January 18, 2020
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October 12, 2019
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November 16, 2019/DEEP Sabbath
at Oakwood University
December 7, 2019
December 14, 2019
We are urging our pastoral staff to work from home wherever possible. To contact the pastor on call, dial 423.236.7136.
Girls Inspired began in 2021 to expose adolescent girls living in marginalized neighborhoods in Chattanooga, TN to new experiences and academic support. Since inception, girls attending Brainerd High School have been the target population. We have observed several patterns in our work that result in poor outcomes for individuals living in poverty. Some of these patterns include teen pregnancy, community
violence, homelessness, poor academic achievement, and under-resourced schools. Girls Inspired has been intentional about not being problem focused but possibility creating.
Since 2021, Girls Inspired has been providing an alternative to teen pregnancy by offering weekly in school club meetings. These meetings expose the girls to career options, new experiences, community service projects, and 2 college tours.
Girls Inspired is providing a solution to poor academic achievement by offering Girls Inspired After School. Girls are welcome to come two days a week to receive free academic support from trained professionals. The girls participating in Girls Inspired After School can participate in life skills classes such as baking, cooking, gardening, and fashion design.
Girls Inspired would like to expand our work by addressing homelessness. Our goal is to offer transitional housing to homeless single young women ages 18-24 and young women with children. The article Homeless in America/Helping Homeless Youth by covenanthouse.org states that Black or African American youth have an 83% higher risk of homelessness than Hispanic or nonwhite youth and unmarried parenting youth had a 200% higher risk of homelessness. We have witnessed several girls experience couch surfing, which can start as young as age 16 or 17. Girls Inspired has provided emergency weekend and week-long stays in hotels because local shelters were at capacity. Girls Inspired Transitional Housing at Serenity Point would include a safe place to live, case management services to connect to community resources and the opportunity to participate in independent living classes. Possessing independent living skills can increase long term success. Girls Inspired strives to provide the possibility for dreaming, creating, and reaching personal goals. We invite you to unite with us to potentially change the trajectory of young women. We are currently seeking funding to open Girls Inspired Transitional Housing at Serenity Point. We are still in need of volunteers and mentors for our Girls Inspired programming.
“Helping one person may not change the world, but it could change the world for that one person.” The Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence.
If you’d like to donate toward our Girls Inspired ministry, click this link to go to our giving page, scroll down to the “Add Categories” link, scroll down to “Girls Inspired” and complete checkout electronically. You can also donate by check made out to Collegedale Church, with Girls Inspired in the memo line.