Hamilton County’s Isaiah 117 House For Children Needs Donations, Volunteers

Submitted by Michele Reneau –

Per Chambliss Center for Children, in the TN Valley region (which covers multiple counties), on any given day there are 800-900 children in foster care in the Tennessee Valley region (with about 9,000 statewide). 

Judge Philyaw recently said that there are 280 or so in Hamilton County. Currently there are children from Hamilton County placed at the Bradley County Isaiah 117 House which has displaced some of those Bradley County children to the McMinn Monroe Isaiah 117 House. 

When children are removed from their Home, they go to the DCS office until foster care placement can be found. This can be hours, days or sometimes weeks. Often kids are dirty, hungry and tired. They may sleep on the floor of the office. They may have lice. They may need a bath and a hot meal. The DCS worker must triage the paperwork, search for a foster parent and tend to the childrens’ needs when possible. 

Isaiah 117 House changes the way foster care begins for the child, the DCS worker and the foster parent. DCS can bring the children to Isaiah 117 and volunteers love the children by meeting their needs while DCS works in an on-site office space. The children get fed, bathed, snuggles, play and rest. Foster parents aren’t woken in the middle of the night to pick up children but that can wait until business hours with an Isaiah 117 House open. 

Most times children come with a garbage bag with their only possessions.  Each child gets a specially packed bag tailored to the child’s favorite colors, wants, needs to include 4 pairs of brand new clothes, new PJ’s, shoes, toiletries, a special toy to take with them to their foster home. School supplies, booster seats if needed are provided to foster parent. While the child waits, there are a number of toys and activities they can engage in from cooking with volunteers to games, playground, reading and more. Kids may come in scared but they leave feeling loved.  Foster parents have an easier time saying yes when they are rested, have some basic provisions and kids don’t come to them traumatized. 

In order to open the door to begin serving children in Hamilton County, the house which is completed now needs to be fully furnished, the Giving Room stocked, and the first year’s operating budget funded. This amounts to $175,000. They also need 50 volunteers lined up for when they open the doors to take shifts. There are several ways to donate. 

A check can be made out either to Isaiah 117 House c/o Chambliss Center for Children.  

315 Gillespie Rd, Chattanooga 37411

Online: http://bitly.ws/EWuS (Choose Isaiah House from the drop-down)

Venmo: @ChamblissCenter (Mention Isaiah 117 House in the memo)

CashApp: @ChamblissCenter (Mention Isaiah 117 House in the memo)

Isaiah 117 House does a Lemonade Stand Challenge each year. Individuals, churches, businesses, civic organizations can participate. This will help raise awareness about Isaiah 117 House as well as raise money. Get details here.

There are many ways to volunteer. Check out the link:

https://www.volgistics.com/appform/1946428268

Follow their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Isaiah117HouseCCC 
Learn more from words from the Founder telling the Isaiah 117 story: https://youtu.be/Qt3l5Wqa_-E