By 9 a.m. on a recent morning, the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Homeless Health Care Center was packed, said patient Wilfred Smith as he waited for a cancer screening at the first-come, first-served health clinic.
By noon, the lobby area began to thin out.
The 53-year-old recent Chattanooga transplant said he stays under a bridge in East Ridge and has been homeless for more than 20 years.
At the health care center, Smith said he’s gotten care that he couldn’t otherwise afford.
“They try to help you on everything,” he said. “They do a real good job here.”