Portland Street Community Corner

Let's clear something up once and for all: safe food is real food.
​It does not matter if someone's safe food looks like "junk food," packaged snacks, or the exact same meal every single day to an outsider. What matters is that it is fuel, it is calories, and it is keeping a human being's body alive and nourished.
​For neurodivergent individuals, navigating sensory overload and executive dysfunction is exhausting. Judging what goes onto someone's plate only creates a barrier to eating. Food security means recognizing that whatever food a person can safely access, swallow, and digest is exactly what their body needs. No qualifiers, no elitism, and zero shame.
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Nobody understands what an autistic person needs better than another autistic person. Period.
​We aren't waiting around for outside systems to figure us out. We are leading the charge, defining our own spaces, and speaking directly to the realities we face every day. We know exactly what we need, and we are sharing the wisdom we have so that everyone can finally learn how to make food access genuinely inclusive and accessible.
​From how we handle food requests to how we run this entire initiative, everything we do is rooted in lived experience. We want this whole model to be replicated, not appropriated. Take our tools, learn from our setup, and use them to support your local community, but always keep autistic feedback at the center and let autistic voices lead.
​We have the wisdom and we’re ready to teach. Listen, learn, and let us lead the way.
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Thank you Jeana Scroggins and Dorsey Scroggins for the donation of hygiene products!! Items like these are in high demand!!!

Having autonomy over what we eat is a basic human right. No one should have to justify the meals that keep them fed and comfortable.
​Food choice is dignity for every body.
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Help Kids Thrive This Summer Food for today, hope for tomorrow.

Hey everyone! Since we started taking requests for safe foods, the thing that surprised us most was the request for bottled water.
​While a lot of our neighbors—whether they have places to stay or not—don't have running water, we knew if those requests surprised us, they would probably surprise the rest of the community who might be unaware of the struggle. Like, honestly, how many people actually knew that this was a barrier for so many folks right here?
​Already, it is a huge issue not to have drinkable water, but you compound the issue when so many go-to safe foods completely depend on it. Think about instant mac and cheese cups, instant ramen, and other staples—they are reliable safe foods, but you literally cannot make them without water.
​We need your help right now, so we are accepting bottled water donations immediately to get them to the folks who need them most. At the same time, we are laying the groundwork and are going to be working with other community partners soon to officially launch a bigger drive and work toward finding solutions for this in our community.
​Please share this post to help us spread awareness, and keep an eye out for updates on the upcoming drive!
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Safe Food 101! Let’s talk about why safe foods are such a game-changer, starting with a quick crash course on spoons.
​Spoon Theory is a way to look at our daily energy reserves, where each "spoon" represents a finite unit of physical or mental energy. For neurodivergent folks or anyone dealing with chronic illness and disability, everyday tasks and sensory overload drain those limited spoons fast—which is exactly why safe foods matter. They help save that energy so you aren't wasting it on food stress and can actually use it for the things you need to do.
​What’s your ultimate go-to safe food when you’re completely out of spoons? Drop it in the comments! 👇
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A quick update on our Summer Snack Safe Food Drive!

​As we shared recently, finding reliable safe foods can be incredibly tough during the summer months. We are so grateful for the support we’ve already received!

​If you are planning a drop-off, please note that we are collecting all shelf-stable snack donations on the patio at 1710 Portland Street, rather than inside the community fridge itself. This helps us keep things organized and ensures there’s plenty of room in the fridge for perishables.

​Prefer to shop online? Our Amazon Wishlist is still active and fully stocked with safe-food staples— https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/10IVJVLNBDCZ0?ref_=wl_share

​Thank you for helping us keep our community fueled and secure this summer!

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YMCA Summer Food sites. This is a list of locations, dates, times, and it's separated by area. Please check this list first before going! They added some new pick up locations like the Chattanooga Zoo and more! Use the tabs at the bottom of the spreadsheet!

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/u/0/d/1MWHZhBX2kfnp0H2M0-PhsNy6zezLUL-YpK6Dpt1EyrU/htmlview?fbclid=IwY2xjawSF4ZNleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAwzNTA2ODU1MzE3MjgAAR6EhgRKM3R9Z49OUYPthiCqfvkdtNvuZ28pjTHXwzGg57uBx8F9Bqxh6g_tjQ_aem_X1QucwbgIVst4SkVD_0UgQ

YMCA of Metropolitan Chattanooga Summer 2026 Sites List

We have a lot of neighbors asking for assistance with their pets. Here is some information on free veterinary services coming up!