Help, Hope & Understanding

for people struggling with limited financial resources

Get Help

Volunteer

Donate Now

Stability Starts Here

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

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) […]
Julia: Giving Back in Gratitude

When we first told Julia’s story, almost a decade ago now, she was emerging from life-altering tragedy and grateful to have found help and hope at Crisis Assistance Ministry. With your support, her utilities were restored, she was connected to one-on-one coaching for longer term housing stability, and later found her voice as a Customer Advocate. Caring neighbors like you made all that possible. Since then, she has mentored other customer advocates, shared her story […]

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

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 […]
The 50-Year Legacy of the Free Store

What if every shirt, every pair of pants, and every warm coat had a story to tell? Not just the journey it took from one home to a donation bin, but the story of the family who received it, the hope it brought, and the crisis it helped avert. In the heart of Charlotte, there’s […]
Behind the Scenes: How Your Uniform Donations Reach Families

Every uniform tells a story. That tiny pair of navy blue pants? Donated by a family whose youngest just started middle school. The stack of red polos? Shipped from a kind stranger through our Amazon Wish List. Each item has a journey—and at Crisis Assistance Ministry, it’s our job to make sure those journeys end […]
Confidence: Why School Uniforms Matter

There’s something powerful about the first day of school: the anticipation, the nerves, the clean slate. But for too many students in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, that moment of possibility is clouded by something as simple as what they’re wearing. More than 40 public schools in the Charlotte area require uniforms: solid color polos, khakis, sweaters, socks. […]
50 Stories for 50 Years

For 50 years, this community has come together here to offer help, hope, and understanding to Mecklenburg County neighbors in need of housing stability. In honor of this milestone year, we are sharing 50 stories of Crisis Assistance Ministry throughout the year. Here’s a recap so far:
Walking in Someone Else’s Shoes: Lessons from a Poverty Simulation

BY ISHA MISHRA Most Americans can’t cover a $400 emergency. Recently, we learned exactly why—and what living with that pressure really feels like. This past week, I was one of five Bank of America Student Leaders at Crisis Assistance Ministry to participate in a “poverty simulation,” an experience designed to challenge how we think about […]