannie Battle has come and it was a real honor being able to connect with such amazing and passionate people who really helped build many foundations (literally and figuratively) that we continue to stand on today.

The biggest hit, though, Mrs. Aubree’s Holiday Popcorn. I asked her if I could share the recipe and she was more than thrilled to do so (she did want me to add that it is pretty much the easiest thing to make so you shouldn’t have any troubles re-creating this masterpiece).

• 3 bags of popcorn
• 1 bag of white Ghiradelli melts (they also have many other colors so have fun with it)
• Holiday-colored sprinkles
• 1 bag of holiday M&Ms
• 1 large bowl

Pop the popcorn and put in the large bowl, melt the bag of chocolate and drizzle on the popcorn, shower the popcorn with as many sprinkles as you’d like, and drop the bag of M&M’s into the bowl. Viola!

Feel free to share your pics making and devouring this delicious treat as I know Mrs. Aubree would be tickled red and green.

– Melissa

“The burden of childcare beleaguers economic growth on two fronts, tamping down the productivity of citizens as well as pushing more of them onto taxpayer-sponsored programs such as SNAP (formerly known as food stamps), WIC (benefits for low-income mothers) and TANF (welfare). Cruelly, it’s usually the more impoverished who find it most difficult to afford childcare and thus advance their careers and become more prosperous, further stymieing economic mobility. But perhaps the most damaging punch that unaffordable childcare is dealing to the U.S. economy is its diminishing of future generations. Young Americans are having fewer children—the 2018 birth rate was the lowest in 32 years—and according to a survey conducted by Morning Consult for the New York Times, the expense of childcare is the No. 1 reason.”

Read more about this in-depth coverage of The Childcare Crisis 

Happy Holidays!

The holidays are a fun and joyous time here at our center. For many years, local businesses, churches, and individuals have enjoyed spreading holiday cheer by providing gifts and basic needs to our children and families.

As of now, all of our families have been ‘adopted’ out, however there are many other ways to show love and make a difference.

• • Gift Cards. A gift of a gift card for a family or our center is a great way to help during the holiday season. Kroger, Target, Walmart, Dollar General, Amazon, Uber/Lyft, etc.
  • Amazon Wish List. We have curated a robust list of needs for our center that range from arts & crafts supplies to classroom toys and games. Visit our donation page for more info.
  • Donate. A financial gift to Fannie Battle Day Home is a great way to make a significant impact on our families. While all families pay tuition, childcare fees and subsidies account for only 50% of our operating budget – our fundraising efforts allow us to fill the gap between those families receiving a scholarship, through our sliding scale, and those paying full-price. Monetary gifts to our organization are tax-deductible. 
  • Tuition Assistance. The holidays can be a financially difficult time and paying a week or two of tuition can put a strain on a family. Contact Melissa for more info.

If you’re interested in giving or have questions, please contact Melissa McWilliams at mmcwilliams@fanniebattle.org or 615.228.6745 x117.

Thank you for your kindness this holiday season.