Community Connections

The UTC Public Health Program actively collaborates with community, professional, and leading research partners to form a bridge between instructional and experiential learning, enabling our students and faculty to apply classroom knowledge and research with community partners to address community issues. Below are a few of the organizations UTC MPH partners with throughout the year. 

We value the support and collaboration of the following community connections in Chattanooga:

Advocates for Autism

Advocates for Autism is a non-profit organization that aims to raise awareness and educate the community about autism and individuals on the spectrum. Advocates for Autism raises funds to provide students, families, and adults with resources, support, and education. 

Website: https://advocatesforautism.net 

AIM Center

AIM Center offers employment, education, housing, socialization, and wellness opportunities for adults living with serious mental illness.

Website: https://www.aimcenterinc.org/

American Heart Association

The American Heart Association (AHA) is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to ensuring equitable health for all and empowering people to improve their heart health, brain health and well-being. AHA collaborates with numerous organizations and millions of volunteers to fund innovative research, advocate for stronger public health policies, and share lifesaving resources and information.

Website: https://www.heart.org/en/affiliates/tennessee/chattanooga

American Red Cross of Southeast Tennessee

The American Red Cross is a non-profit organization that provides support to victims of disasters, emergency preparedness, teaches skills that save lives, and supports military members and their families. The American Red Cross of Southeast Tennessee serves Bledsoe, Bradley, Grundy, Hamilton, Marion, McMinn, Meigs, Pol, Rhea, and Sequatchie counties in Tennessee. Website: https://www.redcross.org/local/tennessee/about-us/locations/southeast-tennessee.html

Austin Hatcher Foundation 

The Austin Hatcher Foundation for Pediatric Cancer’s mission is to erase the effects of pediatric cancer and optimize each child’s quality of life through essential specialized intervention beginning at the time of diagnosis and continuing throughout survivorship.  The Foundation provides services to children with cancer as well as their families through its four major divisions; Industrial Arts Therapy, Diversionary Therapy, Psycho-Oncology, and Healthy Lifestyle Education. Website: https://www.hatcherfoundation.org 

Bridge City Community

Bridge City Community is a faith-based, non-profit organization, in pursuit of spiritual, racial, economic, and educational reconciliation.

Website: http://www.bridgecitycommunity.com/

CALEB

Chattanooga in Action for Love, Equality, and Benevolence (CALEB) is a non-profit organization with the purpose of bringing together an institutional coalition of faith-based, labor, and other community organizations in order that their constituents gain a powerful voice in public affairs and issues in the wider community.

Website: http://www.calebcha.org/member-organizations.html 

Cempa Community Care

Cempa is a non-profit organization with a mission to champion healthy communities through compassionate and responsive delivery of education, health, social, and advocacy related services. Their focus is to provide services in underserved communities on education and information to break down social stigmas and help prevent the spread of HIV, Hepatitis C, and Sexually Transmitted Infections.

Website: https://www.cempa.org/

Chattanooga Area Food Bank

The Chattanooga Area Food Bank is a non-profit organization; leading a network of partners in eliminating hunger and promoting better nutrition in our region.

Website: http://www.chattfoodbank.org/

Cherokee Health System

Cherokee Health System is a federally-qualified health center that offer a wide array of comprehensive health services, including primary care, behavioral health, dental, pharmacy, and addiction services to over 70,000 people living across the state of Tennessee. Cherokee Health System offer sliding-scale fees and no one is ever denied treatment based on an inability to pay. 

Website: https://www.cherokeehealth.com/ 

Chattanooga Free Store

The Chattanooga Free Store is a mutual aid collective. Our goal is to put into practice what is called community care - where we take care of each other, we keep each other safe, fed, and healthy, and where we can rely on each other. All the people who run the Chattanooga Free Store know what it's like to live precariously. We want to meet our community's physical needs, but we also want to show y'all what we see: that another world is possible.

Community Kitchen

Our mission is to meet the most basic needs of hungry, homeless and vulnerable people in our community while offering a clear path to self-sufficiency. Through all of the services we offer, we seek to satisfy the spiritual and physical hunger of people in Chattanooga. There are no fees or requirements for receiving our services; instead, they are offered out of love and compassion. 

Family Promise of Greater Chattanooga

An organization dedicated to addressing homelessness and keeping families together. We now offer four programs to help prevent, reduce, and end homelessness and serve more homeless and near homeless families in need. These programs help families become stable, employed, housed, and linked to supportive and follow-up services to ensure a successful return to self-sufficiency.

green|spaces

green|spaces is a non-profit organization that works toward regional sustainability by progressing the way we live, work, and build in Chattanooga and the surrounding region. Website: http://www.greenspaceschattanooga.org

Girls Inc of Chattanooga

The mission of Girls Inc. of Chattanooga (Girls Inc. of Chatt) is to inspire and equip all girls to be strong, smart, and bold leaders within their families, their community and society. Originally founded as The Girls Club of Chattanooga, Girls Inc. has educated and empowered girls to grow up healthy, educated, and independent since 1961. Through in-school and after school programming, seasonal camps, and special events, our organization annually serves more than 800 girls, ages 6 to 18.

Hamilton County Health Department

Hamilton County Health Department provides Immunizations, WIC care, Environmental Health issues, Diseases information and more.

Website: http://health.hamiltontn.org/

La Paz Chattanooga

La Paz Chattanooga is the leading Hispanic and Latino organization in Southeast Tennessee; they offer a health and wellness program to promote the importance of healthy living while providing Latino families the motivation and connections to create healthy habits.

