Sound, Safety and Support | Sanctuary Cafe and Performing Arts

June was Pride Month, so we just happened to fund a grassroots group dedicated to queer and trans Chattanoogans. But they do so much more. Sanctuary Cafe and Performing Arts was founded in 2020 amidst a tumultuous year due to the lack safe and transformative places for queer and trans people in Chattanooga. It is owned and operated by trans community members. The 4,600 square foot building is home to tons of programming including a flourishing performance group including a newly launched children’s theatre, a community closet, all age sober shows, community gardening, support groups for queer and trans people and a special support group for families and youth. Sanctuary’s mission is to lift marginalized voices and encourage community while integrating queer and trans culture into southern society in a safe and healthy way. Y’all means all after all.

So what did we fund, you ask? Well, we fixed a leaky roof (yes, they have a lease), purchased sound and lighting for the theatre, and added 7 Ring cameras to every room in the space including outside. Sanctuary has already benefited over 400 people and is growing fast. We hope our June grant gave them more momentum to do more good in our great city.

Patten Towers Relief | The Enterprise Center

Did you know the nearly 180 residents of Patten Towers were displaced on March 27th, 2020 when there was a fire in their building? The building was condemned due to structural, smoke, and fire damage and all of the elderly, and or disabled residents are now residing in a series of hotels across the city.

The Enterprise Center, along with others, have been providing assistance in the form of volunteers to support daily meal delivery, help to pick up mail, laundry services, Food Bank deliveries, mental health and health care supports, provisioning of needed clothing and medical devices, and more. One of the biggest challenges has been the residents' inability to be mobile - to shop, to bank, to go to medical appointments, to purchase money orders to pay their rent (due June 1) and to visit with family.

Our $3,000 grant was used to provide each resident who is without transportation with an Uber voucher that would address mobility needs. The Enterprise Center will manage the process and will work with partners to disseminate the vouchers and to train the residents on their use.

Chattanooga Community Fridge | Viridiana Marin

Chattanooga Community Fridge, the brainchild of Viridiana Marin, is up and running in Highland Park. Having previously worked at the Family Crisis Center as a bilingual advocate/fundraising coordinator, Viridiana has always been passionate about serving the community. With this first fridge already donated, our $915 was used for the materials needed to build the shelter around the fridge that will help protect it against the weather, sanitizing and cleaning materials, a security camera (to keep it safe), electricity, and fresh produce to jumpstart the project.

Neighborhood partners like La Paz and Gaining Ground Grocery, who also hosts the fridge, will ensure the fridge is on the radar of the community so fresh produce gets into the homes of those that might need it. Not only does it help those with food insecurity but it helps eliminate food waste in our community. Do you know the perfect location to have a community fridge to serve your neighborhood? We would be happy to put you in touch with Viridiana, just holla!

Make Music Day | Make Music Chattanooga

Make Music Chattanooga brings to life here in our city an event called Make Music Day, or Fêta De La Musique. This worldwide celebration of music, where musicians – of all levels at any age – fill the city’s streets, parks, rooftops, etc., playing live music on June 21st (the Summer Solstice). Started in France in 1982 it has grown to include over 700 cities in 120 different countries. All cities have the freedom to celebrate Make Music Day in whatever way best represents their talent, people, and musical culture.

In its sixth year, all events will be outdoors and our $2,085 grant will mostly be used to pay artists. We’re talking everything from a Music Themed Art Class at Keeody Gallery to a Jazz on Kazoo Workshop by Doors Open Jazz. Find an event near you and show up!

Spring Break Camp | Young Ladies of Power

Young Ladies of Power (YLOP), started in 2012 by Joyce Watson, educates, mentors, and empowers young ladies aged 4-18 focusing on self-improvement, self-esteem and self-respect. COVID-19 took a toll on young minds, with virtual school work at home. The YLOP spring break camp put aside the computers and brought learning and activity outside. They visited downtown landmarks, swam at the YWCA, created art in the park, and did yoga. They also danced with drums and took pictures with their disposable cameras on Main Street and on the North Shore, not areas they typically frequent. Our $3,000 grant wet to everything from art supplies to the yoga instructor.

YLOP come from different schools and neighborhoods all over our city. Through this Summer camp they get to see the downtown area in a way they don’t normally see it. These young ladies of color are the leaders of tomorrow, so getting to know our city at a young age and being exposed to people of all races is a win for everyone.

Inclusive Books for Kids with Illness | Culture Books

We’ve all heard of Ronald McDonald House (RMH), right? They help families with children who struggle with sickness. But have you heard of Culture Books? Started by Erica Denise Richardson, a vibrant educator, Culture Books aims to bridge the gap between literacy and culture and expand home libraries with books written by and for readers not part of the dominant culture. During the month of February Culture Books gave away a book a day by Black authors like Christian Robinson.

Our $1,200 is going to buy books like Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin and Ada Twist, Scientist by Andrea Beaty. Who will read them? Children struggling with illness at RMH. More kids and families will have access to literacy through books with rich culture. Kids that look like them leading the charge on each page. These books shed light and encourage children to hold on and laugh, even when it's tough. Just as RMH seeks to help struggling families have a place to call home with love and comfort, Culture Books seeks to make sure they have books to uplift readers with a diverse array of characters represented on each page.

Emotionally Resilient Educators | CSLA

Cindy Gaston is a teacher at Chattanooga School for the Liberal Arts (CSLA). She just happens to have been a favorite teacher for one of our founders and board members, Teal Thibaud. So you know Cindy is seasoned and well loved. We all know the pandemic has created challenges. For teachers, the pandemic has meant learning a new way to do almost every part of their jobs. Cindy Gaston wanted to do something to help teachers cope with their new normal. What? Year long programming for educators at CSLA through 55 copies of Onward: Cultivating Emotional Resilience in Educators along with supplies for monthly activities. And teachers are pumped!

Emotionally resilient teachers are better able to serve our students in Hamilton County. This $1,800 project will initially invest in 55 educators, but over the course of the next few years, the faculty will serve approximately 1,000 students per year. As Chattanooga’s newest high school is established, this project will help ensure that it has a solid culture that values emotional resiliency. After all “Who dares to teach must never cease to learn. -John Cotton Dana”

Care Closet Upgrade | Dalewood Middle School

One of the many services that Dalewood Middle School offers to their students is the Care Closet. The Care Closet consists of various uniform items, and personal care items, such as; deodorant, underwear, socks, feminine care products, toothbrushes, and toothpaste, just to name a few. The goal is to eliminate as many barriers to learning as possible. If parents are unable to afford uniform clothes, Dalewood provides them with as many items as they can to get them going. They also lend out clothes when students have accidents at school. Parents are often unable to leave jobs, and currently, due to the pandemic, they want to keep the number of people in the building as low as possible. The Care Closet enables Dalewood to provide students with what they need and send them back to class.

So how will the care closet get an upgrade? A commercial washer and dryer. Our $3,000 grant will come with a wash, rinse and spin cycle that is sure to refresh and brighten the smiles of students at Dalewood Middle. And who can we thank for this fresh new addition to Dalewood? Educator Brittany McAdoo. Thanks, Brittany.