From left, Joel Houser - Open Space Institute, Kenya Elston - EWH resident, Cherayl Maston - EWH resident, Geri Lovain - CHA ROSS coordinator, Michael White - EWH resident, and Rhett Bentley - Thrive Regional Partnership
Chattanooga Housing Authority has been awarded a grant for the Butterfly Effect Program funded in part by the Open Space Institute, in partnership with Thrive Regional Partnership and support from the Merck Family Fund and the Footprint Foundation to enhance community resilience in Chattanooga.
The grant will be used to not only enhance community resilience and natural disaster preparedness at Emma Wheeler Homes, but will also reestablish and expand community gardens while offering programming and activities to the community regarding environmental education. The funding is a direct outcome of Emma Wheelers Homes’ participation in the Resilient Communities pilot program, designed by Thrive Regional Partnership and the Open Space Institute to engage residents in using nature-based solutions that address environmental challenges and enhance quality of life, especially in underserved areas.
“We are encouraged by our strong partnerships with Thrive and CHA that have helped us empower and improve agency and living conditions for the residents of Emma Wheeler Homes,” said Joel Houser, director of Capital Grants for the Open Space Institute. “CHA has been an encouraging and collaborative partner willing to try new things to support their residents. The residents themselves have shown true leadership by committing their time and thought, but also by being a voice for their community in advocating for land-based solutions to issues caused by extreme weather.”
The Butterfly Effect Program is based on the “Butterfly Effect” theory that a small, local change in a complex system can have a large impact elsewhere.
“At Thrive, we recognize that sometimes to focus on the ‘big picture’ challenges such as resilience, true progress starts when change is designed at the local and even neighborhood level,” said John Bilderback, program director for Thrive Regional Partnership. “The resident-led Butterfly Effect plan that was developed is illustrative of this very approach. We see how the actions and dedication of a group of people in one community can scale to impact or influence other communities. We look forward to supporting this enthusiastic team of residents throughout the project and seeing the positive outcomes that arise.”
Through the Butterfly Effect Program, a Resilience Advisory Group from Emma Wheeler Homes will develop a leadership team, as well as receive leadership and emergency preparedness training.
The Resilience Advisory Group will meet with the CHA to review, revise, and implement the flood/high rainfall event appendix of its Emergency Operating Plan, an essential step to ensure that Emma Wheeler residents have processes and procedures necessary to recover and persist in the event of a natural disaster such as flooding.
The group will also re-establish and expand the community gardens at Emma Wheeler Homes to restore a collaborative and sustainable community pastime.
“We are thrilled with the partnerships that brought the Butterfly Effect Program to fruition,” said CHA Executive Director Betsy McCright. “We are excited about the difference the Resilience Advisory Group will make at Emma Wheeler Homes and look forward to the seeds being literally and figuratively planted throughout the community that will lead to success.”
The Resilience Advisory Group has forged several partnerships to provide resources and training to ensure the sustainability of the program. Collaborative partners of the Butterfly Effect Project include Chattanooga Howard Connect, Shepherd Arms Rescue Mission, Family Impact Organization, Chattanooga Area Outreach Ministry, GENERATE 360 and the Chattanooga Area Food Bank.