Website: https://www.lapazchattanooga.org/

LifeSpring Community Health

LifeSpring is a community health ministry whose purpose is to demonstrate the love of Christ in word and deed by providing health education and promotion, medical services, and community advocacy.

Website: https://www.lifespringcommunityhealth.org

McMinn County VA

The McMinn County Veterans Office assists McMinn County veterans in obtaining benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, "VA" for short.  The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs offer a wide range of benefits to our Nation's veterans, service members and families.

One to One Health

One to One Health medical doctors use evidenced-based medicine best practices & make data-driven decisions to reduce wasteful healthcare spending without reducing quality of care.

Website: http://onetooneppn.com/

Office of Early Learning

The Office of Early Learning will work within the government and across the provider community to broaden and deepen early learning opportunities for Chattanooga families. Across platforms, the Office will work to create more opportunities for kids between the ages of 0 and 5 through programs like Baby University, an initiative launched by Mayor Berke in 2015. Mayor Berke understands that the City has a role to play in investing in our youngest Chattanoogans, and will continue to build on his investments such as Early Learning Scholarships and Baby University in order to develop an early learning system that works for children and families.

Protect Yo Mental

VISION To end the stigma around mental health issues and creating safe spaces for at-risk communities to have supportive conversations. MISSION We are empowering all to nourish their mental health and strengthen their self-efficacy to overcome mental health challenges by implementing self-care, self-love, and self-reflection into their lifestyle.

RAM Clinic

Remote Area Medical (RAM) Clinic is a major non-profit organization that operates mobile medical clinics delivering free, high-quality vision, dental, and medical care to women, men, and children who do not have access or cannot afford medical care. 

Website: www.ramusa.org 

Siskin Children's Institute

Siskin Children's Institute works to improve the quality of life for children with special needs and their families through education, pediatric services, home & community-based programs and outreach services.
Website: http://www.siskin.org/www

Southeast Tennessee Area Agency and Disability (SETAAAD)

The Southeast Tennessee Area Agency on Aging and Disability strive to help older adults and people with disabilities live with dignity and choices in their homes and communities.

Website: http://www.setaaad.org/www

Stout Healthcare

Stout Healthcare is a mobile rehab service, primarily operates in the Health and Allied Services, providing physical, occupational, and speech therapy services.

Website: https://www.facebook.com/Stouthealthcare/

The Bethlehem Center

The Bethlehem Center is a faith-based, non-profit organization, transforming lives and work towards empowering inner-city youth and families to lead responsible lives by providing discipleship, education, and leadership development.

Website: https://www.thebeth.org/www

Tennessee Department of Health (Nashville)

The Tennessee Department of Health aims to protect, promote, and improve the health and prosperity of people in Tennessee. 

Website: https://www.tn.gov/health

Tennessee Men's Health Network

The Tennessee Men's Health Network is a chapter of the Men's Health Network of Washington, DC. The goal of the Tennessee Men's Health Network is to improve the health and well-being of men and their families across the state. 

Website: http://menshealthnetwork.org/tnchapter

Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network (TSPN)

The Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network (TSPN) is a statewide public-private organization that works to eliminate the stigma of suicide and educate communities about the warning signs of suicide with the ultimate intension of reducing suicide rates in the state of Tennessee. Website: http://tspn.org/

True Health Journey

True Health Journey is a private practice in lifestyle medicine that works with their patients offering individualized or group programs using evidence-based tools that center around nutrition, sleep, exercise, stress management, and toxin avoidance.

Website: https://www.mytruehealthjourney.com/

United Way of Greater Chattanooga

United Way is a nonprofit organization that builds stronger communities in Greater Chattanooga by increasing access to better education, health and stability.

Website: https://unitedwaycha.org/

Urban League

The Urban League of Greater Chattanooga is an affiliate of the National Urban League, the nation's oldest and largest community-based movement devoted to empowering African Americans and other under-served individuals to enter the economic and social mainstream.

Website: http://ulchatt.net/

UT Extension

UT Extension provides outreach programs throughout the state such as educational programs in the ares of Agriculture, Family and Consumer Sciences, Community Resource Development, and 4-H Youth Development.

Website: https://ag.tennessee.edu/Pages/default.aspx

White Oak Bicycle Co Op

WOBC is a volunteer-run non-profit 501(c)(3) community bicycle organization with a mission to provide refurbished bicycles and bicycle repair services to the community, focusing on children, low-income households, and individuals experiencing homelessness. www.whiteoakbicycle.org

WTCI PBS

You are the center of all we do, and we’re committed to providing unique local educational experiences that inspire lifelong learning, growth, and exploration. That's why we launched WTCI Educate, your home for free, standards-aligned educational content created for communities, by communities. From 6 AM - 6 PM each day, WTCI Educate broadcasts engaging PreK-12th grade programming on all subjects, created by local and state educators and national PBS partners. After 6 PM, we switch over to feature PBS’ acclaimed WORLD Channel for lifelong learners, devoted to sharing news and documentaries from all around the globe.

YMCA

The YMCA is a leading nonprofit organization of men, women, and children joined together by a shared commitment to nurture the potential of kids, healthy living, and fostering a sense of social responsibility. The Y provides services and programs that promote a healthy spirit, mind, and body.

Website: https://www.ymcachattanooga.org/

Zone Transformation Specialist

Mission driven Entrepreneurs- strive to help others with businesses and how to have a successful business

If you are interested in becoming a community partner, please contact us at [email protected].