United Way of Greater Chattanooga

THANK YOU to our 2025 Celebrate Award sponsors!🎊 Your generous support enables us to shine a well-deserved spotlight on the incredible work of our nonprofit community in Chattanooga! P.S. We're on the cusp of revealing award finalists, so stay tuned.👀 And don't forget to grab your ticket if you haven't already! https://hubs.la/Q03clGJ00 Shaw Industries, First Horizon Bank, Husch Blackwell, Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, SmartBank

Meet Charlie. He runs SPLASH Youth Arts Workshop, a free arts education program dedicated to empowering young lives. SPLASH is one of our funded nonprofit partners this year. Charlie is using art to provide opportunities to our youth and uplift the community, at large. Art can serve as remarkable glue for communities. As Charlie puts it, “art is where diverse cultures come together in a safe place of experiencing, sharing, and learning.” 💛 We're so grateful for the work SPLASH! And on several occasions (like the one pictured, here), we've been lucky enough to partner with SPLASH for community-led art experiences of our own. To learn more about SPLASH Youth Arts Workshop, how it's uplifting our neighbors, and how you can be part of strengthening our community in your own creative ways, check out our latest blog post: https://hubs.la/Q03c8--M0 ✨

A few weeks ago, we had our Youth United cohort in the office to learn, play, volunteer, and grow as leaders, together. ⭐ They spent the morning thinking about the importance of "leadership by example" and reflecting on the people and passions in their lives that have shaped this idea for them. While they were in the office, we chatted with a few students to hear what they've loved about the program so far. We were touched by their reflections and thought you might be, too! Give it a watch for some end-of-week inspiration!✨

Earlier this year, we visited with our friends at Family Crisis Center of Walker, Dade, Catoosa, and Chattanooga Counties! 🏡💛 Family Crisis Center of WDCC is one of our funded nonprofit partners this year, and we're so grateful that we had the opportunity to see some of their work in action. It was a joy to spend time with this compassionate team who is working hard to provide stability to local families through shelter, outreach, awareness, and prevention. Thank you Family Crisis Center of WDCC for the vital ways you are caring for our region's youth and families.

Many things make up a thriving community, and housing surely is one of them. That's why we're grateful to support the work of Chattanooga Neighborhood Enterprise in building more affordable housing for our neighbors. Read this article to learn more!

Happy International Women's Day! ⭐ Each year, the National Women’s History Alliance designates a theme for the month, and this year it's “Moving Forward Together.” We're big fans of that idea here at United Way. We wholeheartedly believe that "united" is the way to... well, just about everything. And women have played a big role in this vision, both today and in decades past. This month, we are grateful to look back on our shared history and celebrate the many women who have paved the way to where we are today. Whether it's the women on our team here at United Way (did you know our staff is majority women?!), or the women in our families, social circles, and community, we are also grateful for the women who are still moving us forward, united, today. We hope you find ways to celebrate the strong women in your life today. Here are just a few ideas of how you could do that! Supporting women can look like many things, but it always looks like respect!

When employees thrive, organizations thrive. 💼✨ Last week, we wrapped up our first ALICE@Work cohort of the spring! This 3-day program equips people leaders with the tools and data needed to support ALICE workers—those who are Asset Limited, Income Constrained, and Employed. ALICE employees earn above the poverty level but struggle to meet basic living costs, leading to daily hardships that impact their job performance. Workplaces play a unique role in supporting these individuals and families, and this wonderful group of leaders joined us to learn how their organizations could do just that! A huge thank you to everyone who participated! Your commitment to supporting your employees is helping make Chattanooga a stronger, more resilient community for all working families. 💪🏽🌟 Learn more about local ALICE data and resources, here: https://hubs.la/Q039s41T0!

Happy Election Day, neighbor! ✔️🏙️💛 Communities are made stronger when more voices are heard, and voting in your local elections is one of the most direct ways we can do this. We encourage you to take the opportunity to share your voice with local leaders and be involved in your community, today. Get out there and vote, Chattanooga! 1. Find your Polling Location: https://hubs.la/Q0399zR90 2. Check out this Voter Guide: https://hubs.la/Q0399ycl0 3. And don't forget to bring your Photo ID with you to the polls!

How can understanding our built environments make us better neighbors?🏙️🌳🛤️ More on this at Great Conversations 2025! Hosted by our Emerging Leaders, this interactive event invites community members and urban planners, alike, to explore this question together. With a panel of local community leaders, we’ll think about how our spaces—public parks, city streets, or homes—shape our sense of belonging and interaction. If you're passionate about the future of our communities, join us! You'll walk away from this event with practical strategies for how you might advocate for, give to, or volunteer with initiatives that help build a stronger, more connected community for all of our neighbors. Get your ticket, today! https://hubs.la/Q0392s8D0!

United, we can advocate for all Tennessee families. ⭐ Yesterday, our team shared data and stories about ALICE families at the Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee meeting, highlighting the crucial work of statewide 211 helplines that connect neighbors to critical resources. ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, and Employed) represents the many hardworking families and individuals in our community who are stretching every dollar to make ends meet. In Hamilton County alone, there are over 9,500 households with children who fall into this bracket. Thank you, Chairman Bo Watson and the Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee for this opportunity. We are so grateful for your time engaging in this important conversation and considering how we might all play a role in uplifting our neighbors. As budget discussions continue, we encourage leaders to support ALICE families and vital programs like 211 in Tennessee.