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The Evening of Hope event took place this year at the Country Club where Chris Liposky, a member who has devoted countless hours to both the New Hope Recovery Center and the McNabb Center, was honoree of the night.

Liposky has served diligently in both the nonprofit community and his local church as well, garnering praise and respect from many with his hardworking attitude. He is also the CEO of Rogers Petroleum in Jefferson City.

In 2008, The McNabb Center took it upon itself to oversee the day-to-day operations of the New Hope Recovery Center, which marked the definitive date of their merging after concerns about sustainment of New Hope in 2007.

The Evening of Hope began with dinner and opening remarks by Mike Fishman, Chairman and Emcee of Evening of Hope. Fishman set the stage for Don Rogers, who gave the invocation.

After the prayer was said, Fishman introduced and gave recognition to elected officials who were in attendance, to include Mayor Bill Brittain, City Council Member Kay Senter, and a member for U.S. Rep. Diana Harshbarger.

“We have with us in attendance this evening: Daryl Brady for Representative Diana Harshbarger’s Office, also we have Mayor Bill Brittain and his wife, and we have with us Kay Senter, City Council [representing] Morristown, and also Gary Matthews with United Way. You all give these folks a round of applause.”

Major sponsors were also among those recognized in the introductions, to include The Rogers Foundation, Colortech, The Citizen Tribune, Rogers Petroleum, and Tarr Chevrolet.

Mona Blanton-Kitts, CEO of the McNabb Center, also gave attendees some background on the McNabb Center – specifically its last 15 years of presence in Hamblen County.

“The McNabb Center is a large mental health center. And at the core of everything that we do is mental health. We serve 46,000 people a year in 30 different counties across Tennessee,” said Blanton-Kitts.

“We have full-service clinics and full-service centers right here in the 9 counties. And we serve 5 counties through a global health that serves over East Tennessee [as a whole]. We provide treatment, programming and services for people in need with the fewest resources. And our mission – you’ve already heard it, you’re gonna hear it again – is to improve the lives of the people that we serve.”

The McNabb Center was founded in 1948, meaning that they will be celebrating their 75th anniversary this year.

“[For] 15 of those years in service, we have been here in Hamblen County. This is our 15th anniversary here in Morristown. We were presented with the opportunity to come here and merge with the New Hope Recovery Center in 2008.

“Every year we serve over 3,000 people, and every day over 150 people walk through our doors. That’s a big deal – a really big deal.”

Major applause broke out as people around the room appeared to register just how far the reach of the McNabb Center extends.

“We have over a hundred employees here. Also, interesting fact, with the recent addition of the victim’s services we’ve just started here in Hamblen [County], Hamblen County is the only other county besides Knox where we provide all of our four services – and our four service lines are mental health, substance use and abuse services, social services, and victim services. So that’s a pretty big deal too. Both the fact that we are in a lot of counties, and particularly those two counties that have a wide range of services for here and Knoxville.”

Blanton-Kitts ended her speech with an appreciation for Sharon Reid, Executive Director of Hamblen County Services.

“She has been an incredible leader, and she came with us 15 years ago, came up to me and began servicing us. We asked Sharon to come to Hamblen County and to begin new services – we had never before done this, gone into another county to ask for help,” Blanton-Kitts said.

“Sharon never looked back, she does everything with a can-do spirit. There is one thing people will say about Sharon over and over, and that is failure is not an option for her ever. She puts her heart and soul into everything she does.”

Following Blanton-Kitts’ recognition for Reid, a slideshow presentation of the Hope and McNabb Centers over the years was played.

Reid then took the podium and gave her remarks.

“I think about a lot of things when I hear the words ‘fifteen years’. I think about the accomplishments of my staff, I think about those people who leave therapy with a new sense of self. I think of the loved ones of the family members admitted to our crisis unit,” Reid said.

She went on to explain the various things she has seen in her years assisting the McNabb Center, to include a grandmother facing parental difficulties after gaining sole custody of her young grandson, or even victims of abuse who thank the Center for providing them with the first place they feel safe and not at risk of harm.

The McNabb Center has been serving the East Tennessee area since 1948 by honoring the phrase “well mind, well being.”