From Shelter to Stability

A mother and her teenage son who came to our shelter in October 2024 have officially moved into permanent housing! After facing years of housing instability and ongoing health challenges, this mom took meaningful steps toward securing a more stable future for her family.

A major highlight during their time with us was her son’s graduation from high school and his enrollment in a community college welding program.

On May 16, 2025, they successfully completed our program and moved into their new apartment. They are now part of our Aftercare Program through which they'll continue to receive supportive services as they settle into their new home.

Congratulations to this deserving family!

Providing Shelter and Hope: A Video About the Mission of Chattanooga Room in the Inn

The ultimate goal of CRITI is to help participants achieve independence to ensure they never experience homelessness again. In this video highlighting our programs, you can sense how passionate our employees are about the mission, how resilient our residents are, and just how incredibly important it is to welcome every woman and child with dignity, care, kindness, and compassion.

You'll hear some deeply personal experiences as you take a closer look at the programs and impact CRITI has on the community as a whole.

We're proud of the work we do as an organization, but we're more proud of the residents for asking for help and putting in the work to create stability for themselves and their children.

CRITI Gets a Refresh

✨ Huge thanks to Window Genie of Chattanooga for their generous donation of pressure washing services! Our entryway is glowing, and we’re blown away by the difference! 🌟

They cleared the debris from our French drain, refreshed the patio, and cleaned the entire sidewalk around our entrance. 🧼🚿 Shoutout to techs Andre and Owen who took great care to do a beautiful job!

What an amazing gift! For our shelter’s appearance, and for the sense of care and community it brings. 🩷🏡

Recently, middle and high school students learned to distinguish between needs and wants and how to budget for both! Older elementary students explored the value of saving through games like Roblox, while toddlers practiced number recognition and counting, laying the foundation for future money skills.

Learning financial literacy is especially important from a homeless child's perspective because it offers a sense of control, hope, and empowerment in a life that can feel uncertain. Understanding money, how to save it, budget it, and use it wisely, can be a vital step toward breaking the cycle of homelessness.

For a child facing homelessness, even basic financial knowledge can plant the seed for long-term stability, helping them envision and work toward a future with more security and opportunity.

Skating Forward: How CRITI Helps Women Rise

At CRITI, we believe that healing happens in motion and that no one rises without a team behind her.

Imagine a woman named Tanya, a mother of two, who found herself at CRITI after facing overwhelming challenges. Just like a roller derby player entering the rink for the first time, Tanya was uncertain, apprehensive, and unsure of her strength, but as she engaged in our comprehensive programs, focused on health, housing, finances, family, and career, she began to build resilience, stability, and empowerment. She also discovered her inner strength, which much like a roller derby player after countless falls, learns to glide with confidence and determination.

Roller derby is a sport that demands strength, agility, and the ability to think on your feet. Similarly, at CRITI, Tanya was learning to navigate life's obstacles, develop life skills, and regain her footing. Despite setbacks, Tanya continued to move forward, supported by a community (or team) that believed in her potential...just as roller derby players fall and rise again.

At CRITI, we honor the inherent worth of every individual, fostering an environment of respect and trust. Like the roller derby community, we celebrate each woman's journey, knowing that with the right kind of support, they can overcome any challenge and skate toward a brighter future.

Thank you again, Chattanooga Roller Derby for growing our "team" and supporting the women and children in our program the way only a team like yours can.

Being spotlighted at the Chattanooga Lookouts Community Partner Night wasn’t just a fun evening; it was a meaningful step in advancing our mission.

Events like these raise awareness, helping more people learn who we are, what we do, and why it matters. They create opportunities to connect with new supporters, volunteers, and partners who can help us grow our impact. When community leaders like Dee Jeffreys, our Board Chair Elect, step up and represent us, or when little champions like Lilah proudly share our story at an info booth, it puts a human face on our mission, reminding everyone that change happens one relationship, one story, and one moment at a time.

Most importantly, being recognized publicly reinforces the message that women and children experiencing homelessness are not invisible; their lives, hopes, and futures matter. And when the community celebrates us, they’re also affirming the strength, dignity, and potential of the families we serve.

A night at the ballpark becomes much more than a game, it becomes a symbol of community, connection, and shared commitment to a brighter future.