Chattanooga Neighborhood Enterprise has wrapped up five weeks of community action, bringing together 365 volunteers across four large scale events to complete critical home repairs, property revitalization and long-term neighborhood planning throughout Chattanooga.

Spanning from mid-May through late June, this collaborative blitz engaged local youth, community partners and out-of-state volunteer groups to touch 10 homeowner properties, eight CNE rental properties and multiple neighborhood landmarks.

The effort culminated in a comprehensive cleanup in Oak Grove and the installation of a brand-new neighborhood gateway signage.

"True engagement brings these kinds of massive results," said Grecia Morales, CNE’s Healthy Neighborhoods manager. "Bringing in more than 350 volunteers who believe so deeply in our mission is an incredible milestone for our department and our city. Seeing this level of dedication over five consecutive weeks shows what is possible when a community unites for its neighbors."

The five-week timeline deployed a mix of project types including home improvement projects and data-driven neighborhood mapping:

· May 18–22 (Build It Green): Partnering with Green Spaces, 25 volunteers kicked off the effort by completing some much needed exterior repairs across 10 resident properties, paving the way for summer revitalization.

· May 26–28 (NeighborWorks Weeks/Generate Camp/YM360): 90 volunteers arrived in the Oak Grove and Ridgedale communities to conduct comprehensive BUKI scoring assessments. This data will act as CNE's strategic roadmap for neighborhood project planning over the next three years.

· June 2–4 (NeighborWorks Weeks/Generate Camp/YM360): A second wave of 100 youth volunteers took to the field, pivoting to exterior landscaping and painting across 5 CNE rental properties.

· June 24–26 (Alive In You Volunteer Camp): In a massive finale, 150 volunteers traveled to Chattanooga from across the country—including Illinois, Florida, Virginia, and Georgia—to execute a major painting and landscaping push, building directly upon the repair foundations laid in May.

"The five week stretch of work was made possible through vital civic and corporate partnerships," officials said. "The Chattanooga Public Library provided essential equipment through its tool checkout program, while Lowe’s and Ace Hardware donated and subsidized critical supplies. Additionally, the Trust for Public Land hosted the BUKI scoring training sessions, preparing volunteers for data collection.

"Internally, the project was championed by CNE's Property Management staff, who coordinated site logistics and kept the 365 volunteers fed, alongside dedicated efforts from staff members William Larios, Eric Madding, intern Henry and Mollie Chambers, who captured media content throughout the month’s events.

"As CNE celebrates 40 years of bold service in Chattanooga, this high-impact summer initiative turns five weeks of immediate volunteer energy into a multi-year strategy, ensuring the neighborhoods served have a beautifully maintained, safe and data-backed future."