Project Return is a non-profit that helps provide support for those beginning a new life after incarceration. Right now, they have two locations in Tennessee, one in Nashville and the other in Chattanooga.
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I spoke to Project Return's Operations Director Corey Richard about how they provide support to those leaving jail or prison. Richard says their primary focus is on employment because if people can work and support themselves they are less likely to go back to prison. Project Return helps individuals by helping them find jobs with either a referral partner, independent search support, or in many cases transitional employment. The non-profit also has hard skill programs, such as construction readiness. With this program, they pay participants a daily stipend, so they are not losing money while learning skills, participants will also receive an OSHA certification and NCCER certification after two weeks. Project Return is also working on a CDL program and is working towards bringing in a computer literacy class, as they help those in the program build up their resume.
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Project Return also has a high-quality staffing agency. This is where they partner with local businesses to provide staffing in the form of their participants, and also provide transportation to and from those jobs with a fleet of vans that run through the city 24/7. They also take participants their paychecks every week and ensure they have clothing, IDs, food, and other supplies they may need. Their second enterprise, called PROPS, is a property make-ready company where Project Return employs participants directly where they will do commercial cleaning or landscaping. Their last enterprise program, Pro Housing, provides long-term housing for their participants. The non-profit buys a property in a neighborhood, pays its participants to renovate the properties, and rents them out to those in the program for an affordable rate. Operations Director Corey Richard says this program addresses that many landlords will not rent to someone with a felony or criminal record. 

How do those currently in prison learn about Project Return? Richard says they physically go into the prisons and local jails at least once a quarter. During their visits, they go in with materials about the program, tell people how they can access Project Return, and answer any questions they may have.

It's also important to note that right now the state of Tennessee has an incarceration rate of 838 per 100,000 people, which according to Prison Policy, we lock up a higher percentage of people than any democracy on earth. Most of these crimes aren't even criminal offenses, according to Sycamore Institute, property crimes accounted for the largest share of entries to state incarceration in FY 2018. 

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If you would like to volunteer with Project Return, they have resume development days on Thursday and Friday, you will also conduct practice interviews and coaching. They also have food packing opportunities. Volunteers are also needed to answer phone calls.

For more on Project Return follow their social media pages below or head to their website with this link. To watch our interview, click here or scroll to the video below!

Healthy and Free Tennessee is an organization with many focuses, the main three are intersections of racism, the criminal legal system, and reproductive justice. They fight for better access to reproductive care for marginalized communities and fight policies that are determined to criminalize reproductive outcomes.

In the criminal legal system, Healthy and Free Tennessee work alongside an organization called Free Hearts which is run by formerly incarcerated people, and who also works with formerly incarcerated people. Together, in the most recent session in 2022, they were able to pass the Anti-Shackling Bill, which would prevent the harmful practice of shackling pregnant people while they are in prison. Another bill brought to the state capitol and signed by the governor is Senate Bill 2150, which Introduces TennCare Coverage for doula services. Healthy and Free Tennessee also worked to amend the Medication Abortion Ban, and stop Tennessee's Bounty Hunter Abortion Ban.

With a lot of talk in Tennessee over bills that discriminate against women, our undocumented community, the LGBTQ+ community, and people of color, Healthy and Free work to share the most accurate information when it comes to understanding and comprehending these bills. Most are set out to have confusing and hard-to-understand language, which makes it unclear as to what they are doing, and whether it's legal. ​Because of this, the organization posts slides of easy-to-share information on its Instagram account to spread the message of what is happening in our legislation, and nation, and how we can take a stance against it. 

Right now many individuals' health and lives are at risk, with the strong possibility of Roe v. Wade becoming overruled. In Tennessee, if it is overturned, abortion will be immediately banned because the state enacted a "trigger law." According to Planned Parenthood, ​this law makes abortion not only illegal, but also a felony in all circumstances including sexual assault, or incest. Planned Parenthood says providers who handled or attempted to provide an abortion could face prison time and fines, but not the person seeking the abortion. During my conversation with Heather Allison, who is the reproductive justice fellow with Healthy and Free Tennessee, we talked about what our state would look like post-Roe. There will be those who can travel out of state to seek an abortion, however there are many who will not be able to, due to a disability, their job, childcare, immigration status, or criminal status. Healthy and Free TN say they are also preparing for an increase in policies that will criminalize pregnant people, based on the circumstances in other countries where abortion is banned. Right now, they are focused on encouraging healthcare providers to not report their patients who have pregnancy loss and asking district attorney's not to prosecute people for self-managing their abortions. For those who are wanting to learn more about self-managed abortions, Healthy and Free are offering training for that as well. They are also encouraging those who track their menstrual cycle or pregnancy through their cell phones to stop doing so, due to privacy concerns.

