One way for area families and friends to celebrate and create a new Thanksgiving tradition is by participating in the 15th Annual Grateful Gobbler Walk. Registration is now open for this family fun walk at www.gratefulgobblerwalk.org. The Grateful Gobbler Walk will be held on Thanksgiving Day (Thursday, Nov. 27) at 8 a.m. at Coolidge Park.
One hundred percent of the proceeds of the Walk will benefit the new Shelter for Homeless Families located onsite at the Community Kitchen on 11th Street. This emergency shelter will feature 13 units with 64 beds and is the first of its kind in Chattanooga, as it will provide an environment for an intact family to remain together as they search for permanent housing solutions. Other emergency shelters in Chattanooga have gender restrictions that result in most intact families being separated. As a result, fathers with young daughters are unable to be sheltered with their daughters and mothers with young sons must be separated, sometimes those as young as six-years-old.
"In Hamilton County, there are approximately 70 families, representing 200 persons, experiencing homelessness on any given night,” said David Denmark, executive director of the Maclellan Foundation, Inc. “While this number is sobering, it also provides a baseline for targeting community resources. The new emergency Shelter for Families located at the Community Kitchen is designed to meet the unique challenges of homeless families and is a first step toward a sustainable solution to this problem."
The cost to participate in the Grateful Gobbler Walker is $25 for walkers/runners 13 and older and $10 for ages 12 and under. Teams and individuals can register to walk, volunteer and/or donate at www.gratefulgobblerwalk.org To inquire about corporate sponsorship opportunities, contact Cathy Scott at cathyscott1000@gmail.com or at 298-2066.