Testing Drinking Water for Lead | UTC Master of Public Health Program

Lead in drinking water is bad. It can cause childhood lead poisoning which results in developmental delays, especially in children under the age of six. Lead in drinking water has been found in several schools in Hamilton County and has been addressed through remediation (water source taken out of service until fixed). Lead testing in schools is required by the state. However, lead testing is not required in childcare centers, where the most vulnerable children spend their time. The EPA funded the state of Tennessee five years ago to offer free lead testing of drinking water to licensed childcare centers. Unfortunately, very few centers have done the testing; only 3 in Hamilton County over a 5-year period of time through August 2022.

Enter UTC students. UTC has an agreement with TDEC and a small amount of funding of $12,750 to reach out to childcare centers about the free testing available. The funding pays students to work on the project ($15/hour). Since August 1st, they have been reaching out to centers in Hamilton County about the lead testing. Less than 20 centers agreed to test (of nearly 200), and only 9 actually sent water samples to the state lab. Students can collect the water samples and mail them to the lab, or Center staff can do it themselves. They have tried getting the word out through media outlets, including a front-page story in the Times Free Press.

Why aren’t centers agreeing to the free testing? Center directors are busy, it is not required, and it takes some work on their end. Also, if a center has elevated lead, they will be required to take the water source out of service until it is fixed – so there is a lot on the line for something that is not required.

Enter us. $1,500 went to buy $50 gift cards to incentivize the childcare center directors to participation in the program. With the gift cards, the focus will be on low-income areas first (South Chattanooga, East Lake, etc), where children are most at risk.

Even More Bunk Beds | Sleep in Heavenly Peace

Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP) is a volunteer 501(c)3 charitable organization that builds bunk beds for local children who are sleeping on floors, couches, and other uncomfortable situations without beds. In the Summer of 2019, we funded SHP, they won again in October 2020 and they have now achieved a three-peat! Not only do they deliver these beds, equipped with mattresses, sheets, pillows, and a blanket to kiddos in need, but they partner with organizations, churches, businesses, and individuals to build them at events called Build Days! Follow them on Facebook to keep up with the next build day.

How do we know the beds are going to the kids that really need them? All applicants are qualified through the national selection committee. They have an online application here. Our $1,500 funded even more beds so fewer Chattanooga kids are sleeping on the floor or on a couch. The goal? No kid sleeps on the floor in our town.

Grow Hope Urban Farm + Hope for the Inner City

Hope for the Inner City is an organization that serves those who are economically and/or spiritually poor in East Chattanooga by engaging, investing, and empowering them to be relieved of poverty for good. Part of what makes this area susceptible to remaining in the cycle of poverty is the lack of food systems in East Chattanooga. They strive to fight this through food distribution as well as their Grow Hope Urban Farm.

Our $3,000 grant went to purchase materials and supplies as well as rent machinery to move soil and compost. Material needs will also consist of seeds, plants, permanent beds, perennial borders, and pollinator strips for the 2023 season. Let’s get excited for the 37404 and 37406 community. This summer they can come together over produce, herbs and the journey to health equity.

TNR, Traps and Tuna | Chattanooga Feral Cat Alliance

Well, probably not tuna, but you get the gist. Because of the demand for TNR in Chattanooga and the lack of organizations or individuals providing it, Megan Morris with CHAFCA applied for a $3,000 grant to spay and neuter feral cat populations. Doesn’t McKamey (or someone) do that? Yes, but it’s complicated. McKamey limits any individual or organization to only two cats three times a month. Hopefully, that will change in 2023. The other option outside of private vets is Chattaneuter. They only accept 12 feral cats twice a week out of the entire Chattanooga area (Georgia included), and CHAFCA has been turned away for weeks despite showing up more than an hour before they open. Makes things complicated when you are trapping feral cats.

CHAFCA has a wait list two months long, so our grant will be used primarily to partner with one or more private veterinarians willing to offer their services at a cost that’s less than what they would charge for a pet cat spay or neuter but will be more than the current $35 average cost at Chattanooga’s two low-cost clinics. So, our $3,000 will pilot a $50 spay/neuter, rabies vaccine, and an ear tip for 48 cats over the course of a year plus some more traps and bait.

