Community Building
Eldercare
Helping Seniors
This program provides monthly supplies to seniors in and around the South Chattanooga Community to aid them in living a sustainable lifestyle.
Items Needed
Toilet Paper, Paper Towels, Trash Bags, Dish Detergent, Soap, Laundry Detergent, Household Cleaner, Reusable Bags.
The Cocoa Cafe
The Net Resource Foundation’s Cocoa Cafe Project will revitalize the South Chattanooga Business District.
Bistro and Kitchen Incubator
Revitalize
This will not only be a place for the neighborhood and visiting travelers to congregate but a dual space for rising culinary entrepreneurs in and around the Chattanooga area.
Community Space
The Kitchen Incubator
The highlight of the Southside Kitchen Incubator and Bistro will be the Kitchen Incubator and Food Truck Commissary. The Kitchen Incubator will serve multiple purposes to include:
- Incubation Hub For Startup Culinary Entrepreneurs.
- Spotlighting One Chef Rotating Every 6 Months.
- Food Commissary For Food Trucks.
Bistro and Coffee Shop
PREVIOUS PROGRAMS
COMMUNITY GARDEN
Since 2018 we have maintained the Westside Community Garden. This garden is maintained with the help of the students in our youth programs, community members, and neighbors. We are excited to continue to provide this free open source garden to the community. We still have some growing to do…
The Beginning: Fall 2017
In 2017 we decided to embark on the journey of a Community Garden. This was a true task as we had never farmed or considered growing anything before. With the growing need for access to fresh produce we knew this was a journey we must embark on. We started with four raised beds in the fall made out of wooden pallets but we finished those too late in the season to plant anything.
First Harvest: Summer 2018
Now that we had four raised beds we were anxious to plant our first seeds. Needless to say it went well, not without challenges, but overall we were very happy with the results. It was amazing to see the plants go from seed to harvest. The first year we planted tomatoes, squash, and green beans….and there was A LOT of it!
Let’s Try It In the Fall: Fall 2018
With us remotely mastering gardening we decided to give it another go in Fall 2018. Thankfully the students from the After School Program were there to assist and keep up the garden. We planted community favorites: Turnip Greens,Collard Greens, and Cabbage.
Spring Into Action: Spring/Summer 2019
As spring approached we begin working a representative from the Governors’ Foundation on Health to develop programming for Healthier Communities. We decided to renovate and expand our garden with the help of community members and neighbors. Now this was a big to-do for us and you can read about it here. With the new beds in place we were ready to start our new season, new beds, and a new determination to provide open access to fresh produce in our community.
It’s Fall Planting: Fall 2019
After a very successful Spring/Summer harvest we were ready to start with the students in the After School Program. They did a GREAT JOB!
Spring/Summer 2020-Present
Still on the Journey
Well here we are still going along on our journey. It has been fun and challenging but we’re still here. We are grateful to be able to provide free access to produce in our community and we plan to keep growing. We can’t wait to see how this years harveset will turn out but so far it’s off to a good start. Check out The Hughes Project to see the next steps.
A Heart for Our Community
“ We believe by giving students an opportunity to engage in their community we open the door for good citizenship. Students participate in community surveys, create service projects, activate green spaces and much more.”
Put the Park Back in Alton Park
Community
The Net Resource Foundation, a mentorship and community-building nonprofit in Alton Park, was one of eight nonprofits across five major metropolitan areas to receive a 10-Minute Walk Campaign national grant from Trust for Public Land. The grant supports safe and equitable access to green spaces. According to its website, only 37 percent of Chattanooga residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park
The Net Resource Foundation hosted a year-long series of community festivals, educational activities, and beautification plans. The organization “Put the Park Back in Alton Park” by harnessing the power of faith-based and community ties to strengthen people’s connections to parks in the South Chattanooga Community of Alton Park.
Additional Information
Letter from Timothy Careathers
Where to Start
Things to Do
Staff Training
Trust for Public Land
The Hughes Project
Efforts to Beautify
The Hughes Project will beautify the area between 3996 Hughes Avenue and the Westside Community Garden located at 4023 Hughes Avenue. This beautification aims to cool the area from the Urban Heat Island Effect with cooling from strategically placed trees, provide recreational green space, and an open food source with the community garden. This project is in partnership with the Westside Missionary Baptist Church.
WMWA Landscape Architects has graciously partnered with us to complete the concept design as well as develop the green infrastructure.
Sponsors
Contact
(423) 401-0503
raquetta@thenetesourcefoundation.org
PO Box 2026, Chattanooga, TN 37409