The legislative session may be over, but our work doesn’t take a summer break. It shows up at parades, festivals, and library craft tables across the state — and in the conversations that follow.
#1 What We’re Tracking: Katy Dieckhaus Named a Fresh Face of Philanthropy
Image courtesy nFOCUS Magazine
We are proud to celebrate our own Katy Dieckhaus, Community Engagement Coordinator for Voices for a Safer Tennessee, who was named one of Nfocus magazine’s Fresh Faces of Philanthropy for 2026.
Katy’s path to this work is deeply personal. On March 27, 2023, her family lost their daughter Evelyn in the Covenant School tragedy — a moment that forever changed the trajectory of her life. Rather than stepping back, she stepped in as one of Safer TN’s most visible and active volunteers. Last year, after 17 years as a pediatric occupational therapist, she joined the Voices for a Safer Tennessee staff, bringing both her clinical background and her lived experience to the work of building safer communities.
Katy is described by colleagues as a bridge-builder who seeks common ground even in difficult spaces. We are grateful every day to have her on this team.
#2 What We’re Tracking: Watch the Recording — Data Dashboard Webinar
The recording from last Thursday’s webinar is now available — along with our new data dashboard. If you couldn’t join us live, this is worth your time.
The numbers tell a story we can’t ignore:
- In 2023, there were 1,622 firearm-related fatalities in Tennessee. Suicide made up the majority.
- Firearm deaths in our state have increased 60% over the last 10 years.
- Tennessee ranks 9th in the nation for firearm fatalities, with a rate of 22.7 per 100,000 residents — compared to a national average of 14.7.
- The economic impact of firearm tragedies in Tennessee in 2023 was approximately $4.49 billion — or $600 for every man, woman, and child in the state.
#3 What We’re Tracking: Louder than Guns on PBS
Louder than Guns, now streaming on PBS, follows communities across America grappling with gun violence and the people working to change the conversation. The film was executive produced by Ketch Secor of Old Crow Medicine Show — a member of our own advisory board. It’s a powerful watch, and a good one to share with someone who wants to understand the importance of these efforts.
#4 What We’re Tracking: Stories from the Road
This spring, our team has been showing up at parades, festivals, and resource fairs across Tennessee — and the conversations we’re having remind us exactly why this work matters.
Here’s what two people shared with us:
“When we lived in our old neighborhood when my son was little, he played with these twin boys down the street. Not long after we moved, we saw a news story about those little boys. They were playing and jumping on the bed, unaware of a loaded firearm on the bed as well. It went off. One of the twins didn’t make it. My son was 9 at the time and didn’t understand.”
“I thought I lived in a safe neighborhood. A nice neighborhood. But we had a string of car thefts and I had a firearm stolen right out of my car in my own driveway.”
Conversations like these can help change the trajectory of firearm tragedies in our state. If you’d like to volunteer at an upcoming event or have us speak to your community group, email our community engagement coordinator, Katy Dieckhaus.
Join us as a volunteer, or just stop by to say hello, at an event near you!
June 3: Maryville Rotary Club, Maryville
June 5: Bolivar Summer Reading Fest, Bolivar
June 6: National MooFest, Athens
June 8: Paris Library Summer Reading Program, Paris
June 9: Fayette Co. Library Summer Reading Program, Somerville
June 11: Dyersburg Library Summer Reading Program, Dyersburg
June 13: Covington Rhodes House Market, Covington
June 15: Chester Co. Library Summer Reading Program, Henderson
June 16: Chambliss Center for Children, Chattanooga
June 17: Ross Dyer Halls Library Summer Reading Program, Halls
June 20: Knoxville Brewfest, Knoxville
June 23: Ridgely Library Summer Reading Event, Ridgely
June 23: Chambliss Center for Children, Chattanooga
June 26: Germantown Farm Park Friday, Germantown
June 26: Fairfield Glade Rotary, Fairfield Glade
June 27: Summer Market at the Cove, Athens
June 27: Tellico Plains Kiwanis Red White & Boom, Tellico Plains
- Safe gun storage concerns raised after toddler shoots himself in North Nashville
- Shooting involving 2-year-old in North Nashville sparks renewed debate over gun storage laws
- Gun violence cost Tennessee nearly $4.5 billion in 2023, UT Knoxville study finds
- Majority of Guns Reported Stolen in Nashville Taken from Vehicles
- Parents trust health care providers on safety and injury prevention, but few discuss firearms
- What to know about TN-mandated gun safety videos in Nashville schools
- Community Voice: When talking about gun violence, why ‘Wear Orange’?
- Accused Brownsville prom night mass shooter in custody after turned in by family, authorities say
- Tennessee teen sentenced after planning mass casualty attack at Nashville mosque
- How Hopkins experts are helping states prevent gun violence
