Let's Get Digital | The Enterprise Center

As a program of The Enterprise Center, Tech Goes Home runs digital literacy programs throughout Hamilton County, partnering with schools, churches, and other organizations. They are focused on getting the residents of Hamilton County connected to the internet, at a time when being connected is more crucial than ever. For instance, Hamilton County Schools have switched to distance learning, but thousands of students can’t get online at home. Their work to get them online has involved close coordination with EPB and the school district to make sure each neighborhood has free Wi-Fi locations and that students have computers at home.

Another $1,250 went to 5 Chromebooks for students at Chattanooga Room In The Inn, a non profit who assists women and children who are experiencing homelessness. These Chromebooks will be used in a learning space to make sure that the children are able to continue their remote schoolwork. But it’s not just students who are affected by social distancing and the digital divide. $1,000 went to distribute 10 tablets to the AIM Center for members to access the services they need.

Mindful Innovation at Howard, Battle and Brown | Center for Mindful Living

You may have heard of mindfulness and how it helps people, and you may even be familiar with the Center for Mindful Living, but do you know what the Office of Innovation and School Choice at Hamilton County Schools is? Well, think teaching to kids the way they want to learn vs the way things have historically been done from the top down. This is important for many reasons, but most importantly teachers and students are back in school in the midst of a pandemic.

Everyone is struggling to make sense of this new life. Teachers are stressed, students are stressed, you’re stressed. That extra stress adds to the daily stress that students in these schools typically face, calling for them to be even more resilient than they already are. Mindfulness will help to mitigate some of the extra stress by providing an atmosphere that acknowledges the stressful parts of life, as well as, a helpful solution to soothe the emotions that go along with coping in chronic stress…not to mention elementary and middle school.

Our $1,700 grant will kick off a partnership between the Center for Mindful Living and the Office of Innovation and Choice for Hamilton County Schools.  Teachers running innovation classes at Howard Connect (middle school), Battle Academy and Brown Academy (elementary schools) will get training on how to use mindfulness to be more successful in the classroom at bringing calm and focus to them and their students.

El Pueblo Fund | CALEB + Tennessee United

If you haven’t yet learned who CALEB is, let us blow your mind. CALEB is an institutional coalition of faith-based, labor, and community groups working to build power to affect change right here in Chattanooga, TN. They do that through a number of ways outlined on their website including, a Community Bail Fund, a network of volunteers to attend Eviction Court and document those who might need assistance, an Immigration Bond Fund, and through a partnership with Tennessee United, the new El Pueblo Fund.

The Latinx community is 5.9% of the population of Hamilton County, but by June 24th represented 61% of COVID cases and 34% of COVID-related deaths.  With rising numbers of infection, El Pueblo Fund offers necessary support to help the Latinx community directly with monetary support.

Disbursement of funds is happening immediately. The fund will allow families to shelter in place at home or a hotel (depending how many people are covid19 positive per household). Knowing their bills and basic needs will be covered, will allow them to quarantine safely. The fund will cover rent and bills, basic needs such as diapers, formula, medicine and personal hygiene products. Having that peace of mind during quarantine is also needed for sound mental health. We all need that.

Gaining Ground Grocery | Holly Martin

A grocery store in Highland Park? Yep. Holly Martin recently started the Chattanooga Sustainable Food Center, a non-profit which focuses on food access, education, and engagement in regional agriculture. Holly recently secured a location within the St. Andrew's Center in Highland Park for the operations of Gaining Ground Grocery to begin. A small, local food-focused grocery store, Gaining Ground will act like a brick and mortar farmers market, with extended hours and nutrition incentives for low income customers.

The two priorities of the grocery will be focused on working with local growers and making the food at the store affordable for the surrounding community. Gaining Ground will provide an outlet for fresh produce in a food desert where options for healthy food are very limited. The grocery space is walkable to Highland Park Commons, close to CARTA bus lines, includes a small parking lot, and features a handicap accessible ramp. Its intent is to be inclusive and welcoming to anyone that chooses to shop there. It will also intend to be guided by community input for featured products. You can take part in that feedback here.

