The Salvation Army, Chattanooga Rescue Mission, Chattanooga Community Kitchen and Union Gospel Mission decided Thursday to open emergency shelters for the homeless when temperatures drop below 40 degrees.

The agencies met to prepare a cold-weather plan to ensure more space for the homeless , according to a news release from the Salvation Army.

"In hot weather, we usually require an additional 24-36 beds for the homeless each night," Charlie Hughes of the Community Kitchen said in the release. "Now with the colder weather arriving, the level of emergency escalates, and we know we'll need many more beds than that."

Donated coats, blankets, scarves, hats and gloves for the homeless will be accepted at the following locations:

* The Salvation Army, 800 McCallie Ave.

* The Community Kitchen, 727 E. 11th St.

* The Chattanooga Rescue Mission, 924 E. Eighth St.

* The Union Gospel Mission, 124 Signal Hills Drive

Siskin executive honored

Linda Lind, senior vice president and chief operating officer at Siskin Hospital for Physical Rehabilitation, has received the 2009 Meritorious Service Award for Executive Staff from the Tennessee Hospital Association.

Ms. Lind received the award at the Oct. 30 THA Awards of Excellence event, held during the association's 71st annual meeting in Nashville.

Ms. Lind was honored for her "dynamic leadership and commitment to the mission of the hospital and the patients it serves," according to a Thursday news release.

As the second employee hired at Siskin Hospital, she started in 1988 as vice president of clinical services and was promoted to senior vice president and COO in 1993. Among her accomplishments, she established Siskin Hospital's Community Re-Entry Program, which focuses on job training for patients with traumatic brain injuries.

Ms. Lind helped create a master's degree program in occupational therapy at UTC. She is an adjunct professor for the physical therapy doctoral program at UTC, a fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives and active in the American Medical Rehabilitation Providers Association. She received a bachelor's degree in occupational therapy at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a master's degree in business administration at the University of Illinois in Chicago.

Economic trends forum set Nov. 19

The American Diversity Report and the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce's Leadership Chattanooga Alumni Association will host a forum to discuss local and global economic trends at 11:30 a.m. on Nov. 19 in the Jewish Cultural Center.

Among other topics, it will discuss how a small Southern city can prepare for the global economy and what skills will be needed for an effective global mindset.

The panelists include Jeff Olingy, director of Economic and Community Development at Chattanooga State Community College; Deborah Levine, president of the American Diversity Report; and Rodney Van Valkenburg, director of arts education at Allied Arts.

RSVP by Nov. 13 by calling 867-5564 or send an e-mail to Deborah Levine at deborah@americandiversityreport.com.