October 2026

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What Your Support Made Possible

Every year, we have the privilege of seeing lives change through the work happening at Chattanooga Room in the Inn. Our annual report gives us a chance to pause, look back at the past year, and share what your support made possible.

Inside this year’s report, you’ll find stories from the women, children, and young people in our programs, along with a closer look at the work happening across CRITI. From housing and case management to education, employment, child advocacy, aftercare, and our Unaccompanied Youth Program, each part of the work is connected to one goal: helping people build stability and move forward.

One number from the past year stands out: 100% of CRITI graduates remained housed throughout the last fiscal year. Behind that number are people who worked hard, reached goals, faced challenges, and kept moving forward.

Donors, volunteers, sponsors, churches, community partners, staff, and board members each play a part in creating a place where women and children can find support and build a different future.

We hope you’ll take a few minutes to read the 25/26 Annual Report and see the impact of being part of CRITI. We are grateful for everyone who continues to believe in this mission and walks alongside the people we serve.

25/26 Annual Report

A Grant to Help Young People Be Seen and Supported

There is a lot happening behind the scenes before a young person walks through CRITI’s doors.

Our Child Advocate Intern, Ally Rheal, recently assembled kits for our Unaccompanied Youth Program (UYP) to share with Hamilton County Schools’ Families in Transition office. Their team helps identify high school students experiencing homelessness or housing instability who may be eligible for UYP.

Through the program, young people receive safe shelter, educational support, tutoring and mentorship, case management, life skills training, and support as they work toward graduation and an independent future.

This work was recently recognized when CRITI was named one of three finalists for the Nightingale Network’s annual grant through the Women’s Fund of Greater Chattanooga alongside fellow finalists LifeSpring Community Health and The Momentum Network. Our Executive Director, Taylor Hixson, shared the vision behind UYP, and we were honored to ultimately be selected as the recipient of the grant.

The grant will help us continue providing stability and opportunity for young people experiencing homelessness.

From assembling a simple kit to securing funding for the program, every piece of the work helps us make sure young people know they are seen, supported, and believed in.

What Rebuilding Looks Like

Our mission is to empower women and children experiencing homelessness to rebuild their lives by providing transitional housing, support, and hope.

What does "rebuild their lives" actually look like?

At CRITI, it starts with stability. Unlike a traditional emergency shelter, CRITI offers a six-month live-in program designed specifically for women and children experiencing homelessness, with wrap-around support built into their stay. Families have more than a bed for the night. They have time, a safe place to live, people walking alongside them, and the opportunity to focus on what comes next.

From there, rebuilding can take many forms.

For four women in our Aftercare program, it looks like applying for the Families First Subsidized Employment Program through the Tennessee Department of Human Services. The 12-month program provides training and professional experience as Eligibility Clerks, along with benefits and the possibility of permanent employment. For these women, an opportunity like this can mean building experience, increasing financial stability, and opening another door toward the future they are working to create.

For five women in our program, rebuilding looks like learning how to manage a budget with the help of Truist. Understanding expenses and making thoughtful financial decisions are skills they can carry with them long after their time at CRITI.

And for our case managers, rebuilding means continually learning how to provide better support. Our case management team is completing advanced training in Motivational Interviewing, strengthening their ability to listen, build trust, recognize strengths, and help each person identify and take ownership of their own next steps.

Even our staff’s growth is part of this work. Our Director of Development recently joined more than 500 nonprofit professionals at the Tennessee Nonprofit Network Conference, bringing home new ideas and connections that will help CRITI continue growing and serving our community well.

Rebuilding rarely happens because of one program, one opportunity, or one person. It happens through many pieces coming together: a safe place to live, a chance to learn, someone willing to listen, an opportunity to work, and a team committed to walking alongside the people we serve.

That is what transitional housing, support, and hope look like at CRITI. And CRITI is the only program like it in the area.

Welcome Jessica!

Please welcome Jessica Schofield to the CRITI team as our newest Child Advocate!

Before joining CRITI, Jessica worked with the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services, where she developed a passion for supporting children and families. Her involvement with Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. has also strengthened her commitment to serving her community.

As a Child Advocate, Jessica will work with CRITI families during evening hours, offering encouragement, support, and a caring presence.

We’re grateful to have Jessica on the team and excited to see the difference she makes. Welcome to CRITI, Jessica!

This internship will provide hands-on experience in both marketing and communications for a nonprofit, including:

• Creating content for CRITI’s social media channels

• Designing graphics and other materials in Canva

• Helping create our monthly newsletter

• Responding to messages and comments on social media

• Finding new ways to increase engagement and connect with our audience

• Assisting with donor communications and other marketing projects as needed

Apply to Intern

Life Skills Spotlight

Meet June Puett, one of the instructors who helps make life skills programming at CRITI possible.

June has spent more than 40 years with UT Extension, helping people improve their quality of life through Family & Consumer Sciences.

At CRITI, June leads hands-on financial literacy programming, creating space for women to share their experiences, work through challenges, and build practical skills for everyday life.

We’re grateful for the knowledge, creativity, and care June brings to CRITI and for the time she invests in helping women build financial stability and independence.

Thank you, June!

You can turn your taking-up-space vehicle into support for women and children at Chattanooga Room in the Inn through Charitable Adult Rides & Services (CARS).

CARS accepts donations including:

Cars and trucks
Motorcycles
RVs and boats
Lawn mowers and other equipment
Real estate
... And more!

Visit our Website

Year-Round Impact Made Possible By Our Annual Sponsors

Do you own a business, work for a local company, or know someone who does? We’d love your help connecting CRITI with businesses interested in making a difference in the Chattanooga community.

Our business partnerships are being designed around what matters most to each company starting this fiscal year. Opportunities can include community exposure, marketing and visibility, employee volunteer opportunities, co-branded initiatives, event involvement, and other ways to connect your business with the mission of Chattanooga Room in the Inn.

We know every business has different goals, resources, and interests, so we’re happy to have a conversation and build a partnership that makes sense for both the business and CRITI.

If you know a business that may be interested in learning more, we’d love an introduction. Together, we can find a meaningful way for local businesses to invest in women, children, and young people working toward stability and a stronger future.

Annual Sponsor Info

Shelter to Stability Donor Society

The Shelter to Stability Donor Society brings together generous supporters who believe in the long-term work of helping women and children move from homelessness toward stability and independence.

We are deeply grateful to our current members for the meaningful investment they make in CRITI’s mission. Your generosity helps provide the resources, relationships, and opportunities families need to move forward.

We’re also pleased to welcome new members to the Donor Society. Your decision to make a deeper investment in CRITI helps strengthen the foundation of this work and creates opportunities for lasting change, one family at a time.

Thank you for believing in this mission and for being part of the CRITI community.

Thank you to our current donor society members!