S&S Renovations

08/05/2026

08/04/2026

08/04/2026

Join us for our First Friday Coffee this Friday, August 7th at The Samaritan Center. Meet business owners and leaders to expand your professional network.

08/03/2026

You're Invited to Celebrate with us in ! 🙌🏼

After months of construction and renovations, we're excited to officially welcome the community back to the East Ridge Community Center!

Join us on Saturday, August 22. 2026 as we celebrate the Community Center's Grand Re-Opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at beginning 11:00 AM, followed by an open house until 4:00 PM.

Bring the family, tour the renovated facility, meet our Parks and Recreation team, enjoy activities throughout the day, grab a bite to eat (while supplies last), and enter for a chance to win some great raffle prizes donated by local businesses.

This project represents the largest renovation to the Community Center since it opened in 1994. From the expanded gymnasium and updated facilities to improved accessibility and new spaces for future programming, we're excited to open the doors and show everyone what's new.

🗓️ Saturday, August 22, 2026
✂️ Ribbon Cutting: 11:00am
⛹🏻‍♀️ Open House: 11:00am until 4:00pm

We hope you'll come celebrate with us and see everything the new Community Center has to offer!

📍 East Ridge Community Center
1515 Tombras Avenue
East Ridge, TN 37412

We can’t wait to see you there! 💙🧡🤍

08/03/2026

Every time 😅

08/03/2026

07/31/2026

My Name is Dolores Umbridge...

I don't know what it feels like to have a home.

I only know what it feels like to survive.

Every day I searched for food, always hungry, always looking over my shoulder. Every sound could be danger. Every person could mean the end.

Then one day I smelled food.

I was so hungry that I couldn't resist.

The door closed behind me.

I was trapped.

I didn't know these people meant to help. I only knew I was terrified.

They took me somewhere strange. There was food, clean water, a soft bed, and it was cool inside. But I didn't trust any of it.

What they didn't know...
..was that I was carrying babies.

That very night I went into labor.

The next morning someone opened the door. I thought they were coming for my babies.

I hissed.

I swatted.

I told them to stay away.

Instead, they quietly cleaned my kennel, gave me fresh food and water, covered my cage so people wouldn't keep staring at us, and left.

Maybe these humans weren't so bad after all...

Then my worst nightmare happened.

One of my babies became sick.

A lady noticed.

She picked up my baby.

I cried.

I called for my kitten.

I waited for them to come back.

They never did.

I curled myself around my remaining babies and refused to leave them—even to eat. So the lady brought food to my bed instead.

Then another baby became sick.

Gone.

Then another.

Gone.

Now there was only one.

By then I wasn't feeling well either. The humans gave both of us awful-tasting medicine every day. I fought them with everything I had.

I wasn't going to lose my last baby.

Weeks passed.

We got stronger.

My little boy grew bigger every day.

Then one day they took him away.

They put him with kittens his own age.

I stopped eating.

He stopped eating.

He didn't play.

He only cried.

And so did I.

Finally...

They brought him back.

We wrapped ourselves around each other, terrified we'd ever be separated again.

From that moment on, whenever someone came close, I held him tighter.

Weeks turned into months.

People stopped to admire him.

"Oh, he's adorable."

But then they'd notice me...
..and walk away.

The humans kept telling everyone we were inseparable.

That we loved each other.

That we had already survived so much together.

Still...

No one chose us.

Eventually we were moved into a larger room.

For the first time my baby had room to run.

To climb.

To play.

I even started believing life might finally be getting better.

But another mama needed the room more than we did.

So back into a kennel we went.

Just the two of us.

Waiting.

Hoping.

My baby has never known anything except shelter walls.

He was born here.

He has grown up here.

Every milestone of his life has happened inside a kennel.

He has never watched birds from a windowsill.

Never napped on someone's couch.

Never curled up in bed with a family.

He's only ever had me.

And I've only ever had him.

Please...

Don't make this be where his story ends.

Open your heart to both of us.

We've already survived together.

Now we're just hoping to finally live together.

💜 Dolores Umbridge and her son Filch are looking for a home where they can stay together forever. If you've ever thought about changing two lives with one decision, this is your chance.

Because sometimes the greatest love stories don't come from fairy tales... they come from a shelter kennel waiting for someone to say, "Come home."

07/31/2026

07/31/2026

Some dogs need a second chance. Others just need someone to notice them. Shep came to us because the people who loved him had to move and couldn't take him along. Sometimes life forces impossible decisions, and that's how this incredible dog found himself in a shelter.

Yesterday Shep got to go on an outing OUTSIDE of the kennels and he did not disappoint.

At just 2 years old, this Belgian Malinois/German Shepherd mix showed us exactly who he is. He rode quietly in the car, took treats with the gentlest mouth, and never stopped wagging his tail. He was content just being with his people.

He noticed every goose, duck, horse, and squirrel we passed. That's the working dog in him. He trembled with excitement, whined a little, and watched every movement—but he chose self-control. When another dog barked and carried on, Shep answered with a single bark before redirecting immediately and moving on. That doesn't happen by accident. Somebody spent time with this dog, and it shows.

He's fully vetted, great with respectful children, and enjoys the company of well-mannered dogs. Because of his working-breed drive, he needs a home without small animals or other little critters.

The best word to describe Shep is balanced. He has the intelligence and athleticism you'd expect from his breeds, but he also has an off switch. He doesn't have to be in motion every second of the day. He's happy to explore, then lay in the shade beside you and simply enjoy the moment.

Meaghan walked away from this outing with one thought and told us:

"I would own this dog in a heartbeat."

If you've been looking for a loyal partner instead of just a pet, Shep is waiting. He's already proven he'll do his part. Now he just needs someone willing to do theirs.

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