Planting Seeds of Change

Poverty often passes from one generation to the next. Breaking that cycle takes more than a word of encouragement Ð it requires long-term investment, trust and a vision for something greater and stronger to create lasting change.

Hope for the Inner City (HFIC), based in Hamilton County, Tennessee, is working to meet the needs of impoverished and aging populations in East Chattanooga. Operating out of a nearly 19,000-square-foot facility on five acres, the nonprofit serves residents across 13 zip codes. The organization has served the area since the late 1970s and became HFIC in 2007, following the merger of two local ministries.

For Executive Director Anthony Watkins and Farm Coordinator Jordan Watkins, the father and son’s mission is simple: to change lives through impactful programs and build a stronger community by learning, growing and working together.

Program Offerings

The programs provided by HFIC are designed to reduce poverty, empower people and foster community resilience in East Chattanooga.

Economic Empowerment

• Faith and Finance: Teaches individuals how to manage money and break cycles of poverty.
• Tech Goes Home: Provides digital skills training and offers Chromebooks at a significantly reduced cost.
• Work Life: Teaches individuals how to succeed in their professional journeys.

Health and Wellness

• Cooking Classes and Healthy Meal Planning: Offers instruction on how to prepare nutritious and affordable meals.
• Urban Garden: The cornerstone program that promotes sustainable, healthy living. Local residents can learn how to grow fresh food, gain practical gardening skills and use garden-grown ingredients in their home cooked meals.
• Food Distribution: Twice a week, the organization distributes healthy, balanced meals to local families in need. Supplemented with fresh produce grown in the Urban Garden, each bag includes recipe cards and food prepping tips.
• Vision and Dental Clinics

Community Engagement

• Summer Youth Camp: Educational and recreational opportunities for local youth.
• Urban Mission Team: Provides home repairs to ensure safe, stable housing.

Community Impact Starts With Food

According to Anthony, the Urban Garden plays a key role in how they reach and support underserved populations in East Chattanooga. He believes that, like many nonprofits, HFIC is uniquely positioned to bring the community together.

In 2024 alone, the HFIC Urban Garden grew and distributed nearly 360 pounds of fresh food – valued at just under $200,000.

“If someone is hungry, they don’t have much space to think about anything else,” Anthony explained.

“Our garden creates a sense of security. They can see it and eat from it. Managing the food well allows for a relationship to grow deeper. People know they can come to us for food; they begin to trust us and then realize that we have other programs they can benefit from.”

About the Urban Garden

In 2023, Jordan began the Urban Garden with several raised wooden beds. The land had previously been used as a baseball field and was made up mostly of clay soil, making in-ground planting extremely difficult.

To overcome this challenge, raised beds were constructed from cinder blocks and filled with nutrient-rich garden soil to grow truly organic produce. Starting from seed, Jordan plants and tends the garden with the help of volunteers, growing local favorites such as peppers, corn, okra, watermelon and tomatoes.

“Over the last two years, I’ve been talking with people, and okra is one of the things that they ask for the most,” Jordan shared. “So, we definitely grow a lot of okra.”

Twice a week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, HFIC strategically and thoughtfully packs and distributes 25 bags per day. Their goal is to provide participants with everything they need to make wholesome and nutritious meals.

“What we give out isn’t just random food,” Jordan emphasized. “We give out whole meals and we tell them how to use what we’re giving them. Each bag includes grains, proteins, fruits and vegetables – we’re hitting all of the food groups that people need.”

To make all of this happen, HFIC partners with local organizations – corporate, faith-based and non-faith based.

For example, Chick-fil-A and Panera Bread may provide protein and grains, while Whole Foods supplies fruits and vegetables. The rest is supplemented with what’s grown and harvested from HFIC’s Urban Garden.

“The garden is a big part of changing mindsets,” Anthony added. “When you put seed on bad ground, it doesn’t grow. But if you put seed on good ground, it does. That’s why we believe it’s important to know the person’s name and know how we can pray for them. Then, we try to meet their basic needs and go from there.”

Long-Term Vision and Community Unity

When asked about long-term vision, Anthony thinks about people collectively coming alongside one another and helping each other, no matter who or where they are.

“When people come together, there’s a reconciliation in it. It’s a way of saying, ‘there’s no difference, it’s just conditions.’ So, when I think about changing lives, I’m thinking about bringing those with plenty, together with those who have little. It’s like a potluck. I bring a little, you bring a little, but we come together at a table – we’re fellowshipping, we’re together, we’re understanding and we can help one another,” he concluded.