‘We have a home here’ | KARM opens new shelter for women, offering around-the-clock resources [Video]

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Knox Area Rescue Ministries opened “The Wing” on Nov. 5, a shelter for women experiencing homelessness. The space is already operating at capacity. 

Celia Lively, KARM’s Senior Director of Community Engagement, said they’re not turning women away. Instead, the nonprofit is getting creative about where to place them. 

“We didn’t want to stand on the sidelines anymore. We wanted to be ready to stand in that gap, meet these women and help them right where they are,” Lively said. 

In a press release, KARM said women make up around 46% of people experiencing homelessness in Knox County. Linda Levy has stayed at KARM since July 2023 when her husband died. Now with the new space specifically for women, she said she’s found a sense …