With Roe v. Wade in danger, those who are experiencing pregnancy loss due to miscarriage will be turned away from life saving-care. Heather Allison says when a patient goes to their doctor, there is no way for the provider to know whether the patient took an abortion pill or  suffered a miscarriage. If a doctor suspect's a person had an abortion, they can call the police. Earlier this year Governor Bill Lee signed a bill increasing criminal penalties for anyone distributing abortion medication through telehealth or mail. According to the Tennessean, the bill prohibits any distribution of abortion medication, except when it is done in person, by a physician. However, their doctor is not required to monitor the patient during or after they are given the medication, except for a required follow-up appointment within two weeks. If this is not followed the legislation makes the procedure a Class E felony punishable by a fine of up to $50,000. The FDA approved the delivery and telehealth dispensing of the medication last year. It's also been endorsed by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists as a safe procedure. 

If you or someone you know wants to learn more about abortion access or self managed abortions, Healthy and Free Tennessee has a section of their website completely dedicated to that, just click the link here. 

For more on immigrant rights, click this link.

To contact Healthy and Free Tennessee you can send them an email with this address: info@healthyandfreetn.org and their socials are linked below.

​In 2022, TIRRC Votes received a massive win for immigrants living ​in Tennessee with the Workforce Expansion Bill. This bill allows more than seven thousand DACA recipients and three thousand TPS Holders to obtain a professional license in many careers, including nursing, cosmetology, contracting, and more. TIRCC Policy Coordinator, Luis Mata, says the campaign for the bill was built and progressed through directly impacted community members. They advocated for the bill to legislatures in the Tennessee House and Senate, along with members of TIRRC Votes, back in January 2022 when legislation was in session. In April, the Legislative Branch passed House Bill 2309. It advanced to Governor Bill Lee's desk, where he signed it into law, creating many opportunities for many people in the community. The effort was bipartisan, the House sponsor was Democratic State Representative Bob Freeman, and the state sponsor was Republican Senator Shane Reeves, so there was support for the bill on both sides of the aisle. 

Despite this major victory, representatives in Tennessee have tried to pass many unlawful and heinous anti-immigrant laws in the past. We have recently, seen House Bill 2222, which would require the Tennessee office for refugees to, at least quarterly, transmit to the members of the general assembly and the legislative librarian a report of the total number of individuals placed by the office in this state for that quarter, the cost to the office of services provided to the placed individuals, and the communities where the individuals were placed in this state. Another that has made headlines include House Bill 1648 by Bruce Griffey which would have given schools the option to refuse to enroll undocumented students. As well as bar districts from receiving state funds for educating these children, and from counting them in  funding requests. 

Luis says seeing these bills year after year does not deter their mission, because year after year they defeat this legislation, showing the community the power they have as a whole. TIRRC makes sure community members see how much strength they have.

For those wanting to learn more about the laws and rights they have, TIRRC has launched a summer series in partnership with the Nashville Public Defender's Office. The "Know Your Rights" outreach consists of evening workshops on the criminal justice and immigration system. All sessions will be in Spanish and English. To register, text the word "Criminal Justice" to 615-212-9860. 

Along with the Community Info Sessions, TIRRC also offers integration services consisting of English learning classes, family defense (presentations on what to do for potential encounters with local law enforcement and ICE, help with legal screenings and document preparation), help and information for becoming a citizen, and much more. 

At the end of the day, TIRRC will continue to provide many opportunities for the community and be visible in a place they and others belong.

To watch our entire interview visit In Your Community's YouTube here or scroll to the bottom of this page.

For volunteer opportunities, click here, or to donate, follow this link.

Girls Inc. of Chattanooga is a nonprofit that provides activities and programs for girls ages six through 18. Their mission is to equip and inspire girls to be strong, bold, and smart. CEO Toccora Johnson-Petersen says this equates to girls being healthy, educated, and independent. The program has 80 affiliates across the country.
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Girls Inc. has in-school, after-school, and seasonal day camp programs for girls in elementary, middle, and high school. The Bookworm Club focuses on literacy for girls in kindergarten through third grade. Another program, called Techno Girl, focuses on the intro to disciplines of steam, science, technology, engineering, art, and math for fourth and fifth grade girls. The Road to College and Career Successes is designed to set girls up for success in high school and college. For a list of others, you can check out the programs page on their website by clicking here. 

