Pictured, from left: Fabrice Medastin, McNabb Center; Bethany Park and Noah Hoff, City of Chattanooga; Jocelyn Simpson, Chattanooga Community Kitchen; Sharon Smith-Hensley, the Samaritan Center; Joe Brackett, Homeless Healthcare Center; and Eric Whitehead, the McNabb Center. Not pictured, Dylan Green with the Homeless Coalition.
The Samaritan Center partnered with the Homeless Healthcare Clinic, Helen Ross McNabb Center, City of Chattanooga, the Chattanooga Community Kitchen and the Homeless Coalition to support those in need in Hamilton County.
The Center donated $7,209 worth of supplies to community partners working closely with the homeless population. Supplies included wool blankets, ponchos, large water bottles, body wipes, duct tape, toilet paper and first aid kits. First aid kits contained disinfectant wipes, gauze packs, diabetic sock and supplies, Band-Aids and nail clippers, as well as antibacterial ointments.
“We have an incredible group of people here,” said Sharon Smith-Hensley, social services director at the Samaritan Center. “Because of these partnerships, we are able to get help to those who need it. If you knick your arm at home it is not a big deal, you put a band-aid on and forget it happened. The homeless do not have that luxury.”
"This is just one example of how local non-profits have come together to support the homeless," officials said. "For over 14 years the Samaritan Center has partnered with the Homeless Coalition, the Homeless Healthcare Clinic, and the Community Kitchen to provide essential resources to those in need."