RiseUP is a 501(c)3 charity that works to equip and engage teens and young adults (13-23 years old) with the skills they need to have a better tomorrow. We do this by providing life and leadership workshops and filling in service gaps, with the desire to make sure that no child becomes a statistic.
We believe every teen can learn the skills and principles needed to become responsible, independent, strong, empowered, upstanding, and productive adults with a positive mindset and self-esteem.
A teen’s future is vitally important, which is why our volunteers bring their passion and experience in order to provide tools and knowledge each individual needs to help them succeed.
We also offer workshops for adults, which give parents and adults information they can use to help the teen(s) in their lives. We welcome all adults—those who work with teens, are raising teens, or just want to learn more about these valuable topics.
This is one-way RiseUP aims to help change the futures of the next generation and impact generations to come.
In order to RiseUP – We Must RiseUP Together!
With a background in social services, I realized that too many teens grow up without someone in their life to make them feel special, to give them a family, or to be there for them. I watched many teens age out of the system without a support system. Witnessed child after child fall through the cracks and not have the tools needed to survive on their own, or teens becoming homeless or incarcerated as a result of a system that failed them.
Armed with that knowledge, we decided to become a foster-to-adopt home, in order to provide support and love for at least one child. We ended up adopting a sibling set of three instead, and have been pouring into their lives and hearts ever since, in hopes to give them a bright and successful future.
However, we didn’t feel that was enough; we knew we could still do more, and our calling to help the next generation have the opportunities and support they deserved continued. That calling led us to begin RiseUP Cooperative.
We know that we cannot help everyone, but we can plant seeds and cause ripple effects, sparking change through generations.
We know we can provide valuable tools to create better tomorrows for all and that the only way to RiseUP is to RiseUP Together!
We know that with these valuable tools, the youth that attend our workshops will have the opportunity to RiseUP and take charge of their futures because these important qualities were modeled for them: Responsible Independent Strong Empowered Upstanding Productive in society!
-Joe and Sandy Pricer | Founders RiseUP Cooperative
our Board
Sandy Pricer
Founder
CEO RiseUP Cooperative
M.S.W.
Jeannie Sommers
Director, Volunteer Coordinator
Homeschooling, foster and adoptive, stay at home mother
M.S. in Speech-Language Pathology
Wendy Jenkins
Director
Assistant Director of Clinical and Coordinated Entry Services at The Family Justice Center
LCSW, CFSW, CCFP, CLC
Marissa Player-Montgomery
Director
Southeast Regional Coordinator with TN Commission on Children and Youth
Ron King
Director
Coordinator-IT Service Desk-IT Integration Center-Problem at Shaw Industries Shaw Industries
Some of our Volunteers
Debra Hicks
Blog Manager
Freelance Editor
