Before his untimely death, Brooks Franklin, a reporter for the Lebanon Democrat, researched the homeless population in Wilson County and wrote several award winning articles on the subject. These feature stories made the community aware of the size and plight of the homeless population and especially the need for temporary shelter for women and children in our local area.

     It has become the mission of a diverse group to create a shelter in Wilson County to help this segment of our population. Out of this mission a new non-profit corporation, Community Homless Outreach and Support Inc. was formed. Doing business as Brooks House, in honor of Brooks Franklin, this group purchased and renovated a property on Viginia Avenue.

      In March 2007, the Board of Directors hired Liz Reese as the first Director of Brooks House. She is the recipient of the Resilience Award from the Tennessee Work Force for her work with Katrina victims and served on the Brooks House Board of Directors before being appointed as an employee.
     In addition to her position at Brooks House, she serves with the following agencies and organizations: Board of Directors for Habitat for Humanity and LAS Therapy Network, Chairperson for Nashville Area Disaster Recovery, member of City of Lebanon's Community PArtnership and Neighborhood Revitalization Task Force, member of Leadership Wilson class of 2008, and active member of many women's groups. Her love for Christ is seen through the lives she touches and the passion she has for her community.