If you have a feral cat colony and need help, reach out to our friends at CHAFCA. We’re proud to support their efforts to reduce the overpopulation of feral and community cats.

Life Saving Equipment for CHA Police | Jessica Russell

We know what you’re thinking. Isn’t life saving equipment what the EMS is for? Yes. But sometimes police officers need it too. Many times, especially with gun violence, the EMS can’t respond to a victim until the scene is secure. Police are there even when it isn’t secure and, if they have the tools, can save lives with tourniquets and chest seals in their trunks.

Enter Jessica, spouse of a local CHA police officer. She applied for funds to purchase $3,000 worth of this life saving equipment (at a discount, mind you) and handed it out to officers at a Front Porch Lineup. Did you know you can host a Front Porch Lineup at your neighborhood meeting, residence or business? Read more about the processs here.

Aging Out Panel | Chambliss Center for Children

Did you know roughly 100 young people age out of the foster care system in Chattanooga every year? We didn’t either. “Aging out” means turning 18 in state’s custody. It means you did not have a home safe enough to return to and that no one wanted to (or was fit to) adopt you. Due to this, these young folks can struggle with homelessness, mental illness, involvement with the criminal justice system, unplanned pregnancy and loneliness. Enter Chambliss Center for Children, who provides housing and case management for these very same young adults 18-24.

Chambliss recently had a group of aged out residents speak on a panel to a room full of prospective foster parents- telling the group candidly about how to best make a foster child feel welcome in their home. The young folks described this experience as empowering and therapeutic and have been asking for more opportunities to use their lived experience to make a difference. But just as we would pay consultants (handsomely) for their insights in developing some new project, they need to justly compensate the young people who know intimately the ins and outs of the foster care system for the value and expertise they bring.

Our $3,000 grant will be used exclusively to pay young adults with lived experience to organize and plan the quarterly aging out panel. Chambliss will holds funds, review time sheets, and issue payments and our grant will help them kickstart this panel, prove their concept, and establish a basis to ask for ongoing funding from other sources in the future. 5 young adults for the organizing team/panel. 10 hours of meetings per month. $20/hour pay rate. That comes out to $1000/month in reimbursement (5 people X 10 hours X $20). This provides enough investment for 3-4 months of organizing with our team. #wefundcoolideas

The 21st Century Classroom | Nathan King

Nathan King is an elementary classroom teacher in Hamilton County, and a recent graduate of the Project Inspire Teacher Residency Program with the Public Education Foundation. His residency has helped him to imagine teaching and learning experiences that go beyond conventional classroom expectations. What does this mean? Well, our $3,000 grant will go to supply his classroom with 30 pairs of headphones and technology for three years via a subscription.

In his 5th grade classroom at Harrison Elementary, students will use high-quality headphones to adequately access critical content and learning materials in The Avantis World. Sounds cool, right? It’s an educational virtual reality theme park subscription which can be utilized in all core four subject areas: math, reading, social studies and science to provide an innovative approach to state-aligned standards. There are countless ways to utilize virtual reality to create engaging learning experiences that will spark imagination and curiosity in the minds of students.

Subfest | The Submarine

Subfest is a summer’s day of live music, dancing, togetherness, and joy as a diverse Chattanooga (and beyond) audience celebrates local artistry in many forms. With varying genres from electronic music, to indie, to punk, to various types of rock, and more, Subfest has something for everyone’s tastes. The lineup highlights musicians from all different backgrounds, bands who are women-led, artists belonging to the queer community, and it maintains an age range from 20-year-olds to 60-year-olds. Subfest is open to the public, all ages, completely free admission, and a projection of about 500 attendees all on the campus of local non-profit Stove Works.

So what did we fund, exactly? The majority of the grant money went towards paying the local and regional performing artists for their talent and time. Additionally, a portion of the grant was used to pay two local photographers and a videographer to document Subfest. The UNFoundation supports diverse and inclusive missions. This fit like a latex glove. Whether through music, visual art, non-profit organizations, or local food vendors and small businesses, Subfest is a guaranteed good time and a great opportunity for connection, networking, and new friendships, all within Chattanooga.