Listen in for an interview with East Tennessee Harm Reduction's curator, Jack. We talk about what harm reduction is, what it looks like to have boots on the ground doing that work here in Knoxville and what it means to really empower people to make their own choices around their bodies. We discuss barriers to empowerment including houselessness, lack of city/county care for our unhoused neighbors, and the radical notion of allowing folks to make choices around what they put into their bodies and when.  Jack discusses their community outreach and education efforts.

Jack discusses their thoughts on where our community is missing the mark and what we can do to help, including really evaluating ourselves, our fears and insecurities around houselessness and the humans who are currently houseless in Knoxville. Jack discusses the hope of community care and how you can hook up with them for resources. I learned a lot from this conversation and I hope you do too.

Content warning for folks who are sensitive to conversations around drug-using behaviors and equipment.

To find out more about Jack and East TN harm Reduction, find them on Instagram @ EastTNHarmRedux 

Image credits for the podcast image cover for today's episode to www.hhhrc.org (Hawaii Health and Harm Reduction). 
Song credits for "I deserve to be here" to the band Tellios.

Today's episode y'all! I'm so excited for you to hear about how Olivia & The Women of MC are breaking down the barriers to empowerment for the women of Mountain City, Tennessee. If you'll remember the first episode, this is the town I grew up in.  Olivia is the founder of the 501c3 Women of Mountain City where she and the staff are working to bring choice, control, and information to the women of Mountain City. We talk about the impacts of growing up in a small town without resources, we talk about the impacts of religion, and the impacts of trauma on generations of humans, we talk about how folks get afraid of getting information, and the primary importance of knowing we have choices. Olivia is really doing the damn thing of empowering women in Mountain City. 
You can find them @ womenofmc on Instagram and Facebook or at 
www. womenofmountaincity.com 

Content warning: Discussion of religious shaming experiences. 

For transparency sake: I sit on the board for Women of MC currently. I am not receiving financial benefit from that position and there are no other conflict disclosures. 

 Olivia was my first interview so that I can share with y'all some of the ways  folks are empowering others in the community and how access to resources is still pretty scarce in 2021. 

In the first full episode of Empowering Appalachia, I introduce myself and tell a bit of my story, and outline what I hope the podcast will be and why narrative telling is so important. 

A hello and get ready for the first episode of Empowering Appalachia to be released after summer solstice (June 21st, 2021).