(Aired Tues 1/14/25)
To confront and curb homelessness here in Southeast Tennessee takes people who know the streets - who bring help to those without shelter wherever they are and whatever their condition.
Some of those people here in Chattanooga belong to the Regional Outreach Cooperative, or the ROC: a coalition of outreach social workers, faith-based groups and volunteers.
Mike Gehard knows the ROC’s impact.
He’s board president of SORBA, the trail access nonprofit for mountain bikers and outdoor enthusiasts - and a donor of the Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga, which recommended the ROC to him as a program to support.
A few months ago, I had the chance to speak with Mike, Noah Hoff of the ROC - and Caroline von Kessler, vice president for philanthropy at the Community Foundation.
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Our thanks to Woodson Carpenter and Anthony Prince of the Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga for arranging this conversation.
