Today we’d like to introduce you to Anna Blount.
Hi Anna, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Everything changed for me back in 2004, when I was a college volunteer in my local community. I met an incredible young woman, a middle school student who was thriving academically despite facing serious hardship. When she became homeless, I stepped in as a temporary caregiver while the Department of Family and Children Services worked to find a long-term solution.
Walking beside her through one of the hardest times in her life changed the course of mine. Instead of going to grad school to pursue veterinary medicine, I spent the year after graduation researching how to better support kids like her. I talked with more than 40 organizations across the country and met with local leaders to understand what our community needed most. Out of that work, I decided to start a mentoring organization that would walk with children from early childhood through high school — and Team Up Mentoring was born.
What started as a passion project grew into a nonprofit that connects children and families with mentors and critical support services. We focus on helping families break the cycle of trauma by providing education, empowerment, relationships, and wellness support over the long haul. Children typically join us between ages 3 and 8, and we stay with them and their families until they turn 21. Long-term relationships are the heart of what we do.
In the beginning, keeping Team Up going took more than just passion. For the first few years, I worked solely as a volunteer while teaching school. Eventually, I made the decision to sell my house and leave my teaching job to devote myself fully to the organization. My parents were incredibly supportive during this time – allowing me to move into their basement and cheering me on despite others’ doubts that Team Up could grow beyond this tiny project to a full blown nonprofit.
Today, almost 20 years later, Team Up Mentoring serves more than 150 clients through mentoring and case management. I now lead a team of 25 — facilitators, program directors, mentors, drivers, and others.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned through this journey, it’s that real change starts with one relationship, one act of compassion, one step of courage. You don’t have to have all the answers or a perfect plan to make a difference — you just have to care enough to begin.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
For the first few years, I worked solely as a volunteer while teaching school. I was wearing a LOT of hats – driving a van to pick up students, writing curriculum, pulling together donated snacks, and recruiting and managing volunteers.
Eventually, I made the decision to sell my house and leave my teaching job to devote myself fully to the organization. That was hard because many folx were confused about what I was doing. Why would I leave a steady job and home ownership for something so uncertain? My parents were incredibly supportive during this time – allowing me to move into their basement and cheering me on despite others’ doubts that Team Up could grow beyond this tiny project to a full blown nonprofit.
It was one of the most difficult seasons of my life – only my faith in God and the support of those closest to me kept me going. I believed in the children and families I had gotten to know. I believed that Team Up could make a difference. And we grew! Slowly, sometimes in fits and starts, Team Up grew to serve more families. We added staff and volunteers – all committed to helping families access the education, wellness, and support they need to heal and thrive.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
What sets Team Up Mentoring apart is our deep, long-term commitment to children and families. While many programs offer short-term support, we walk alongside families for nearly two decades — from early childhood through young adulthood — building trust and stability that help break intergenerational cycles of trauma. We take a whole-family approach, providing education and case management not just for children but for parents and caregivers as well. At the heart of our work are authentic, caring relationships that create a sense of belonging and connection for every family we serve. Guided by trauma-informed and strength-based practices, we focus on what’s possible rather than what’s broken, empowering families to build resilience and lasting change. Through strong community partnerships, we make sure families have access to the wraparound services they need to thrive — reducing barriers and helping children grow into healthy, confident adults.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
I think perseverance has been huge for me. I refused to give up on the vision that every child and family deserves consistent, long-term support — even when the path forward felt uncertain. In the early years, I took unusual steps (like selling my home) and took on every role imaginable — mentor, case manager, fundraiser, and even bus driver — to keep the program going. As others saw me continuing to push forward, they started to believe in the mission and joined in. I was also blessed with a handful of people from the beginning who persevered with me. For example, my family did everything they could to help me and a retired couple at my church took over driving kids to the program. There was a small but mighty team from the beginning!
Over time, this idea of persistence shaped the culture of Team Up itself. Our organization grew with that same mindset — one that values relationships over quick results and long-term transformation over short-term fixes. I’ve seen firsthand that change doesn’t happen overnight — it happens through relationships, care, and courage. That belief continues to guide everything we do at Team Up today.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.teamupmentoring.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teamupmentoring
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Team.Up.Mentoring.Ga
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annablount/
