United Way of Greater Chattanooga hosted its third-annual United for Working Families Summit on Aug. 19, hosting more than 400 leaders from across business, nonprofit and government sectors to continue the momentum in uplifting working families.
Officials said, "The event has become a national model for how communities can mobilize to support ALICE families, those who are Asset Limited, Income Constrained and Employed.
"The latest ALICE data shows that nearly 11,000 households with children in Hamilton County are now living in financial hardship, a 15 percent increase in just one year. These families are working hard, often multiple jobs, but still can't afford the basics. The survival budget for a family of four with two children in childcare has surged by $20,000 in just two years, underscoring the urgency of this movement."
“This summit, and movement at large, is all about local solutions with real results,” said Lesley Scearce, president and CEO of United Way of Greater Chattanooga. “Our region’s workforce is filled with hardworking people doing all they can to provide for their families, but still falling short. Together, we have the power to change that story by using our workplaces and leadership to create real pathways for families to thrive, not just survive.”
The 2025 summit gathered 70 local nonprofits and 50 local businesses. Organizations leading the way and sponsoring this work are Tennessee Valley Authority, Southern Champion Tray, TextCare, Unum, Kenco, Chattanooga Gas, Mckinsey Global Institute, and Vayner Media.
To see photos from the day, visit unitedwaycha.org/ufwfgallery.
“As United Way helped us learn more about ALICE, we realized that while we were offering competitive individual wages, they weren’t enough to support families," said Gianetta Jones, senior vice president and chief people officer at Coca-Cola Bottling Company United. "That insight led us to restructure our frontline pay to better reflect the real cost of living for working families in Chattanooga. Supporting our employees in this way isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s good for business."
The 2025 summit featured a lineup of speakers, including:
• Claude Silver, chief heart officer at VaynerMedia, shared “be the reason the room feels better” as she encouraged everyone to lead with empathy.
• Christine Motherwell, SVP of Human Resources at Coca-Cola Consolidated, and Gianetta Jones, SVP and chief people officer at Coca-Cola Bottling Company UNITED, shared stories of working families and pointed to real solutions in United Way’s Family-Friendly Workplace Guide.
• Kevin Russell, senior fellow at the McKinsey Global Institute, shared how companies can increase "empowerment impact" through their “connections, contexts and capabilities,” based on a global research framework.
• Hassan Hammoud, senior manager of essential services of Ford Philanthropy, and Matt Marshall, president and CEO of United Way of West TN, shared their BlueOval project and how it’s revitalizing West Tennessee.
Officials said, "This summit is part of a broader initiative to build family-friendly workplaces across Greater Chattanooga. By partnering with local employers, United Way’s ALICE@Work has worked with 240 organizations, touching nearly 24,000 employees, to help them better understand and support their ALICE employees. The 2025 summit highlighted United Way’s cross-sector collaboration in pursuit of a shared mission: helping all working families thrive. With remarks from Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp and City of Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly, the event offered a tangible picture of the regional collaboration and participation in this movement.
"The 2025 summit showed what a 'connected community' looks like in action. As Ken Jones, United Way of Greater Chattanooga board chair, said in his opening remarks, 'when a community comes together with a shared purpose, to uplift every family, we strengthen our local economy and our community at large.'
:United Way invites the community to join the United for Working Families movement by stepping up to give, advocate and volunteer—three powerful ways we can all help build a stronger, more resilient Chattanooga. Learn more and get involved at unitedwaycha.org/workingfamilies."