Chattanooga Stories From the Homeless

I no longer use this page. Haven’t used it since last year. Follow us on our other page “Helping the Chattanooga Homeless (LIVING OUTSIDE)”.

This page doesn’t get seen by me anymore.

Thanks.

Hey, y’all….

If you have found this page and wondering why I don’t post stories anymore, well let me tell you.
I just get too busy when I do homeless outreach.
Every stop at every camp is busy with making sure everyone gets a lunch bag, clothes, blankets, etc. There’s a lot of talking and laughing and hugging and I just forget to get pics and post stories.

I have a group called Helping The Chattanooga Homeless where I post who needs what and I gather donations of clothes, shoes, blankets, etc for our homeless peeps.

Join the group! 😃

Thanks!!
✌🏼❤️🦋

Hey, y’all…

Meet Billy, Jennifer, and ”Buddy”.

These two are the sweetest people! Buddy is Jennifer’s service dog. She has epilepsy and PTSD. They were staying at the Budgetel Inn when DA Coty Wamp had everyone put out into the streets. They got help for another hotel room for a little while, but now it’s hard to get any assistance.
A lady in our group, ”Helping the Chattanooga Homeless”, helped them with a hotel room this week. After that they will be going to stay in a tent. They have a tent and sleeping bags.

Their plans are to move to Niagara Falls, New York once they get enough money to do so. Their goal is to move in February. They both have family scattered around in different states, but y’all know how that goes.

What they need right now is an extra large men’s jacket for Billy.

Y’all send positive energy their way! ❤️

Update: A ☑️ means we have that item.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Hey, y’all….meet Todd and Debbie.

Debbie has been homeless for about two years. She needs help getting a TN state ID so she can get a job.

Todd has a driver license, but he lost it and needs a replacement. He does day labor work, but could get better work if he had his license to show he can drive.

They have been sleeping on a sidewalk and had talked with Laura Bean (the lady who feeds the feral cats at Mapco @ Bonny Oaks & Lee Hwy and a member of our group “Helping the Chattanooga Homeless”) about needing a tent and a couple of sleeping bags. With the help of our wonderful group we were able to get a tent and two big sleeping bags to them this evening.

Their goal is to work and try to find some kind of housing. Debbie said she was on a list for an apartment, but hasn’t been able to get back to the Homeless Healthcare Center to see if she’s still on the list. They could really use a couple of monthly bus passes.

Here is a list of items they really need:

• Personal hygiene items - mens deodorant, womens deodorant, shampoo & conditioner, toothpaste & toothbrushes, razors. ☑️

• Size 9 or 10 pants for Debbie.

• Size 6 or 7 shoes for Debbie. ☑️

• Size 32 or 34 pants for Todd. ☑️

• Food for their tent - they asked for things like:
- Canned Vienna ☑️
- Microwaveable soups and Mac & cheese ☑️
- Crackers and cheese ☑️
- Sandwich stuff.

• A small cooler. ☑️

• A battery operated fan for the tent. ☑️

• A good sturdy backpack!

• Dog food. ☑️

Let’s pull together and see what all we can get for these two!!

Message me if you’d like to help!
Thanks, y’all!!!

✌🏼❤️🦋

Y’all meet Candace, Cody and their beautiful baby boy!!! (Sorry, I didn’t get a pic of Cody.)

Candace and Cody moved to Chattanooga from Alabama due to health reasons while she was pregnant and Candace needing to be closer to the specialists here. They were borrowing a car and driving 2 1/2 hrs one way a few times a week. So they decided to just come here and stay. They had a place for a little while, but when Cody couldn’t find steady work they eventually found themselves homeless with a baby!!

They are scared to ask for help, because a lady who did offer to help them recently ended up calling CPS (child protective services) on them!! 😡
CPS told them they had better find a place ASAP or their son would be taken away from them! CPS did not try to HELP them they just threatened that the baby Candace fought so hard to deliver and then was in NICU due to being born too early and his lungs had not fully developed was going to be snatched away from them just because they were STRUGGLING and needed help!!! I wish I knew who that stupid b*tch was that called CPS on them!!

Anyway, thankfully they found a church that would help them get into an extended stay type hotel. The rent is $294 per week or $85 per night. The church paid the first week.

Candace will be getting a disability check on or around the 26th. Until then they need help with the cost of the room.

Cody has applications in at every restaurant around them and is just waiting for an interview. They don’t have a car and only have one phone.

They seem to be good parents and love their baby boy so much. They are very sweet and seem to be good people. They just need a little help getting on their feet.

This story is proof that anyone can fall victim to homelessness. People judge our homeless neighbors all the time and call homeless people lazy and drug addicts. This couple is not lazy and they’re not drug addicts. They’re trying, but in todays world it’s just so fu***ng hard.

My group “Helping the Chattanooga Homeless” was able to pull together yesterday and help them with food and diapers. They have applied for food stamps and WIC and are waiting for the card to come. Like I said they are trying - they just need a little help.

If you would like to help Candace and Cody, please message me.

✌🏼❤️🦋

Hey, y’all…meet this lovely lady, Kassie. 💕

I got a message today from a lady who had read my other post about the lady yesterday who didn’t want the tent and sleeping bag because she was scared to pitch a tent anywhere. Well, this lady today has a place that her and her husband can pitch a tent so she messaged me and asked if they could have it since the other lady didn’t want it.
Her name is Kassie and her husband is Scott.
I didn’t get to meet Scott cause he was working.

I took her the tent, sleeping bag, a pillow, a backpack, and a blanket. I stopped by the dollar general and grabbed them some deodorant and a pack of socks. It’s the small things that mean so much. Stuff we take for granted in our daily lives.

