H7 Story: Catalyst Gives Back (Isaiah 117 House)

Catalyst isn’t just a coffee shop, it’s a place for people to meet, connect, build relationships, and thereby join us as a Catalyst Partner who is pouring back into the community. Every time you visit, you’re investing in our community and supporting nonprofit work in Greeneville.

Something cool you may be unaware of that has been happening over the past year is that Catalyst Coffee Company has donated to a local non-profit organization every two months. Organizations such Greene Young Life, Longview Ranch, Boys and Girls Club, Hope Center, and most recently Isaiah 117 House have received a $2000 check to help with their ministry.

Located on West Main Street in Greeneville, the local Isaiah 117 House is part of a network of facilities designed to provide children who are awaiting placement within foster care a comfortable place to stay.

“When children are removed from their homes out of concern for their safety, they are usually brought to a child welfare services office to await placement,” Isaiah 117 House officials say in a statement. “This wait can be a few hours to several days. These children often have nothing with them and are scared, lonely, hungry, and in dirty clothing."

“Isaiah 117 provides a comforting home where these children instead can be brought to wait – a place that is safe with friendly and loving volunteers who provide clean clothes, smiles, toys, and snuggly blankets. This space allows children to receive the comfort and care they need while child welfare staff can do the necessary paperwork and identify a good placement,” the statement adds.

The mission of Isaiah 117 House is threefold:
• reduce trauma for children awaiting placement;
• lighten the load for child welfare services, and
• ease the transition for foster families.

Gywn Southerland serves as the program coordinator for the Greene County Isaiah 117 House.
“It is a home where children come after they are removed from their home though the Department of Children’s Services,” Southerland says.

“The Greene County house opened three years ago in November, and we have been very busy since then,” she continued. “In 2022 alone, we saw almost 800 children come through our red door."

“Our house is staffed with trained volunteers who give their time to come and love on our children,” Southerland said. “We feed them, bathe them, play games, give them all things they need as the leave us to go to kinship, foster care or into a facility.”

She added, “Isaiah House is such a blessed ministry that we are so grateful for so many like Catalyst and First Christian Church support.”

Next time you grab a liquid cup of gold from Catalyst Coffee Company, know that you are not just drinking the best locally roasted cup of coffee in town, but you are helping local non-profit organizations as they help others.