BACON AND BOXERS UPDATE
This time last year, Chattanooga Echelon members and volunteers were gathered in the assembly room at the 800 McCallie Avenue location of The Salvation Army of Chattanooga. The smell of bacon filled the air as the team busily sorted through socks and boxers by size, spread out the bacon burgers, and set the tables. It was Bacon and Boxer’s day. The day they had been preparing for months - the day they’d open the doors to hundreds of men experiencing homelessness in the community to grab a fresh pair of undergarments and gather around for a filling meal.
This year, the assembly room at the day center looks a little different. The area has been converted to a COVID-19 positive quarantine shelter for members of the un-housed community.
Though the two images are very different, and certainly not anticipated, Chattanooga Echelon’s commitment to the community and desire to continue out the purpose of the Bacon and Boxers event is still the same.
The Purpose Of Bacon And Boxers
The annual event hosted by Chattanooga Echelon, in partnership with the Chattanooga Salvation Army, aims to provide forgotten supplies such as socks and underwear to local men experiencing homelessness. These items are some of the most asked for, but least donated items. Bacon and Boxers follow the Chattanooga Women’s Auxiliary annual Mardi Bra party, which supplies a variety of feminine and hygiene products to the women who visit the Salvation Army’s day shelter.
How To Support The Cause From Home
Though the in-person Bacon and Boxers event was canceled, Echelon still donated over 150 pairs of socks and boxers to the Chattanooga Salvation Army to be distributed to different homeless camps in the community.
In addition to the pandemic, the recent tornadoes and storms have made the need for personal items such as boxers, socks, and hygiene products larger than before.
Last week, in recognition of this need, Echelon shared a note of encouragement, written by Ivy Academy’s sixth-grade class, accompanied by one fact about the homeless community, to Facebook and Instagram.
So take a look, and consider donating an item safely online through Amazon to ensure the homeless community has necessities like socks and boxers.