“If it is a dream to open a business, chase it. You will never know unless you try” – Mike Phillips
On March 3, 2020, as the people of Cookeville slept at 2 a.m., a giant crept toward them in the dark.
The EF4 tornado first touched down near Baxter and followed U.S. 70 into the city before ravaging the area. 18 people lost their lives. Many more were injured. It was, in the truest sense, a tragedy. The sun rose the following day, and the people of Cookeville dug through the rubble, gathered, prayed and looked to rebuild.
It’s what we do. We rebuild.
Mike and Kim Phillips are rebuilding in the greatest way possible, with the opening of their new daycare facility, Little Blessings Daycare (LBD). The project is a “calling from GOD,” according to Mike.
In 2018, the couple became foster parents.
“When we started fostering, our hearts were full, our house was full and we couldn’t have been happier,” said Mike.
During the 2020 storm, the Phillips lost one of their foster children, Brigette.
“We opened our home and were blessed with several children, Bridgett being one of them,” said Mike. “After the tornado, we adopted 5 of those children and were able to have an adoption ceremony for Bridgett,” said Mike.
She was always their daughter; the ceremony just a formality. In 2022, the duo welcomed another child, but soon realized child care options were scarce.
“… Our oldest two daughters started fostering children, and they both were having the same issue with child care. We started looking into it and had help from several friends along the way,” said Mike.
Call it turning tragedy into blessings. Little Blessings Daycare is a business “where both kids and their parents can feel safe and secure.”
“We have off-duty officers on-site for the safety of the children,” says Mike.
Little Blessings ribbon cutting
The building is painted blue. It was Bridgett’s favorite color. The community came through with the rest.
“Todd Hudson with Sports House donated the five trees out front. Those represent the 5 children lost in the tornado. Ameristone donated markers with the children’s names and a bible verse on each one. We have been so blessed by this community, and we want to be able to grow and give back,” according to Mike.
Opening a small business is a risk. Grief, anxiety and fear are also part of the human condition.
“It was a risk, but we knew there was a need. We prayed about it a lot, had faith and trusted God,” said Mike.
If you are called to start a business, “never give up and chase your calling,” says Mike.
“If it is a dream to open a business, chase it. You will never know unless you try,” said Mike. “We were blessed by the community after the tornado. There was so much love all around, and people came to help from all across the country.”
The grief from losing a loved one never disappears. We never recover; we rebuild.
“Everyone deals with grief in their own way,” says Mike. “We have chosen to celebrate Bridgett and keep her name alive. She was only with us for a short time, but made a huge impact on our family.”
Located at 1771 West Broad Street, LBD is open from 6 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., accepts children from six weeks old to five years old and is designed to serve up to 70 children.
For more information, call 931-559-4730 or visit HERE.
Photo via Freepik.
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