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Crisis Assistance Ministry

Crisis Assistance Ministry

Charlotte, NC

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Poverty: The Newest “Dirty” Word

Poverty isn’t a permanent place that someone lives in; in fact, most people flow in and out of living in poverty throughout their lives. Living paycheck to paycheck is relatively normal today. Therefore, missing a paycheck due to sickness or another issue could cause a surge in the direction of poverty and hinder the ability to pay rent on time or buy groceries for your family.

July 10, 2019

By Hana Newnam

Poverty seems to be a dirty and taboo word around the country, but especially in Charlotte. Everyone knows it exists, but they pretend not to see the starving man on the corner of Trade and Tryon or the exhausted woman trying to lay down for a bit on an uptown bench which has a bar placed oh-so-conveniently in the middle to stop her from doing just that.  Ignoring these people is a lot easier when you have the mentality that those living in poverty are “lazy” and should “just get a job.” But poverty doesn’t always have easy answers. In fact, it happens to ordinary people who have had a “perfect storm” of hardships or traumas.   

Recently, I had the privilege to join four customer advocates and nearly a dozen other interns for a truthful chat about poverty in Charlotte. The discussion began with a reflection on Gene Nichol’s Faces of Poverty in North Carolina and then moved into the customer advocates sharing their real and heart-breaking stories. 

Summer interns from a variety of community-serving organizations met with customer advocates for an open discussion of poverty and its implications for Charlotte and the families who live here.

Poverty isn’t a permanent place

I learned that poverty can look like a family who was living an average life until their home was ruined in a flood, a car crash prevented them from getting to work on time, or something more traumatic like domestic violence forced them to relocate. People who used to feel safe and secure, now suddenly feel invisible, unheard, and defeated.   

One of the interns described Charlotte as a “glossy” and idealized city that wants to pretend there is no problem with poverty. An advocate agreed, saying that the visible need is “covered up by gentrification.” Parts of Charlotte like South End used to be full of affordable housing for low wage earners but have now been bulldozed and replaced with breweries and luxury condominiums. This has forced people in need of lower-cost housing to overcrowd low-income neighborhoods, effectively hiding their need in hidden pockets of poverty far from new development. 

Because I grew up in Charlotte, I knew a lot about some of these trends, but one thing I’ve never thought of is the fluidity of poverty. Poverty isn’t a permanent place that someone lives in; in fact, most people flow in and out of living in poverty throughout their lives. Living paycheck to paycheck is relatively normal today. Therefore, missing a paycheck due to sickness or another issue could cause a surge in the direction of poverty and hinder the ability to pay rent on time or buy groceries for your family.  

Genuine listening creates understanding

The interns sitting around the conference room were relatively privileged college students, while in front of us we saw four resilient adults in different stages of their life—all who have survived poverty.  The outcome of the discussion was a beautiful and eye-opening understanding of each other. It’s something that can only come from genuine listening. No matter the differences in their stories, each advocate said they don’t want to be pitied. Instead, they said they just want to be heard and to be regarded as a human instead of a statistic.


Hana Newnam is a rising Junior at Queens University of Charlotte and an Intern with the Marketing Team at Crisis Assistance Ministry.  She enjoys learning about social justice and advocacy in order to better educate herself and others on issues in our community.

Filed Under: Advocacy Tagged With: Faces of Poverty in North Carolina, Gene Nichol, Hana Newnam, Interns, Poverty

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Crisis Assistance Ministry

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    Charlotte, NC 28206
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Recent Photos

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These community-minded Deltas celebrated Founder's Day last week by inspecting and preparing donated goods for Free Store shoppers. With their help, families shopping free of charge will find essentials to help them live with dignity this week.

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The King Center's theme for MLK Day 2023 is "It Start's With Me: Cultivating A Beloved Community Mindset to Transform Unjust Systems." Fifty-five years after his death, we still see the impacts of unjust systems every day at Crisis Assistance Ministry.  Read more in this weekend's blog (link in bio)

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Crisis Assistance Ministry will be closed on Monday, January 16 in observance of  Martin Luther King Day. The office will be closed to all customers, volunteers, staff, and donors. Typical hours resume on Tuesday, January 17, 2023.

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Families in Charlotte, and across the country, are struggling to make ends meet. Inflation has outpaced wage growth. People are working harder than ever but still falling behind on rent and utilities. People need more money. But could we use policy to get more money into the hands of those who need it the most? This week's blog takes a look at the potential for Guaranteed Basic Income here in the Queen City. (Link in bio)
📷 courtesy of @stocktondemo

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Just one more day before we're back to "normal." So, @CrisisAssistMin is closed January 2, 2023,  and will return to typical business hours tomorrow, January 3.
(Financial assistance 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Free Store by appointment 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Donation drop off 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.)

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Wishing you hope, warmth, & light in the new year and beyond.
(P.S. @crisisassistmin will be closed tomorrow, January 2, and reopen with typical hours on Tuesday, January 3, 2023.)

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"Everybody wants to have that light shine."
Nikki shares what the holidays mean to her family as we reach the end of the year.  Looking back, she's grateful for the help of the community to get her through a financial crisis and back on her feet moving toward economic mobility.
Thousands more families will seek that same kind of help -- to stay safely housed, to keep utilities flowing, to provide clothing and household goods, and to rebuild financial stability -- in 2023.
Visit our quick links to learn more and to make a tax-deductible year-end gift to help more of our neighbors in the coming year.
Oh, and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

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Crisis Assistance Ministry wishes the hope, warmth, and light of home to all those who celebrate Kwanzaa this week.

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This snack ministry was a little different. Ashley (a.n.outlaw)  from @nachoaveragetruck wanted to provide hot food to neighbors seeking financial assistance or waiting to shop for essentials in the Free Store. So, she brought freshly made beef or veggie burritos and a caring smile to @CrisisAssistMin on a very cold day. It's so inspiring when the community steps up in BIG and small ways.

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