Chattanooga Pulse

Quote Of The Week:
“It’s an all-volunteer program. You volunteer by breaking the law…If you don’t break the law, you don’t pay.”
—Chattanooga Police Chief Freeman Cooper, speaking in support of speed and red light traffic cameras used in the city.

Salvation Army Exceeds Holiday Red Kettle Collection Goal

One of the most common complaints people have about the media—be it print, radio or television—is that the news always seems to be bad.  So it’s very nice to be able to report on some truly good news that benefits the community and shows how giving people are in this area, even in the midst of economic hardship.

The Chattanooga Salvation Army had set a goal of collecting $349,000 through their holiday Red Kettle campaign. Instead, the venerable organization found to their surprise that people in the Chattanooga, Cleveland and North Georgia areas had dug a bit deeper into their pockets this year, donating nearly $385,000.

Salvation Army Area Commander Major Jim Lawrence said it was humbling to know so many friends stepped forward to give generously so the Chattanooga and Cleveland Salvation Army can continue to meet emergency needs into the New Year.

The Salvation Army provided Christmas assistance to 2,769 children and seniors through the Angel Tree Program. The Army and its volunteers also delivered gifts to area nursing home residents and helped to feed approximately 100 homeless people on Christmas Eve.

Blood Assurance: Critical Need For Blood Donations

Blood Assurance is in critical need of all types of blood, particularly O negative blood. All eligible donors are asked to visit their local Blood Assurance location or visit a blood drive to help replenish the community blood supply.

As the only regional blood center in the area, Blood Assurance is responsible for providing blood products to all hospitals and healthcare facilities in the region.

“We tend to see a limited amount of donors around the holiday season. Many residents are traveling and schools or other organizations that typically host blood drives are not in session,” said Linda Hisey, vice president of marketing and public relations for Blood Assurance.

Donors must be at least 17 years old (16 years old with parental consent), weigh at least 110 pounds and be in good health. There is no upper age restriction for donating blood. For a location near you or to locate a bloodmobile in your area, call (800) 962-0628.

Community Kitchen Appeals for Blankets and Volunteers For Shelter

The Chattanooga Community Kitchen is operating as an emergency overnight shelter for homeless individuals and families and will continue to do so until temperatures rise.

“Because of the frigid temperatures, we began opening up at night on Christmas Eve and had 60 people needing shelter.  Last night we had 104,” said Community Kitchen Director Charlie Hughes.  “We are seeing more people needing shelter than ever before.”

The Community Kitchen will continue to provide overnight accommodations through the end of this week and most likely into next week as the area experiences extremely low temperatures.

Due to the overwhelming number of people seeking shelter, the Community Kitchen is in desperate need of blankets and overnight volunteers.  Please contact Charlie Hughes at 756-4222 for more information.