Toccora says they design and create programs to fit the needs of their students. An after-school program or a seasonal camp is based on surveys from the girls and their parents. 

The camp this year is April the 11th through the 15th and is themed "Garden Girl." That's for girls ages six through 18. They chose this theme by listening to the girls and parents who expressed that they want more information and hands-on activities around food sustainability, agriculture, nutrition, and farm-to-table lifestyle change. The girls will learn about nutrition, self-care, and agriculture. They will also receive hands-on experience in a garden at their new United Methodist Church location. There is a fee of $50, which provides two snacks, a t-shirt, and also admissions for any weekly field trips that they will take.

Just last year Girls Inc. hosted its first Back to School drive. According to Toccora they knew their girls were headed back to school in person and wanted to make sure they were equipped with supplies, but also support. So, tutoring centers, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and Erlanger representatives were brought in to talk about how to properly return back to school, in addition to giving them supplies. Working alongside experts in the community allows the girls to thrive inside and outside of the school building.

If you would like to help Girls Inc. of Chattanooga's mission, you can make multiple types of donations, including monetary, gifts, buy merch, and more. Toccora invites those who want to donate to volunteer or go on a program tour so that you can see firsthand the interactions between the program staff and participants, and what your money is going towards. If you would like to become a volunteer you can view volunteer opportunities and sign up online, by clicking the link here.

​Right now the non-profit has one event coming up on May 3rd, their 18th annual Unbought and Unbossed luncheon. Over the years, 150 influential local women have been selected by teen mentees to be paired with mentors. At the luncheon, teen mentees will honor their mentor as Unbought and Unbossed. The luncheon is in recognition of the late Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm, who was the first African American woman to make a serious run for the Democratic nod for President of the United States. Toccora says the late congresswoman always told her constituents that no matter where this political journey took her that she would remain "unbought and unbossed." To find their honoree, the girls choose from leaders and entrepreneurs that community members nominated, who they feel embody those traits of Shirley Chisholm. 

If you would like to know more about Girls Inc. Chattanooga their social handles are linked below, along with the interview with Toccora, or you can check out their website.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Chattanooga (BBBS) is a member of the largest youth mentoring organization in the United States. They serve 6 counties in the area including Hamilton, Marion, Bradley, Walker, Catoosa, and Dade counties. Executive Director Jessica Whatley says BBBS started with just a community-based program for decades where mentors (Bigs) hang out with their Littles, whether that is going to the park, the movie theater, or a game. This program is more about the time spent together and building the relationship from that bonding. If you are a part of the school-based program, Whatley says mentors can go see their Little at school. From there, they can do a lot of those similar activities, bring them lunch, read books in the school library, play board games. BBBS also has activity boxes at those schools that give Bigs ideas of how to spend time with their Littles. Recently, the non-profit started a school mentor program in partnership with Tyner High School, where Bigs and Littles meet virtually once a week and in person once a month.

Another program BBBS has is called Beyond School Walls. This work-based mentoring program partners with local companies so the Littles can interact with a working environment. Middle Schoolers will be able to go to companies like Unum and see the different job opportunities and learn about the workplace to see what's out there in the community.

​With all of these wonderful programs, how do you volunteer? For the school-based and mentoring progams volunteers have to be over 18 years old. For the community-based program, you have to be over 21 years old. To participate in Beyond Schools Walls you have to be an employer with Unum, City of Chattanooga, Elliot Davis, or United Way. All volunteers will go through an orientation process online, where you can read about the programs, learn more about Bigs and Littles, and the benefits of mentoring. After that, you will go through training, background checks, and once you get through the interview process, you will meet with your Little and their guardian to get to know them and go through some rules and guidelines.

But don't worry if you are nervous, because each Big has a match support specialist. This is a person to communicate with to help you with any issues, if you need additional training, ideas, or if there are struggles. Your match support is there to help you know how to deal with things your Little may be going through and how to communicate with them. Another reason for the extra help is for child safety, so they check and make sure the kids are in safe relationships.

