Essential Items | Chattanooga Free Sto

What is the Chattanooga Free Store? It is a mutual aid organization located at 1701 Dodson Avenue, Suite C. The storefront is where anyone can access things like clothing, food, sexual health items, harm reduction supplies, and more, all for free and without having to show any form of ID. In order to access these same items elsewhere, you need money or an ID.

This local organization is a vital lifeline for community members in need. By expanding access to essential items, The Chattanooga Free Store is making a significant impact on the lives of those facing hardship.

With this grant, the Free Store will be able to increase its stock of essential items, ensuring that community members have consistent access to these necessities. By removing barriers to basic needs, the Free Store enables individuals and families to focus on other aspects of their lives, such as finding employment or pursuing education.

We commend The Chattanooga Free Store for their dedication to serving the community and congratulate them on this well-deserved $3,000 grant.

12th & Peeples Homeless to Housing Move In | Help Right Here

Help Right Here Chattanooga, a non-profit dedicated to supporting persons experiencing homelessness, offers advocacy, outreach, and post-housing support. Founded in 2019, its mission extends beyond shelter, fostering community empathy, and equipping individuals for success in permanent housing. While housing is crucial, the transition is difficult. Many residents move into empty apartments lacking essential items like shower curtains and sheets, hindering stability.

With a $3,000 UNFoundation grant, Help Right Here will launch the Welcome Home Project, providing essential starter kits for 30 formerly homeless individuals, including basic necessities like cleaning supplies, bedding, and toiletries. They will prioritize cost-effectiveness by utilizing thrift stores and discount retailers whenever possible.

• Cleaning Supplies: ($420) Brooms, mops, Lysol disinfectant

• Bathroom Essentials: ($825) Shower curtains, toilet paper, paper towels, plungers, toilet brushes

• Bedding & Linens: ($505) Sheets, pillows, towels

• Kitchenware: ($750) Plates, bowls, silverware, cups

• Personal Care: ($500) Toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, soap

This project eases the adjustment period and increases the likelihood of long-term housing success, positively impacting individuals and our community. Help Right Here bridges the gap between homelessness and stability, supporting individuals as they rebuild their lives and become thriving members of Chattanooga.

Child and Family Enrichment | Chattanooga Room in the Inn

We proudly announce our $3,000 October grant to Chattanooga Room in the Inn (CRITI), a vital organization providing temporary shelter and support services to women and children experiencing homelessness. Our grant will directly impact the lives of shelter residents by supporting them through education, health, and well-being initiatives. How, exactly? We’ll tell ya.

• Therapeutic Activities: Art supplies, sensory and mindfulness toys, as well as workbooks $515

• Local Adventures: Creative Discovery Museum, Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum, Rock City $500

• Tutoring Supplies $245

• Outside Talent: yoga instructors, ceramists, dance instructors $500

• Extracurricular activities: sports, dance, gymnastics, and spring, fall, and summer camps. $1,240

CRITI invests in the family as a whole. More healthy, confident, self-sufficient families in Chattanooga benefit local schools and workplaces and hopefully inspire families to spend more time together healing. As CRITI families in transition begin to engage in these programs, results should follow quickly.

Healing from trauma takes a village. We’re proud to support CRITI and families experiencing homelessness here in Chattanooga.

12th & Peeples Camp Bicycle Repair Shop | White Oak Bicycle Cooperative

The White Oak Bicycle Cooperative (WOBC) has been awarded our $3,000 grant to build a bicycle repair shop at the 12th & Peeples Camp! It will provide much-needed transportation services to residents of the camp, who often lack access to reliable transportation.

Typically, one crucial and frequently neglected requirement of unhoused persons is transportation. The availability of dependable mobility, such as a bicycle, is vital for this vulnerable population to secure shelter, locate community resources, find employment, access medical services, and maintain connections with loved ones.

Our grant will be used to purchase a wind-resistant storage shed and stock it with new bicycle repair tools and supplies. Additionally, we will purchase u-bolt locks and safety vests.

P.S. If you would like to learn more about WOBC or their work, please visit their website linked above.

Backpacks for Persons Experiencing Homelessness | East Ridge Community Food Pantry

Carolyn Tucker is the Director of the East Ridge Community Food Pantry. Their mission is to tackle food insecurity by giving away food to people in need on the 1st & 3rd Wednesday of each month. They also serve the people of East Ridge who are within walking distance and experiencing homelessness. Homelessness is a major issue in our city. Several people experiencing homelessness have reported to Carolyn the food they receive from the pantry gets stolen. The backpacks will make it easier to carry their food and protect it from others. Our $3,000 grant will go to 100+ backpacks with hygiene products, food and other items like can openers, eating utensils etc.

1701 Dodson Furniture | Chattanooga Free Store

The Chattanooga Free Store is a non-religious, volunteer run, mutual aid coalition. Their core belief is that everyone deserves to live well, and to be able to meet their basic needs. They believe the solution to hunger, poverty, and other material inequality, is for communities to build their own systems and structures to care for each other. Communities, neighborhoods, and families know better than anyone what they need, and we believe in bringing them to the table and putting the resources we have directly in their hands. And they’ve been doing exactly that.

2022 brings them into their own physical space at 1701 Dodson Ave. All they needed was some furniture like clothing racks, storage and folding chairs. That’s where our $1,400 came in handy. If you would like to donate to support their efforts, volunteer, or find other information, go to linktr.ee/chattfreestore to find all the links you need!

COVID Gas Card Relief | Metropolitan Ministries

At first glance, gas cards to get to and from work may seem questionable in terms of essential need. But if you live in your car and need it to access services or to transport you to work so you can save for an actual residence, it’s imperative. MetMin (Metropolitan Ministries) will take $5,000 from our March grant to buy gas cards.

Not familiar with them? MetMin is a 40 year old nonprofit missioned to prevent homelessness and help those recovery from homelessness by providing emergency financial assistance to mitigate the crises they face. They negotiate with clients' landlords and utility providers to make full or partial payments in their behalf. They are also a 1st responder in disasters, and are in full crisis respond mode now. To support our most vulnerable Chattanoogans, payments for car insurance, gasoline, car payments, custody payments, etc. are needed to prevent them from becoming homeless.

Cat Medical Expenses for Homeless and Seniors | The Alice Fund

Whether or not you like cats, our $3,000 May grant helps seniors and homeless people in Chattanooga. In many instances, the feline pet is the primary source of interaction for the applicants. Because of the nature of cats - i.e. that they can thrive indoors and do not have to be walked - they are pets of choice for seniors and those who are homebound. This project would specifically benefit our neighbors who are economically deprived, homebound, and/or homeless, with special preference given to senior citizens. The reality is sometimes they make a choice between their own medical needs and those of their best friends.

So who will be redistributing the money? The Alice Fund is a 501c 3 named in honor of a feral cat named Alice. It was established to assist Chattanoogans in need who do not have funds to support the care of their best friends and companions - their feline pets. The Alice Fund accepts applications from all in our community and partners with veterinarians to provide effective, low cost support for the pets' medical needs. Applicants must have a good prognosis for their cat, show financial need (through vetting by the veterinarian helping their cat) and contribute financially in some way regardless of how small the amount is.