Don’t Touch August 2012

Recipient: Amy Johnson

This project will be shedding light into the underground sex industry taking place in our region. We are especially intrigued at the role that Chattanooga plays, as we are a trucking hub that heavily feeds into the demand (Interstates 24 and 75 intersecting in our town). Many individuals around Chattanooga are being exploited by the industry, and local documentation has been almost non-existent.

Amy will be shooting in large format film and will be producing many large scale pieces to be shown in and around the Chattanooga area. You can find Amy's work here.

Hill City Back To School Program July 2012

Recipient: Jessica Martin | Hill City Neighborhood Association 

Our July Grant filled a financing gap for a new “backpack donor” program for kids living in the Hill City Neighborhood of Chattanooga.  The new program sought to match kids with donors who would supply them with much needed backpacks and basic school supplies.  65 kids signed up for the program, but only 20 donors were available.  The UNFoundation stepped in to provide funds for 45 backpacks to fill the entire demand, as well as help fund a portion of their annual “back to school” party.  It’s hard to convey the goodness of a gym filled with kids getting a year’s worth of new school supplies on an awesome summer day!

Girls Inc. Summer Camp Scholarships June 2012

Recipient: Shannon Colbert | Girls, Inc.

For June, we donated $1,200 to Girls Inc.’s summer scholarship fund, providing three economically disadvantaged girls with a safe and enriching place to spend their summer break.  Because of the UNFoundation, two girls attended “American Girl”, during which girls ages 6 to 11 investigated the differences and similarities between the urban, rural and suburban ways of life in America. Additionally, one girl attended “iGirl”, which introduced girls ages 12 to 14 to the exciting and ever-changing worlds of print, radio, television, and social media.

MLK on MLK Mural May 2012

Recipient Kevin Bate

MLK on MLK was our May Grant, it’s a mural of Martin Luther King Jr. that will go on Martin Luther King Blvd. in the heart of Downtown Chattanooga. Martin Luther King Jr. fought for civil rights throughout his life and had an incredible impact on the world we live in today. He was a prominent, if not the most prominent, leader of the African-American Civil Rights Movement, adopting nonviolence as a form of protest and civil disobedience. He organized and led marches for the rights of African-Americans to vote, desegregation, and labor rights. Honoring his legacy with a mural is going to be simultaneously one of the coolest and most reverent things we’ve ever funded, and we’re excited about that.

Ukulele Camp April 2012

Recipient Christie Burns | Folk School of Chattanooga

In April, we granted to the Folk School of Chattanooga to enable them to pursue an effort to establish ukulele teaching programs in partnership with other Chattanooga non-profits. They currently already have a program underway at the St. Andrews Center and two others currently in development. The Folk School of Chattanooga will run a short series of teacher training sessions with the ukulele, enabling music instructors to teach and engage with their students in their communities. There will be a core curriculum that the ukulele projects draw from, ultimately enabling groups from all over the city to potentially come together and play in one large ensemble.

Deep Creek Climbing Routes March 2012

Recipient: Michael Wurzel

Chattanooga is a well known climbing mecca. New and old climbing areas draw locals and road trippers alike to enjoy the high quality, southern sandstone Chattanooga has to offer. The Unfoundation funded motivated individuals to go climb, develop, and bolt new routes at Deep Creek and other legitimate areas. They put up nearly 30 new trad routes and sport climbs, improving and promoting Chattanooga as an innovative outdoor city.

Youth Basketball Uniforms February 2012

Receipant: Chattanooga Elite Basketball

The Chattanooga Elite Basketball league was the recipient of our February grant. Kathleen Hunt, a volunteer, applied for a grant to cover a set of 100 uniforms for their players. Wee granted Chattanooga Elite Basketball $1,700 for the purchase of uniforms, and they came out great. Reversable, and reusable for seasons, these Jerseys were high quality.  The UNFoundation felt that crisp uniforms would make youth feel like they are a part of a team; a part of something worth working for.  Sometimes the only after-school activity available, this program leverages the youth’s excitement about basketball to promote teamwork, leadership, and academic skills.

Westside Community Garden January 2012

Recipient: Tonya Rooks

Our first grant was to Tonya Rooks with the College Hill Courts Residency Council, headed by Tonya Rooks.  The UNfoundation granted towards the implementation of a community garden that now belongs to the West Side residents. The graden was created to meet the need created by the ever increasing ‘food desert’ scenario in the Westside. Raised beds were built to grow fresh produce to be consumed by the residents of the neighborhood.  As a first project, we were really thrilled, and this quality set the tone for what was to come from The UnFoundation.