By Camp REACH Student, Rebekah Wright, 18
Chattanooga resident Robert Smith credits the late Bishop W.C. Hunter, founder of The World’s Church of the Living God, and Pastor Allan Harrington for teaching him to care for others. He says helping people is how he thanks God.
“The Bible says, ‘He who considers the poor, the Lord will bless,’” Smith said.
Smith spoke this month to teens at Camp REACH, a summer program that focuses on career exploration, literacy, and leadership. His visit came after students in the camp’s journalism class expressed a desire to write about people who help the homeless.
Rachel Wright, 17, sat among nearly a dozen students listening.
“Don’t judge [homeless people] for what they’re struggling with, because they can’t always help themselves,” she said. “It’s always important to give back.”
Smith, who helps feed the homeless through Shalom Emmanuel Ministries at The World’s Church of the Living God, is one of several volunteers and professionals that students interviewed this summer about why they serve people experiencing homelessness.
Catherine Williams, Hospitality Manager at the CHATT Foundation, said her drive comes from a desire to make a difference in people’s lives—even when that means going beyond her paycheck.
“My passion is being able to help someone in the midst of their darkest moment… and bring them back to being a sustainable adult,” she said.
According to chattfoundation.org, the CHATT Foundation provides around 140,000 meals a year. It offers three meals a day, hygiene items, and clothing at no cost to the homeless community. The center also provides access to a computer lab, a phone line, and a case manager to help clients find jobs and rebuild their lives.
This year Chattanooga Regional Homeless Coalition counted an estimated 1,100 homeless individuals across its 11-county region—a 12 percent increase from 2024.
Local minister Richard K. Bennent volunteers at several organizations that serve the homeless, including the Salvation Army and First Presbyterian Church, where he helps with emergency assistance and teaches faith and finance classes. He also produces a podcast on TikTok called New Thought, which focuses on changing how people think.
“The Bible says in Philippians 2:5, ‘Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,’” Bennent said. “That means: I want to show you your better self. I want to take you out of moments of addiction and help you see those were just moments. If you let them go, I can show you what’s ahead of you.”
For students like Rachel, the experience was eye-opening.
“Some homeless people have nowhere to live, eat, or stay,” she said after interviewing homeless people at the CHATT Foundation. “And it’s important for people in the community to help them any way they can.” Camp REACH is a work-based summer youth program of the Mary Walker Foundation, designed to cultivate literacy, journalism, career exploration, and leadership development.