For more on other programs like Bigs in Blue or how UTC students can get involved check out the full interview listed below or by clicking here. For more information on Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Chattanooga, or to volunteer, click here.

Supporting local businesses does more than just help Chattanooga's economy. It helps a business owner buy a birthday gift for their loved one, helps pay their rent, allows them to grow, and it makes them happy just doing what they love. And that's just some of what buying local can do, so when you want your next coffee, new accessories, an album or a plant, please shop local.​

FOOD:

• Berry Box: This is a is a home-based business that offers different kinds of treats based on chocolate and strawberries.
• Mean Mug: A locally owned coffeehouse that serves breakfast and lunch (I'd suggest the Lavender Coffee and Peanut Butter Toast, yum)
• The Together Cafe: A Christ centered, non-profit organization focused on the restoration of survivors of human trafficking.
• 423 Taco: A new Mexican restaurant featuring traditional homemade tacos, fajitas, dessert chimichangas, and Mexican street foods. The vibes, the food and the atmosphere are spot on!​
• Taqueria Jalisco Ania: This is another Mexican restaurant that is so good, and the decor is so beautiful! The people who work there are so nice too!

PLANTS:

• Botanica House Plants Shop
• Waterfall Nurseries
• The Secret Garden
• Bees on a Bicycle

JEWELRY:

• Petalrain Jewelry
• Golden Gals Clay & Co

JEWLERY & MORE
Mini Kitty Designs: Jewelry is amazing, you can also buy signs for your plants, suncatchers, pins, and stickers too! They are really a supporter of equality and human rights.

MUSIC:
Yellow Racket Records: Is a local record shop located on East Main Street, I've bought from here many times and love this place. There are a ton of records you can go though in the store or you can order online!

NON-PROFITS AND ORGANIZATIONS:

• Latina Professionals of Chattanooga
• La Paz Chattanooga
• Bridge Refugee Services
• A Step Ahead Chattanooga
• Chattanooga Area Food Bank
• ArtsBuild
• Glass Street Chattanooga
• Urban League of Greater Chattanooga
• Chattanooga Community Fridge

PLUS you can always stop by the Chattanooga Market to shop some of these cool places, or check them out on social media!
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The Chattanooga Trans Liberation Collective (CTLC) is a coalition that provides support to the LGBTQ+ community. CTLC began in 2020 after anti-LGBTQ+ legislation began forming in Tennessee.
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When talking with HOLA UTC’s current president Briana Bautista and member Estefani Vera they told me the purpose of this organization is to unite the Hispanic and Latino communities on campus. HOLA raises awareness, shares, and celebrates the culture, but you do not have to be Hispanic or Latino to join the group. Briana says it is a safe space for everyone, to enjoy each other’s company and learn about the different backgrounds of its members. They encourage any student to join HOLA and learn more about the culture and be be more involved in the community. 

Estefani says organization members consider themselves like a family, and that is the support system they want to have within the school. She says if you're a first-generation student, college can be a little bit different for you than other students. At HOLA members can understand what you're going through and provide that family-like support system to keep pushing you through college and also have a friend to lean on.

Briana says the program was on pause for a while but in 2020 they started back up again. The group meets weekly, sometimes biweekly, in a safe space to talk about their experiences, what’s going on in their lives, or what is happening in the community. They volunteer with local organizations such as La Paz or Tennessee United and hold collaboration events with UTC’s Office of Multicultural Affairs. They are also known to hold events for Hispanic Heritage Month, movie nights, dance exhibitions, and informative meetings on immigration.
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Briana also tells me many members are first-generation students, trying to figure out how to register for classes and get their FASFA completed. For those who need help, HOLA hosts workshops and provides resources to students who want help with resumes, networking, and other paperwork. She says sometimes it can be a little intimidating to approach someone else for help because they do not understand your background, and that is one reason why they have these workshops, to bring the resources to the students. HOLA will also have members who have graduated come back as guest speakers and talk about their careers, job opportunities, or internships.
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About two hours away in Knoxville, Students for Migrant Justice (SMJ) is educating the UTK campus about the immigration system, mobilizing on and off-campus, as well as building power with student immigrants. I spoke to co-founder Luis Mata back in May, when I first asked him about SMJ, he told me the founders, do not want to take credit for creating this organization. Luis says the work they are doing now, was happening before them, with them, and will continue after them. He says before they started this organization, UTK was not exhausting their resources like they could have been with the Latinx community.
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