Cleveland: Caring Place seeks to help in hard times

CLEVELAND, Tenn. — Wayne Wengerd remembers how a 2005 house fire left his family with nothing.

“The clothes I had on when I left for work that morning was all I had,” he said at a recent fundraising dinner for The Caring Place, a nonprofit and ecumenical aid agency.

The Caring Place provided food, clothing and household items to get the family through its hard time, he told the audience.

“I wasn’t used to asking for anything. I worked. I took care of my family. My wife worked. We took care of our family,” he said. At The Caring Place, he said, he found people who wanted to help and didn’t leave his family feeling less about themselves because of their need.

“It’s not just about what they do. It’s about how they make others feel,” he said.

Now Mr. Wengerd is a minister and starting a food bank himself.

The Caring Place opened eight years ago, the collaborative effort of dozens of churches from many denominations, plus schools, civic groups and local businesses. It relies on donations of money, food, clothing and bedding, purchases from the Chattanooga Food Bank and volunteers.

People line up early on the days when the agency opens to the public. They can get groceries and clothing for a nominal price.

“We provide excellent customer service,” Director Reba Terry said.

By the end of the year The Caring Place will meet about 40,000 needs, she said, including about 1,000 bags of groceries per month. About 3,800 people are served each year.