The Caring Place provides food, clothing, social services and spiritual support at no cost to 2,000 underserved residents per month. A foundation of love and faith, The Caring Place has support from 52 churches, 134 active volunteers, 15 staff members and over 150 organizations and businesses. Their mission is to provide access to the basic resources and opportunities needed for clients to move past poverty.
The Caring Place uses the C.A.R.E method to connect, advocate, restore and empower their clients.
Executive Director Corinne Freeman says they provide various free services to residents living in Bradley County and the surrounding area. Their food pantry, Sac Pac program and clothing department alone serve more than 2,000 families in need per month. The Caring Place also provides community support, temporary financial and housing stability, case management and spiritual support. “The ultimate goal of the Caring Place is to help our neighbors in need move beyond poverty, so they have joyful anticipation of the future. Our neighbors are creative and resilient, and our goal is to have them in a place of healthy independence where others can hear and learn from them and see the value of what they can bring to the community,” said Ms. Freeman.
Founded in 2000, The Caring Place serves residents from all walks of life. Nicole Yates is a volunteer but also depended on their services to provide for her family. “I didn't qualify for food stamps, but I also couldn't really afford food or clothes for my family while working and going to nursing school. A bag of food and a few clothing items went a long way in allowing me to pay my bills while working full-time and going to college full time. I can't thank them enough for helping us survive when we were struggling,” said Ms. Yates.