To show you CRITI’s impact, we could list the services we provide or their dollar value. But the most powerful stories aren’t told through data or dollars, they’re told through the voices of those whose lives have been changed.

We're proud to introduce this letter from current CRITI resident Soronia Millsaps, who is rebuilding her life with courage and hope. We’re honored to walk beside her on this journey.

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“On July 21, 2025, my daughter, my son, and I stepped into the unknown after being homeless since October 2024.  We spent months living with friends and family as I tried my best to get back on track. I am grateful to the ones who opened their doors to help us out in what I consider one of the lowest moments in my forty years of life. However, the mere thought of invading other people’s spaces made me feel worse about my situation. Although I was actively searching for places to live, I was constantly denied due to the eviction. Also, the fact that I’m now on a fixed income due to my disability, made my housing options very slim. Every time I got a little bit of hope it was quickly met with discouragement and sadness. I felt like a failure as a woman and much more, I felt like I failed my children.

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As more time passed and we were still living with others, I became more stressed and worried about our lives. All of this stress triggered my epilepsy and the seizures started happening more frequently. I had to do something but I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t keep living with other people and not having a definite date as to when we would be leaving. I felt obligated to help pay for utilities, household supplies, food, and whatever else my children and I used while staying with others.  

 

This in turn made it harder for me to save money for myself and my kids. I didn’t know how to get out of this rut so I started searching online about resources for homeless women and children. Just the thought of accepting that we were in fact homeless shattered me on the inside. “How could I be homeless with my kids? I’ve been a single mother since 2008 with very little to no help and yet I still managed to keep a roof over our heads and provide stability for my children. Yet, here we are. I now had two daughters who had graduated high school. Why did I let this happen?  How foolish of me to put my kids in this predicament!”

 

But wallowing in my sorrow wasn’t going to change our situation so I swallowed my pride and went to 11th Street to see if someone could point me in the right direction. That case manager pointed me to Chattanooga Room in the Inn. I had never heard of it so she explained the process to me and told me a little about it. She stated that I would be contacted once a room became available. I left there feeling like I was taking back control of my life but still the thoughts of “what will this be like?” flooded my mind.  

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We arrived at CRITI, nervous.  However, we were greeted with smiling faces and warmth that started to melt away my nervousness. Everyone was so inviting and nice that I didn’t feel like we were walking into a shelter. The atmosphere felt very calm and home-like. As we sat down with the case managers to discuss the house rules, expectations, and any questions we had, I started to feel that I’d made the best decision for my little family. We got settled into our room after we were given a tour of CRITI and our journey began. 

 

Fast forward to today, this place has really become our place of peace. We’ve really bonded with the other families here, as well as the staff. We all are a part of our CRITI family. We share, not only, common areas in the building, but a special part of each other’s lives. We’ve given and gotten encouragement from each other. Our children look forward to telling each other and the staff about their day at school. We’ve celebrated birthdays, sports events, job acceptances, etc. As we’ve taken Life Skills classes on Mondays, I’ve learned where I lacked knowledge with budgeting and credit building. I’ve since earned my CPR license and I’ve been rewarded with a new laptop due to taking a five-week technology course.  

 

CRITI has helped me in so many ways to get back on track mentally and emotionally by providing counseling services, in-house. I’ve been helped, financially, by CRITI providing school supplies, clothes, and personal hygiene supplies for myself and my children. CRITI has also helped me to pay off the judgment balance to my former landlord which would have taken me years to pay in full.

 

CRITI is surely the help I didn’t know I needed because it’s not just a shelter for women and children, it’s a place where you don’t have to feel like a failure because you aren’t judged by how you got here. Everyone makes you feel seen and special and a part of a community who not only wants to see you win but they help in every way they can.  

 

So looking back, I am glad that I did what’s best for myself and my children and I’m blessed to be a part of the CRITI family.

 

–Soronia Millsaps, CRITI Resident on October 30, 2025”