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St. Andrews Center |
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About Us |
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Since 2004, the St. Andrews Center has been an advocate for the new immigrant and second-generation Americans in our community. Located in an historic United Methodist Church in Highland Park, it maintains its faith-based heritage and is committed to a broad multi-cultural outreach. Today, St. Andrews is focused on the arts, culture and civic engagement and serves as a catalyst for many local initiatives.
St. Andrews Arts Academy & Children’s Choir Focused on the visual and performing arts, the Arts Academy serves students attending Eastside Elementary and East Ridge High School.. Students in grades 3-5 will have the opportunity to participate as a choir and perform at various civic engagements throughout the year CityFaith A collaborative urban ministry course between the School of Theology at Sewanee and the St. Andrews Center, this course will focus on work-life balance, nurturing an authentic faith and voice, interfaith dialogue and working with people from all walks of life as an advocate for social justice. Community Garden & Food Pantry A 40’x40’ organic vegetable garden is used to feed the hungry and teach the best practices of growing fresh food on a budget. During harvest in July & August, fresh food is picked and packed on ice and shared with local residents in need. To supplement our garden, we receive donations and make purchases from the Main Street Market local organic farmer’s network. We are also active participants in the Buy Fresh Buy Local campaign. Gleaning St. Andrews is taking the lead on identifying local farmers who are willing to share their extra resources with area food pantries and neighborhood distribution sites. Intergenerational groups of volunteers will be engaged in the gleaning process to gather apples, tomatoes, potatoes and other crops, load trucks, bag produce and give to the hungry. Holy Communion in the Garden Monthly services are held in the community garden and include music, poetry, and a time to share joys and concerns and the sacrament of Holy Communion. Hartnell Farm A 60-acre former dairy farm within the Chattanooga city limits that will be used as a retreat site, food resource, & for multicultural education programs. Fall plans include an apple and peach orchard, strawberry field and blueberries. St. Nicholas School and Eastside Elementary will collaborate for a series of farm activities centered on themes of “sacred places” and “teaching tolerance.” Kids @ the farm: “Sacred Places” and “Teaching Tolerance” themes In keeping with the farm’s historic educational mission, a partnership has been formed between St. Nicholas School, a private elementary school with Episcopal roots, and Eastside Elementary, a public school on Main Street with an Hispanic enrollment of more than 50%. Together, students will explore the themes of sacred places and tolerance through hands-on projects. They will grow a children’s butterfly garden and build bluebird houses, as well as enjoy pony rides, nature studies, local history and culture, and Chattanooga Zoo farm animal visits on-site. The students will exchange letters throughout the school year and find common ground as they ride the bus together, share lunch and play at the farm.
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