The Teddie Jones Bennett Endowment Scholarship has been established to honor the work of Teddie Jones Bennett in coordinating efforts for disaster relief worldwide.
The Teddie Jones Bennett Endowment Scholarship has been established at Lee University to benefit students who are majoring in Disaster and Healthcare Mission Management, a program that prepares individuals to take leading roles in response to global disasters. The scholarship establishment was spearheaded by Teddie’s husband Don Bennett, and was revealed to Teddie at a surprise birthday party held for her on July 12, 2025.
According to an article on Lee University’s website, Jake Fast, who serves as the director of the university’s Disaster and Healthcare Mission Management program, was quoted as saying of the new scholarship, “This scholarship not only honors the legacy of Teddie Bennett’s extraordinary service, but also directly empowers our students to follow in her footsteps. Her life’s work represents the heart of what we train our students to do – respond with skill, compassion, and resilience in the face of crisis. We’re proud to carry her legacy forward.”
Teddie Jones Bennett spent 27 years as the office manager and disaster relief coordinator with Men and Women of Action, where she coordinated more than 2,500 projects around the world, including in Albania, Brazil, Cambodia, Ethiopia, France, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. These disaster relief projects came in the wake of tornadoes, tsunamis, earthquakes, floods, and more.
Don Bennet said of his wife’s work, “She has a gift for organizing people and resources in the midst of chaos. Teddie’s life has been a ministry of restoration and hope. This scholarship is a natural extension of her work and the calling she’s so faithfully lived out.”
Echoing these sentiments, Teddie’s daughter, Rachel Hicks, said, “Teddie’s life has been dedicated to helping others. This scholarship honors her legacy by equipping future students to carry that same mission forward – to serve, lead, and bring healing wherever it’s needed.”
Teddie Bennett’s three daughters are all Lee University alumni, as are Don Bennett’s two daughters. Their grandson is a current student who will be graduating in 2026.
For more information about Lee University, visit the school’s website.