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SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 424
By Massey
SJR0424
007154
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A RESOLUTION to recognize and honor The Knoxville Barristers,
2025 Business Award recipient of the John J.
Duncan Sr. Award for Senior Advocacy.
WHEREAS, it is fitting that the members of this General Assembly should salute those
citizens who, through their extraordinary efforts, have distinguished themselves as community
leaders of whom we can all be proud; and
WHEREAS, one such exemplary organization of concerned citizens is The Knoxville
Barristers, which was recently named the 2025 Business Award recipient of the John J. Duncan
Sr. Award for Senior Advocacy; and
WHEREAS, the John J. Duncan Sr. Award for Senior Advocacy was created to honor
those who steadfastly work to improve the lives of seniors in the Knoxville community, as the
award's namesake did throughout his career; recipients are professionals, community members,
and business owners who have been nominated in recognition of their tireless efforts on behalf
of seniors; and
WHEREAS, The Knoxville Barristers is the Young Lawyers Division of the Knoxville Bar
Association, comprised primarily of attorneys under the age of thirty-six or in their first five years
of practice; however, participation in the Barristers' public service projects is open to legal
professionals of all ages and roles, including lawyers, paralegals, legal assistants, and even
judges; and
WHEREAS, the members of The Knoxville Barristers have demonstrated over twenty-
five years of unwavering dedication to serving homebound seniors in Knox County through its
partnership with CAC Mobile Meals; and
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WHEREAS, in the late 1990s, The Barristers became involved with Mobile Meals when
then President Saja Hoffpauir and other members formed the organization's Hunger and
Poverty Relief Committee and took on the role of coordinating the Barristers' various community
service efforts; and
WHEREAS, one of the very first projects coordinated by the Hunger and Poverty Relief
Committee was providing volunteers once a month to deliver Mobile Meals to homebound
seniors in Knox County; and
WHEREAS, over time, the Mobile Meals project became increasingly popular among
The Barristers' membership and expanded to also include older members of the Knoxville bar;
attorneys from every practice area and firms of every size began participating, along with
paralegals and even several judges; and
WHEREAS, since its inception, the project has grown from the original once-a-month
undertaking to an expanded three or four days per week schedule, with the current partnership
led by Nic Arning of Wolf, McClane, Bright, Allen, & Carpenter, PLLC; and
WHEREAS, The Barristers members have delivered meals approximately 3,000 times,
completing an astounding 40,000 individual deliveries; by serving the same route each time,
volunteers have built meaningful relationships with the seniors they serve, providing not only
nutritional support but also vital safety checks and social connection; and
WHEREAS, The Knoxville Barristers' twenty-five years of impactful volunteerism goes
beyond the delivery of meals, as it represents a steadfast commitment to the well-being and
dignity of Knox County's aging population; the Barristers' dedication to Mobile Meals sets an
exceptional example of partnership and volunteerism, and the division's leadership inspires
others in the community and underscores the importance of sustained, compassionate action to
address the needs of older adults; and
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WHEREAS, the members of The Knoxville Barristers have worked tirelessly to improve
their community, and it is most fitting that they be honored on this special occasion; now,
therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTEENTH
GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE, THE HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING, that we recognize and honor The Knoxville Barristers,
the Young Lawyers Division of the Knoxville Bar Association, the 2025 Business Award
recipient of the John J. Duncan Sr. Award for Senior Advocacy, extending our best wishes for
continued success in all further endeavors to compassionately and devotedly serve others.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that an appropriate copy of this resolution be prepared
for presentation with this final clause omitted from such copy and upon proper request made to
the appropriate clerk, the language appearing immediately following the State seal appear
without House or Senate designation.