Democrats Care 2023

This years’ Democrats Care, a subcommittee of HCDP’s Community Outreach Committee, is once again helping to address the needs of our homeless brothers and sisters by supporting three local agencies that provide direct support to Chattanooga’s unhoused population:

• Welcome Home is a facility that serves those needing cancer treatment or hospice care.
• Extended Arms gathers specific items each month to distribute to our neighbors in need.
• And Helping the Chattanooga Homeless is a Facebook group moderated by one of our own Democrats to provide items needed or requested by members of the community who other homeless agencies do not serve.

Any and all of the three entities could use monetary donations or volunteers for supporting primary or secondary needs. If you would like to donate your time or money, please contact the following for more information:

Welcome Home – Michelle at 423-355-5842

Extended Arms – Lisa 423-313-7410

Helping the Homeless of Chattanooga – look for and join this Facebook group to get information and to donate if you are interested.

The list below are the items that are most needed to support the mission of these three groups and drop boxes will be available at HCDP Headquarters — 1089 Bailey Ave., Chattanooga (starting Saturday) — and at party events for donations. Please donate usable and weather appropriate items (for example, no high heels, worn-out shoes, tattered underwear, etc.). We will be posting more items that are weather appropriate for winter at a later date since storage is limited, so watch for more in The Blast and on our website.

Here are some of the most requested items:

● clothing (functional shoes, shorts, tees, underwear — ladies and men’s boxers– socks, and sun hats)

● food items that are prepackaged (crackers, nuts, trail mix, etc.) or pop top cans (pottedmeat, Vienna sausages, Spam, etc.). Peanut butter in small jars and small containers of dog food are also useful.

● Supplies listed below are also always needed:

● tents, sleeping bags, and tarps

● sunscreen, bug spray, lip balm and rain ponchos

● dish towels, bath towels, paper towels, and baby wipes

● hygiene supplies in sampler sizes (feminine products, too)

Since many of the items are needed in small quantities, we are also collecting empty medicine bottles (labels removed) to fill with products such as Dawn, soft soap, lotion, shower gel, first-aid supplies (Band-Aids, ointment), dog shampoo, foot powder, laundry detergent and batteries. If you donate to this component of the project, please consider giving a larger refill bottle or bulk supply of the item so we can support a number of people with multiple quantities in smaller containers.

Welcome Home needs monetary donations and volunteers for a variety of projects as well.

If you are interested in helping with Democrats Care, call subcommittee member Lisa Guffey at 423-313-7410.