CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (May 19, 2026) – A safe place to stay together, access to childcare, and coordinated support services will be provided for more than 120 parents, caregivers, pregnant women, infants, and children as the City of Chattanooga moves forward with plans to donate the former Airport Inn property to The Grateful Gobbler.
The renovated property will become Provident Place, a secure and professionally operated shelter designed to help families with children move from crisis to stability. First Things First will lead the day-to-day family support model, providing coaching, case management, parenting support, housing and public services navigation, and connections to childcare, employment, mental health, transportation and other community resources.
“Provident Place will double the number of available beds for families experiencing homelessness in Chattanooga,” said Mayor Tim Kelly. “This facility will also provide necessary wrap-around services to ensure they get the support they need to get back on their feet. We appreciate the tremendous work of the Maclellan Foundation, community partners, public and private entities for turning this into a reality. This much needed solution would literally not have been possible without Maclellan’s vision and generosity.”
Three of the Maclellan Family Foundations provided $2.3 million in seed money to get the project started and renovate the Airport Inn. While First Things First will operate the shelter, more than a dozen community partners will provide services and support to families through wrap-around services: Big Brothers Big Sisters, American Job Center, Chattanooga State Community College, AIM Center, Chattanooga Room at the Inn, Parkridge Hospital, Volunteer Behavioral Health, Homeless Health Care, LifeSpring Community Health, Chattanooga Autism Center, Head Start, Rock Point Church, Orchard Knob Church, Hamilton County Medical Society and East Ridge Church of Christ.
“Just as it took a community-wide solution to address this critical problem, there was a small community of leaders that pulled it all together,” said David Denmark, Executive Director of the Maclellan Foundation. “Maclellan could not have done it without the wisdom and guidance from Lauren Hall, Dr. Keri Randolph, Betsy McCright, Bob Bosworth and Karlene Claridy. I am so grateful for the generosity of the City of Chattanooga. The donation of the Airport Inn was the catalyst that ultimately became Provident Place.”
On-site services will include: job readiness, basic financial literacy, parenting support groups, family support coaching, case management to build self-sufficiency, full-time and episodic childcare, housing and public services navigation, psychiatric evaluation, therapy and support, supplemental food support, youth/adolescent programming (including mentoring and tutoring).
“Provident Place is about keeping families together at one of the most fragile moments of their lives,” said Lauren Hall, President and CEO of First Things First. “A family in crisis needs more than a room. They need safety, a plan, caring accountability, and the right partners around them so they can move toward stability. First Things First is honored to help lead a model that protects children, supports parents, and gives families a real pathway forward.”
This is a true private–public–philanthropic partnership. There are at least seven private companies, and 33 public entities (or non-profits) involved in Provident Place. To date, local companies providing key products or services to Provident Place are Tinker Ma, Zirkops Security, Playcore, Home Depot, Quality Fencing, Barnhart Energy Co, and Ooltewah Nursery. Many well-known and respected non-profits are coming together to serve these vulnerable neighbors. Among them are Chambliss Center for Children, United Way of Greater Chattanooga, Chattanooga Area Food Bank, Samaritan Center, Silverdale Baptist Church and Academy, and LifeSpring Community Health.
Several governmental agencies are also providing key services to the families served by Provident Place. Among them are CARTA, Chattanooga Housing Authority, EPB, Hamilton County Schools, and Hamilton County.