Causeway, a local non-profit that brings people together to share resources and ideas to create the change they want for our community, is wrapping up the first ‘Causeway Challenge’, a competitive grant making program that awards $2,500 to twenty ideas that will make Chattanooga a more connected city.
Applications were open August 1-29, and the panel of five community judges has selected the top 20 ideas to be awarded $2,500 each. The judging panel included Alison Lebovitz, host on WTCI, Josh McManus, program director of the Knight Foundation, James McKissic, officer of Multicultural Affairs for the City of Chattanooga, Mike Sarvis, president of Cohutta Bank, and Shalin Tejani, CFO of Hamilton Plastics and owner of Ribbons and Bows, Oh My!
“Chattanooga is just one of those cities that inspires the best in people,” said Alison Lebovitz, host of The A List With Alison Lebovitz on WTCI and founder of One Clip at a Time. “The Causeway Challenge is a great way to get people involved who may not have had an outlet to get their ideas off the ground before.”
The 20 ideas that were selected for funding include:
Gig Bridge by Anjali Chandra
Connecting the Hispanic Community with access to health education
Connecting Chattanooga Neighborhoods with Rails Trails by Jim Johnson
Connecting neighborhoods to Chattanooga’s expanding parks and greenways
Ferger Place Park by the Historic Organization of Ferger Place
Connecting a historic park to its modern people
Nooga Made by Richie Johnson
Connecting locally made products and their creators to Chattanooga
Highland Park Commons Market & Community Garden by the Highland Park Neighborhood Association, Main Street Farmers Market and the St. Andrews Center
Connecting people to fresh food
Tech Rebirth Chattanooga PC Literacy Initiative by Scott Harrison
Connecting low income students to global internet resources
Here to There by Katie Smith and Cat Collier Martinez
Connecting Cowart Place neighborhood to its public school Battle Academy
Open Streets Chattanooga by Christy Smith
Connecting Chattanooga to its streets
Transit to Transit by Gabrielle Blades
Connecting people to places through technology
Block Leaders Connect by Dr. Everlena Holmes
Connecting neighborhoods to the city of chattanooga
Connecting Homeless Chattanoogans to Jobs by the Chattanooga Community Kitchen
Connecting homeless Chattanoogans to job opportunities
Chattanooga Cultural Connections by the Chattanooga School of Language
Connecting children to language
Passport to Latino-American Challenge by Gladys Pineda-Loher
Connecting local immigrants to community
Microgrants for Chattanooga by Tara Poole
Connecting individuals to resources
Sunday Showcase by Performing Arts League and Chattanooga Theatre Centre
Connecting young performing artists to support
CARTAgraphy by Alfonso Gomez-Arzola
Connecting bus riders to their bus routes
Power Lunch by Emma Williams
Connecting business professionals to middle school students in Title 1 schools
Community Cafe by Ella Sanders
Connecting neighbors to neighbors over meals
Coffee Cruisers by Mae Stuart
Connecting UTC Students to local businesses
Community Match by Robin Howe
Connecting high school students to local service opportunities
“We chose the theme of connectivity for our first Causeway Challenge because connections fundamentally create community, and so many people have different ideas for what it means to be truly connected,” said Abby Garrison, Causeway’s executive director. “The winning ideas address connectivity through a variety of interpretations--everything from transportation and outdoor space to food access and language. We are thrilled to see the diversity of the ideas.”
Causeway will be holding a Connectivity Showcase on Tuesday, Oct. 7 from 5-7 p.m. at their workspace at 16 Patten Pkwy. to congratulate the winners and hear more about their plans for implementation. The showcase is open to the public.