The earlier version of this story was changed to update fundraising and 211 call center data.
The three co-founders of East Lake Expression Engine came to the idea differently, but, miraculously, at the same time.
“Piggyback on the church camp!”
Elisabeth O’Neil, Evelyn Petcher Brandes and Michael wKendall were friends at Covenant College who went separate ways after graduating before coming back together in Chattanooga where Kendall, and later O’Neil, began attending New City East Lake — a church plant becoming deeply interwoven with the growing immigrant community in the underinvested East Chattanooga neighborhood.
A summer camp developed for the local children, many of whom are Guatemalan, and the three classically trained musicians wanted to add music to the planned activities — an experiment they eventually turned into a thriving nonprofit, with support this year for the first time from a new funding avenue from the United Way, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary in Chattanooga this year.