Celebration is more than just a party—it’s a necessary joy. Especially in the nonprofit world. Amid long days, tough decisions, and all the bootstrapped, behind-the-scenes work, making space to celebrate is how we all stay energized, grateful, and excited about the work we do.
That’s why United Way hosts the Celebrate Awards each year—a time set aside to gather, recognize, and cheer on the folks in our community who are driving compassionate change across Chattanooga. It’s about hope, gratitude, and community, all wrapped up in one of our favorite (dance) parties of the year.
This year, we introduced something new: the Rising Star Award. It honors emerging nonprofits making a powerful impact in just their first few years of operation. And this year, it was awarded to Chattanooga Free Store!
Chattanooga Free Store is entirely volunteer-run. It’s all about neighbors helping neighbors, redistributing goods, and building community care from the ground up. They provide free essentials like diapers, period products, clothing, and so much more, without requiring any form of ID. They’re not just filling gaps—they’re connecting neighborhoods, opening their doors to everyone, building solidarity and hope. And they’re doing it all for free.
“Miracles happen every time we’re open,” said Cassie Belter, who helps lead the Chattanooga Free Store. She went on to share several stories about what she means by this, all of which were too good not to share:
“Someone getting out of jail, who lost their home and all of their belongings, got a chance to “start fresh” with the clothes they found at our store. A recently housed individual, who had lived on the streets for years, got cleaning supplies and decorations for their new home. A family with children in diapers who are over two years old and therefore don’t qualify for diapers through TennCare – they get a bundle of diapers and baby wipes every week. A shopper who has no income besides food stamps (which don’t cover hygiene items) comes to us to access shampoo, deodorant, tampons, and more.”
And then there are the little joys. “We hand out stickers to all the kiddos who visit our store,” Cassie laughed. “Not to toot our own horn, but our sticker game is strong. Our repeat kiddo customers get so excited to pick out their stickers each week!” Whether it’s a pair of shoes, soap, or a sticker, Chattanooga Free Store reminds us that the little things maybe aren’t so little after all.
With a motto of “Solidarity, not Charity,” Chattanooga Free Store is a mutual aid powerhouse in our community. It began as a pop-up shop in Highland Park in 2021, created in response to a growing crisis around basic needs and the many barriers our neighbors faced in accessing essential items. By April 2023, they moved to their first permanent space on Dodson Ave, only to be met by a funding shortage a year later.
“That’s when our incredible community stepped up!” said Cassie. “We raised enough money and recruited enough volunteers to provide essential items again. But instead of once a month, we could do it during every open shift (three times a week)!” And it’s this kind of community support that has put the wind in their sails ever since.
Chattanooga Free Store now has a storefront at 1701 Dodson Avenue, is open four days a week, and has so many clothing donations that they supply several “free closets” around town. This growth has been a true gift to our neighbors, consistently meeting basic needs, providing neighborly care, and even restoring hope and dignity—just the essentials.
The Chattanooga Free Store is a beautiful example of momentum in our nonprofit community, of what unity and solidarity can look like in action. This is precisely why the Rising Star Award exists: to highlight the up-and-coming forces of change in Chattanooga, cheer them on, and hopefully get more folks connected to their mission.
Speaking of which, there are lots of ways you can support Chattanooga Free Store’s work. From volunteering to donating, to simply helping spread the word to neighbors who might need this resource, every little bit helps. “The support of our community is the backbone of the Chattanooga Free Store,” said Cassie, “we simply would not exist without kind people donating, volunteering, and operating the store.” Learn more and get connected by visiting their website and following them on social media.
Again and again, we’re reminded that when we come together- whether that’s to celebrate, to meet our neighbor’s needs, or to remind each other of what makes us human- our community is made stronger. Let’s continue to become neighbors who take every opportunity to celebrate, who make the choice of unity, and who practice hospitality to all of our neighbors. Together, we can build a thriving Chattanooga.