COVID Curbside Connection | AIM Center

Art supplies + groceries for the win. AIM Center is a psychosocial rehabilitation, utilizing the Clubhouse Model, to offer employment, education, housing, socialization, and wellness opportunities for adults living with serious mental illness. They help adults in the Chattanooga community lead fulfilling and productive lives while successfully managing their mental health through engaging in meaningful work and relationships in the Clubhouse community.

Due to COVID-19 and the closure of the AIM Center since 3/17/20, members have continued to be engaged by staff through tele-health services, however, the majority of members are without internet access and operating without a personal cell phone. This leaves them isolated.

Curbside Connection is the solution program manager, Lucy White, had in mind. With our $3,000, a few key things will happen. Art supplies will be distributed to AIM Center member artists, gotta keep the creative juiced flowing to manage stress. Daily “Curbside Coffee and Connection” in AIM’s parking lot as well as six different group homes in which AIM Center Members reside. Weekly wellness walks with healthy snacks provided and weekly social distancing grill-outs at AIM Center’s four Housing Properties.

Budget breakdown is $2,500 for groceries, $300 for gas and $200 for art supplies. The 205 Chattanooga residents living with severe and persistent mental illness will greatly benefit from this outreach.

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.

City Farms Grower Training Workshops | Joel Tippins

Justice through food? Just call him Justice Joel.  Joel Tippens’ involvement with urban agriculture in Chattanooga began in 2011 with the purpose of developing new food gardens with low-income residents of the city.  His work has been intentionally concentrated in historic, predominately African American neighborhoods of the center city and has included growing food in backyards, vacant lots, in schoolyards, on church lawns, and parking lots; in raised beds, buckets and tires, and even in the bed of an old pick-up truck! City Farms Grower Coalition, a new initiative will address issues of food justice through hands-on training workshops. City Farms is an urban farm school with a variety of campuses located all across Chattanooga. Each site provides training opportunities in a variety of urban farming applications. The education is informal but invaluable, with a curriculum informed by seasoned, experienced, local organic farmers. 

The $3,000 UNFoundation grant will launch the pilot project in the neighborhoods surrounding Glass Street in East Chattanooga with 10-12 participants. The grant award provides funding to facilitate four monthly hands-on Grower Training Workshops beginning in March and continuing in April, May, and June, as well as cover the costs of installing ten new raised bed gardens. Food sustains us and we can grow it ourselves. Thanks Joel.

MLK Arts Revival | Keeody Gallery

Black owned and operated art gallery? In Chattanooga? It’s called Keeody Gallery, named for its owners Jody Harris and Keelah Jackson, and they will be offering free classes and workshops as the recipient of our black creative grant for Black History Month.

So where is it? Keeody Gallery lives at 756 E MLK Blvd., #200, Chatt, TN, 37403 on the second floor. The door to enter is right at the lower right of the mural image above. Get ready for free opportunities for the historic MLK community and Chattanooga to attend free art-related events taught by certified creatives. This offering of free art-related events (in many forms) presented in an artistic environment invites people of all ages and from all walks of life/demographics to celebrate the beauty and history of the rich Big 9/MLK culture (Bessie Smith, Dr. Bill Whiteside, Memo's, etc.).

These events will be catered to different ages in order to accommodate and/or inspire a larger audience of art lovers (no matter the genre of art), and each event would include light refreshments. With this grant, the gallery plans to purchase items to host regular, up to 30 person per session, art-related events. What will they buy with our grant? Tables, chairs, disposable tablecloths, variously sized canvases, easels, various paints, notebooks, sketch pads, art pencils, brushes, drop cloths, art aprons, cleaning supplies and more. Be on the lookout for events coming up to celebrate Jazz Appreciation | Poetry Month in April. $3,000 well spent.