Happy Monday, Lamplighters!👋
I know you’re usually gettin’ our digital letters in yer inbox around this time, but we’re actually gonna send that out tomorrow (Mainly ‘cause we have some special news from our buds at The AIM Center that I’ve been keepin’ my word not to share ‘till then. Yapper’s honor 🤞
That said, this mornin’ belongs to one thing only: Hope On The Porch 2026!
If you weren’t readin’ along around this time last year, Hope on the Porch started as a fun-raiser through our lil’ porch community for September being Suicide Prevention Month and having a space where we can talk about it within our community kindly and lackin’ judgement. Meemaw has always said that a burden shared is a burden halved, and ya can’t share what nobody’ll name.
Through our Front Porch Partnerships and direct donations from y’all, we managed to pool in $600 ($100 past our goal!), hosted our first in-person event with Dorothy and the gals at Scenic City Burlesque, and became one of the top three fundraising teams at the Out of The Darkness Walk in Coolidge Park, which is a fabulous event put on nationwide through the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and supports the Tennessee chapter directly by providing resources, programs, and continued research towards preventing suicide.
Well this year… we’re running the dang thang ourselves, and we’re askin’ our Chattynooga pals to help make it a walk with the community to remember by doubling our fundraising goal to $1,000.
I know, I know, you’re probably sayin’ something like, “But Bubby, what the heck can I do from my tiny lil’ inbox with such a big community event?”
And to that I say, “If you hold your britches and keep reading through the rest of the email, I’ll tell ya.” But first, lemme start by tellin’ ya the theme for this year’s Hope On The Porch.
At the end of last year’s campaign, I realized that steppin’ in and helping never looks like an obvious answer just waving in your face (wouldn’t that be nice though?). In fact, something that might make one friend feel better could do diddly squat for another.
Also, as I’m sure you’ve prolly noticed, it’s been a pretty heavy year. With that heaviness, it can start to get overwhelming and like we’re unable to make an impact from where we are. When I get to that point, I think of what a friend’s mama once told ‘em in a voicemail:
I once read that as human beings, we’re always operating from a place of love or a place of fear.
Operating from a place of fear can paralyze a nation, let alone an individual.
But when we operate from a place of love, fear has no power over us.
Living inside of love, being love itself, we’re able to generate experiences that are limitless, harmonious, competent and empowering.
Te amo.
With that said, I wanna know what gives you hope when the sky is dark, or none of your seeds you’ve planted throughout the year are fruitful?
Reply to this email with a simple reminder of hope to you, we’d love to put together a fun collection to share every week to inspire other neighbors on how they can spread hope around them (or to themselves when they need it most!)
This year, we have four ways that you can be a helpin’ hand:
One — Walk and Fundraise with us to prevent suicide
We got our own team page for the Out of the Darkness Community Walk on November 1st at Coolidge Park. Sign up under our banner (or make your own team if you wanna), fundraise a little or a lot, and most importantly just show up to walk alongside Chattanoogans who have lost loved ones to suicide or struggled with it personally.
P.S. Are you affiliated with a resource that can be beneficial to mental health in any capacity? We’d love to have you setup as a vendor! Get in touch and let’s make it happen.
Two — Click our Front Porch Partner ads each week. Literally, that’s it.
Each issue, we feature a Front Porch Partner section that gives us some money every time you click on their ads from inside of yer email, ranging between 1-4 dollars per click. No sign-ups or weird things required, and only takes ‘bout 10 seconds of yer time. This money usually helps cover the costs to talk to y’all each week, but we’re putting 100% of all earnings directly towards our fundraising goal from September 1st to September 30th.
Last year we raised $141 from this alone, so it’s the easiest way to help without even opening up your wallet! We’ll make sure to post receipts of our donation as always.
Three — Tell us what Hope looks like for you
Hit reply to this email and tell us what keeps you going when times are hard. It can be the Little Free Library that you share with your neighborhood, going on a walk to clear your head, or lounging in a nice warm bubble bath. We’ll share fun reflections each week (with your permission of course!) across our newsletter and our socials so other neighbors can chime in too.
Four — Download and add a song to our HOTP Spotify Playlist!
Y’all know we love a good ditty with everything we do, and this ain’t no different. We’re making a fun collaborative playlist of songs that readers can listen to when you need a pick-me-up, or a reminder that puts your brain at ease.
Click the playlist below and save it to your Spotify, and add a few of your fave go-to’s while you’re there! We’ll choose songs from the playlist each week to celebrate!
You don’t gotta do everything to make things a better place, but even small actions make a ripplin’ impact around ya.
Finally, remember that If things ever get heavier than ya know how to carry — whether yours or somebody else’s — call, text, or chat with someone online at 988. Somebody’s on the line 24/7 and ya don’t have to do it alone.
Love you pal and mean it. We’ll leave the light on if ya need us always.
Until then, see ya tomorrow for your usual dose of Chatty catchups!
— Bubby & Clementine