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Monday, November 2, 2026Nov 2

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Cold weather shelter opens at Chattanooga Community Kitchen

Volunteers lay out mats for people to sleep on inside the Chattanooga Community Kitchen in downtown Chattanooga. As the temperature drops below freezing outside, the building offers a warm, dry place for the homeless to sleep.
Volunteers lay out mats for people to sleep on inside the Chattanooga Community Kitchen in downtown Chattanooga. As the temperature drops below freezing outside, the building offers a warm, dry place for the homeless to sleep. Volunteers lay out mats for people to sleep on inside the Chattanooga Community Kitchen in downtown Chattanooga. As the temperature drops below freezing outside, the building offers a warm, dry place for the homeless to sleep.

The Chattanooga Community Kitchen has opened as a 24-hour cold weather warming shelter for those in need this winter.

The Kitchen becomes a 24-hour operation during the coldest months in an effort to save lives from the frigid cold. An average of 120 people each night seek shelter at the Kitchen during these coldest months, according to a news release.

New this year, Relevant Hope is providing overnight supervision of the shelter in a partnership designed to meet even more needs. Relevant Hope is an outreach agency focused on meeting the needs of those sleeping outside, in camps or on the street.

Accommodations are sparse, with the space being transformed from usual case management and food services areas to mats on the floor.

Donations for utilities, meals and other services are appreciated.