Bicentennial Volunteers Celebrates 50 Years of Service

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Retirement can be a time to enjoy more time with family or to pursue interests of your own, but for 50 years, Tennessee Valley Authority retirees have also continued to serve the people of the region through Bicentennial Volunteers, Inc.

Bicentennial Volunteers, Inc., is the collective term for three related non-profit organizations – BVI, National Emergency Assistance (NEA) and Retiree Resources Corporation (RRC). They connect people with purpose by providing TVA retirees and former TVA employees with the opportunity to get involved in volunteer work, Federal Emergency Management Agency work and TVA contract work.

You will find BVI volunteers greeting and teaching people about TVA at the visitor centers at Fontana Dam, Kentucky Dam, Norris Dam and Raccoon Mountain Pumped Storage Facility and that’s in addition to many other volunteer activities they participate in across the region.

There are currently 235 BVI volunteers and over the last 10 years, BVI volunteers have contributed 240,000 total hours of service.

BVI has partnered with TVA to provide STEM awards to over 340 educators over the last decade and the partnership expanded this year to offer robotics awards to schools and non-profits serving youth. There is a long history of robotics support with BVI, as they have helped send 2,100 Tennessee Valley Robotics teams to robotics competitions.

“For 50 years, BVI has been a bridge between purpose and action, empowering retirees to make a lasting difference in their communities through opportunities with TVA, FEMA, and volunteerism”, said Kathy Black, President of Bicentennial Volunteers, Inc. “This milestone isn’t just about looking back; it’s about honoring the people who built this legacy and inspiring the next generation to continue it.”

BVI also financially supports local TVA Retiree Association chapters with their local community projects, and they provide free resources for teachers to help them teach about the transformation of the Tennessee Valley region.

“The service of our TVA retirees through BVI for 50 years has made monumental impacts in the region that will continue to pay dividends for decades to come,” said Don Moul, TVA president and CEO. “TVA was founded to serve the people of the Valley and the retirees devoting their time, energy and resources through BVI have made it a lifelong mission.”

On September 11, BVI celebrated their 50th anniversary with a reception in Chattanooga, where they presented $50,000 to Sleep in Heavenly Peace, a nonprofit organization that builds and delivers new beds, complete with mattresses, sheets and pillows, to children who currently don’t have a comfortable place to sleep. The organization's mission is to ensure that "no kid sleeps on the floor in our town.”

Right now, there are 7,500 TVA retirees doing projects to help improve their communities and retirees who are interested in joining that work can go to mybvi.org.