Anyway, she told me and Jennifer that her mom passed away in January and since then she has had it really hard. She lost her job and drew unemployment for a little while, but it ended and they ended up homeless. Her dad is elderly, has cancer, and doesn’t like her husband. So they can’t stay with him. 🫤

They were staying at a friends dads place, but it’s section 8 and they can’t stay there all the time. They don’t want him to get in trouble. She said there’s no food at that house and the man is in his 60’s. But he only gets $35 a month in food stamps and he always runs out of food. So they don’t eat there so they’re not taking his food.

Her husband works at Captain D’s and she is looking for a job. It’s hard when she can’t shower everyday. She worked at Logan’s for 10 years!
So she’s not afraid to work!

She has a goal to get a job, get a car, and get housing.

I gave her a ride to Captain D’s to wait for her husband to get off work and she asked if we wanted some food. BLESS HER HEART!!!
She is so sweet! She offered to help hand out food and water when we do our runs. It’s always those who have the least who give the most!! Even if it’s just their time and energy…which is precious!

**A list of items they need is on my group page… Helping the Chattanooga Homeless.**

Look at her crouching down cause I’m so short next to her! LOL! 😂

Hey guys!! I just want to make you aware that there is a guy going through old posts and every one that shows a person of color, he is making comments about the person, claiming they’ve done something illegal or awful and out right lying. You can view his profile and see his racist rants and comments for yourself as well. Please do not engage with him as we will continue to remove his comments and posts as they come in. Thank you all so much for your continued support of this group and your help with our local homeless friends and neighbors! ❤️
(Profile name and picture in the comments)

Hey, y’all…

I met Summer and Chris today with their dogs Pandora and Lady. They are heading to Atlanta. They just got to Ooltewah last night and asked me if there was anything else here. LOL. Um…nope…not much in Ooltewah. 😄

I told them the mall and stuff was off exit 5. They were hot and tired. The dogs were asleep in the shade. Chris asked if there was a way to get to the mall area without getting on the interstate. Of course, at that point I told them I would give them a ride. They were SO appreciative! They asked me 3 times if I was sure. I finally said, “Im not gonna say it again. Either get in or stay put. Up to y’all.” They laughed and Summer said, “You sound like my mom!” I said, “Yep, sometimes the “mama” in me comes out.” They laughed and jumped in.

On the ride we talked about being on the road and how hot it is right now. They said they just left Knoxville. They were at exit 369, Watt rd. I know that area well cause I grew up there and I worked at the 76/TA for years and then when I became I trucker I would always fuel at the Flying hook. Anyway, Chris said yesterday a dude was flying a sign right off Watt Rd and a Knox county cop ran up on him and arrested him for begging and loitering! He had a dog, too, and the cop said the dog would go to a shelter because now in the state of TN if a vagrant is arrested it is an automatic 1-3 years in jail. WTF!!! 😡😔😭

So, I took them down to Gunbarrel and showed them what all was around there. I told them a few guys names that I know around the area there and told them if they run into any of them that they would show them where to pop a tent. Chris said they had an extra sleeping bag and gave it to me and said, “Here I know you will make sure someone who needs it will get it.” I’m telling you, poor people who don’t have much are always the ones to give more than anyone!

I gave Summer my number and told them to call me if they ever come back this way. They said they’re going to Atlanta for a little while to meet up with a friend and then will probably head to Colorado or California. Awesome young people just doing their thing!!! ❤️

If you are around the mall area and see two back-packers stop and give them a few dollars. It sure will help them!

If you’re heading to Atlanta anytime soon give them a ride. 👍🏼

(We were talking so much and laughing so much that I forgot to get a pic of them. So I snapped a quick one as I pulled away.)

Josh and Melissa. ❤️

Wow! What can I say about these two! Their story is so amazing!!

December 2021 a mother was looking for her grown son who she had heard was homeless in Chattanooga. She made a post in our group, “Helping The Chattanooga Homeless” and asked for our help in finding him. We found him! Actually, we lucked up and saw him walking down the road one day. We got him in touch with his mom in another state and a few days later he was on a bus to his mom’s!!!

I think he had been homeless for about 6 months and had no clue that his family was looking for him.

Less than a month after being at his mom’s he had a job. A few weeks later they got an apartment!
And a dog! ❤️🐶

I just received this pic of them from his mom today. Look how happy they are!! Melissa just got new glasses and is working on getting some dental work done. Josh works everyday and they try a new restaurant every Friday night. I am so happy for them!!

From homeless to hopeful and happy!
Y’all keep on keeping on! I’m so proud of you both!!

At our run this weekend to 11th street I got to see Kenny. Some of you know his story.
He’s still trying to get an apartment. He said he had some stuff going on and missed an appointment with his case manager and she got upset and closed his case. He had to go to another case manager and start the process all over again.

His dog, Beau, is being fostered at the home of a Healthcare Center doctor. He said he misses him so much, but he is being taken good care of by the doctor and when he gets in an apartment he gets Beau back.

He doesn’t have a tent and didn’t want one cause it’s hard to find a spot to put one. He did take a sleeping bag, some jeans, a couple of clean shirts, and food. He said he is doing ok, just patiently waiting for housing. 🫤

I told him I’ll be back in a few weeks and asked if there was anything specific he needed. He said no, but if he wasn’t around then I would know he’s in a better place. I said, “You mean an apartment, right!?” He laughed and said, “Yeah, yeah, an apartment.” I said, “Ok. As long as you don’t mean anything else.”

I hope he gets an apartment soon. He sure does miss his dog. 😔

Y’all send some positive energy to Kenny! He needs all the good energy he can get!

✌🏼❤️🦋