Help, Hope & Understanding

for people struggling with limited financial resources

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Mission & Vision

The  mission  of Crisis Assistance Ministry is to  provide assistance and advocacy for people in financial crisis, helping them move toward self-sufficiency.

Our  vision  is to inspire our community to justice and generosity as we provide help, hope, and understanding to people struggling with limited financial resources.

Customer Stories

The Power of Financial Empowerment

On a warm Saturday morning in late October 2025, Eddie graduated from Crisis Assistance Ministry’s Financial Empowerment service. Following months of one-on-one counseling filled with honest — and sometimes challenging — conversations with his Financial Empowerment Specialist, Randee, Eddie marked his hard work with a graduation celebration. Life Before Financial Empowerment In early 2025, Eddie was married with four children. He had a thriving career, a loving family, and was barely getting by financially. “My life was paycheck-to-paycheck,” says Eddie. “It was getting an overdraft […]
A Tale of Two Customers

Crisis Assistance Ministry sits at the corner of Statesville Avenue and Graham Street, just outside of uptown Charlotte — and at the edge of a great many people’s lives. Consider Mandy and Shawn. They have never met. But not long ago, they both found themselves in the very same place: waiting anxiously in the lobby of Crisis Assistance Ministry, hoping for a lifeline. Mandy and her 70-year-old mother, Andrea, had long considered themselves fortunate.  They lived comfortably in a 3-bedroom home filled with rescue […]
The Benefits Cliff: When Progress Costs Too Much

For most people, getting a raise at work is cause for celebration.

But for thousands of hardworking families, a raise can trigger something unexpected – and dangerous – called the benefits cliff.
Sharing Hope, Warmth, & Light

Thank you for believing in me. Thank you for seeing me past my circumstances because I’ve come out on the other side.
Warm Hearts, Warm Smiles For More Than 20 Years

More than two decades ago, then WSOC Meteorologist Steve Udelson saw a need and rallied the Charlotte-Mecklenburg community to solve it. That first year, viewers donated about 3,000 coats for people served by Crisis Assistance Ministry. By the time Steve retired, the annual collection was averaging more than 30,000 coats. All told, Steve’s Coats is responsible for getting more than 300,000 coats into the hands of neighbors through our Free Store and Partner Agency Network. […]
I Know How It Feels

On the day her family sought help at Crisis Assistance Ministry, Jennifer had to use her gas card at the convenience store to get bread and peanut butter to feed her three young children. It was the only way. They were completely out of cash and she did not have anything else to help them get by any longer. It had been two months since they ventured across the country to Charlotte for her (then) […]

By the Numbers

for fiscal year ending June 30, 2025

Families Served

More than 18,000 households in Mecklenburg County were served in person or through local partnerships.

of Every Dollar Supports Stability Services

91% of every dollar donated is allocated to stabilize Mecklenburg County residents

Children Benefiting from Our Services

Children under 18 made up just over 40% of those who benefited from Crisis Assistance Ministry services.

Latest Agency News

Meet Our 2026 Employee of the Year Dalong Sivongxay

When Crisis Assistance Ministry named Dalong Sivongxay its 2026 Employee of the Year, she did not immediately realize the announcement was about her. “I was completely shocked,” Dalong said. “I didn’t even know Carol Hardison, Chief Executive Officer, said my name.” Her name, she explained with a laugh, is often misheard. “My name sounds like a lot […]
How Board Service Strengthens Charlotte’s Nonprofit Leaders

Executive leaders at Crisis Assistance Ministry are building impact, not just inside our agency but across the entire county. Matt Sharp, our Chief Housing Stability Officer, shows what happens when nonprofit executives step beyond their own walls, serve on boards, and bring that experience back home to strengthen housing stability and economic security for local […]
Emerging Leaders Doing Extraordinary Things

Crisis Assistance Ministry’s student interns are bringing fresh energy, real-world experience, and a deep sense of justice to Charlotte—and their summer here is shaping how they’ll show up as changemakers for years to come. This blog introduces three of them and the Bank of America Student Leaders program that helped connect them to this work. […]
Dr. Steven Rogelberg’s Quiet Impact at Crisis Assistance Ministry

Most days, the lobby at Crisis Assistance Ministry is a study in urgency and hope. Neighbors arrive with disconnection notices, eviction papers, and the kind of questions that keep people awake at night: Will the lights stay on? Where will we sleep next month? Staff do their best to offer calm in the middle of […]
The Power of Financial Empowerment

On a warm Saturday morning in late October 2025, Eddie graduated from Crisis Assistance Ministry’s Financial Empowerment service. Following months of one-on-one counseling filled with honest — and sometimes challenging — conversations with his Financial Empowerment Specialist, Randee, Eddie marked his hard work with a graduation celebration. Life Before Financial Empowerment In early 2025, Eddie was married with four children. He had a thriving […]
Crisis Assistance Ministry Welcomes New Board Members

Crisis Assistance Ministry is happy to welcome Sherry Ferguson, Jay Herring, and Allison Hoffman to the Board of Directors! Serving on Crisis Assistance Ministry’s Board of Directors means far more than attending meetings. Board members help shape policy for programs that help families move toward self-sufficiency, and support staff who show up every day to meet neighbors at some of the hardest moments of their […]
VITA Free Tax Prep Meck

Free Tax Prep Meck is back. IRS-Certified tax preparation at no cost to qualifying individuals.
Crisis Assistance Ministry Names Matthew Sharp Chief Housing Stability Officer

Crisis Assistance Ministry is pleased to announce the appointment of Matthew Sharp as Chief Housing Stability Officer (CHSO). Sharp brings more than 19 years of senior leadership experience across the nonprofit and higher education sectors to this critical executive role. As CHSO, Sharp will lead the agency’s Housing Stability Services division, overseeing emergency financial assistance […]
“Toys from Thomas” Comes to Crisis Assistance Ministry

Carolina Panthers offensive tackle Taylor Moton and his family bring Toys from Thomas to life for families working hard toward financial stability.
Warm Hearts, Warm Smiles For More Than 20 Years

More than two decades ago, then WSOC Meteorologist Steve Udelson saw a need and rallied the Charlotte-Mecklenburg community to solve it. That first year, viewers donated about 3,000 coats for people served by Crisis Assistance Ministry. By the time Steve retired, the annual collection was averaging more than 30,000 coats. All told, Steve’s Coats is […]
Charlotte Means Business: Local Companies Give Time and Dollars to Preserve Dignity

With some of the largest companies in America headquartered in the Charlotte Region, it is no surprise that local businesses enhance Crisis Assistance Ministry’s ability to serve Mecklenburg County. From thousands of volunteer hours to clothing and household good donations to sizeable financial gifts, Charlotte companies provide critical support to Crisis Assistance Ministry operations. Over […]
Stronger Together: How Our Partner Agency Network Amplifies Impact

Every day in Mecklenburg County, families face unexpected crises – a job loss, a medical emergency, or a sudden rent increase – that threaten to upend their stability. When that happens, no one should have to face those challenges alone. That belief drives Crisis Assistance Ministry’s Partner Agency Network, a collaboration of organizations working together to ensure help arrives […]