Carson-Newman prepares to open homeless shelter

^{by Megan Boehnke, courtesy of the News Sentinel}

JEFFERSON CITY — A slight woman in a teal coat wiped down the childhood furniture that once belonged to her late son.

In the room next door, a blue and beige patchwork quilt sewn by a women's group from a local church graces a full-sized bed.

And just outside, in what will be a community room, a local artist put the finishing touches on an eagle in a Cades Cove-like mural commissioned anonymously by a family wanting to honor the memory of its matriarch.

Carson-Newman College's Samaritan House, a 25-year-old homeless shelter for women and families, is...[click to read more]