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Our Beginnings
In the spring of 1997, Kenny Mauck felt the challenge through the teaching of his pastor, L.H. Hardwick of Christ Church, to reach out to the children and families within the greater Nashville area. It was during this time that Kenny revealed to his wife, Raye Ann, that he desired to fulfill a promise he made to himself back in 1990. It was while he was counseling at an after school program with a troubled nine year old child who had serious emotional and legal issues involving he and his single parent mother that this purpose was planted in his heart.
For the next six months Kenny and Raye Ann, with the prayerful support of their family, began the first non-profit ‘Faith Based’ Community supportive organization within the Greater Nashville area for children and youth. The kitchen table in their home became the first office location and with their own money began what was then known as, ‘LifeCare for Youth’. In 1998, a Board of Directors was established for this non-profit organization and the first relocation was to their converted, remodeled garage. Raye Ann operated the day to day activities while Kenny, who was still working full time at Christ Church, was the Executive Director. With the help of his own children they helped transport children and youth supporting the organization whole-heartedly. From 1998 to the year 2000 the organization went from having two contracted professional caregivers to five contracted professionals caring for over 75 families within this time frame period.
The organization moved in 2001 to Brentwood, TN in a two room office suite adjoined next to Dave Ramsey, friends of the Mauck family. It was at this time Kenny went part-time with Christ Church and he and his wife Raye Ann began a Juvenile Accountability Program with children and youth who were residually going before the court system with legal problems. LifeCare at this time changed its name to ‘LifeCare Family Services’ when it became evident that the children’s caregivers often needed help for themselves as well as the children who were referred to the program. In January 2002, Kenny became the full time Director of LifeCare and through the help of Chuck Klusener, became a Faith Based, licensed Community Mental Health Agency with the State of Tennessee.
In the year 2003, LifeCare went from a staff of 10 to a staff of 16 employees. It was then in 2003, that an amazing growth spurt began to happen. Very little time passed before the organization was caring for over 400 people with a staff of over 40 employees. At the end of 2003, LifeCare Family Services opened their second office located in the city of Cookeville. This growth continued in the year 2004, and at the end of 2004, LifeCare was serving over 800 clients and had a staff of approximately 80 people. Currently, LifeCare is continuing to serve over 1,200 children, youth, and adults and a staff committed and specifically trained to deal with issues ranging from addictions, marital and family, legal and domestic, financial, and other related counseling issues facing individuals and families today. A lot has happened in the eight years of this faith based organization from that first office in the kitchen. LifeCare has two large facilities with over 12,000 square feet combined between the two offices. In speaking with the Executive Director, Kenny Mauck, he feels in may ways “LifeCare has just begun” to see what God can do with that original dream God planted in he and Raye Ann’s heart by putting together a great army of professional caregivers who share this philosophy of care within this ‘faith based organization’, a place that is continuing to becoming the healing center for people regardless of who they are or where they come from throughout Nashville and the surrounding Middle Tennessee and Upper Cumberland areas within Tennessee.
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