• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Crisis Assistance Ministry

Crisis Assistance Ministry

Charlotte, NC

  • Programs
    • Basic Needs
      • Emergency Financial Assistance
      • Free Store
      • Furniture & Appliance Store
      • COVID-19 FAQ’s
    • Economic Mobility
    • Civic Engagement
      • Financial Security CLT
      • Poverty Simulations
    • Partner Agencies
  • Impact
  • Volunteer
  • Blog
    • Advocacy News
    • Agency News
    • Customer Stories
    • Donor Stories
    • Volunteer Stories
  • About
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Leadership Team
    • Board of Directors
    • Join Our Team
    • Financial Reports
    • For the Media
    • Quick Links
  • Ways to Give
    • 2023 Challenge Campaign: Your Gift Will Be Matched
    • Make a Financial Donation
    • Donate Clothing & Household Goods
    • Donate Furniture & Appliances
    • Amazon Wishlist
    • Donation Drives
    • Donate Stock
    • Donate a Car or Motor Vehicle
  • Donate Now

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

Primary Sidebar

Browse by Category

  • Advocacy
  • Agency News
  • Campaign
  • Customer Stories
  • Donor Stories
  • Special Interest
  • Volunteer Stories

Recent Posts

  • Community Impact Report
  • Look to the Helpers
  • Should NC Implement Child Tax Credits?
  • As SNAP’s Emergency Allotments Expire Who Will Suffer?
  • Ed is Hopeful for the Future

Search

Follow

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Footer

Crisis Assistance Ministry

Preventing homelessness.
Preserving dignity.
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Contact Us

  • (704) 371-3001
  • Send us a message
  • Main Office:
    500-A Spratt St.
    Charlotte, NC 28206
  • Tax ID
    EIN 56-1416719

Newsletter

Stay up-to-date by subscribing to our newsletter.

Join Our Mailing List

Search Our Site

Recent Photos

crisisassistmin

Open
As we take time out this Memorial Day weekend to remember those who sacrificed on our behalf, Crisis Assistance Ministry will be closed to all customers, staff, donors, and volunteers on Monday, May 29, 2023. Typical business hours will resume on Tuesday, May 30.

crisisassistmin

Open
This family of five signed up to provide snacks for families who seek assistance here because "everyone could contribute." 17 year old Lydia wrote messages, 13 year old Spencer washed apples, Mom packed crackers, Dad packed cookies, and 6-month-old Isaiah cheered everyone on.
With summer ahead, there will be even more need for snack packs to share with the families served here. You can find this and other volunteer opportunities on our website.

#volunteers

crisisassistmin

Open
Should North Carolina Implement Child Tax Credits?
Expanded federal child tax credits were a lifeline for many families during the pandemic. But those expansions have expired and aren't likely to be renewed at the federal level. North Carolina could implement its own credit to help families struggling to make ends meet. 
You can learn more about the benefits and decide what you think at the link in bio. #NCChildTaxCredit #FightPoverty #PreserveDignity

crisisassistmin

Open
Thank you for a fabulous National Volunteer Week! You inspire us every day with your commitment to help all of our neighbors achieve financial stability.

crisisassistmin

Open
As expanded Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program benefits end, hunger-fighting groups expect a surge in demand at food banks and warn that SNAP recipients may fall back into poverty. Some studies estimated that the Emergency Allotments during the pandemic reduced child poverty by 14% in 2021. This week we ask who will suffer now that these benefits have expired in North Carolina and all remaining states? (Read more through link in bio)

crisisassistmin

Open
Meet Ed Holland, a grandfather who gives back consistently and finds hope in helping others who are experiencing a financial crisis. In less than two minutes, hear his hopeful outlook, what fuels his community involvement, and his invitation to join the Challenge going on right now to help more families who visit Crisis Assistance Ministry for help. #DoGoodCLT #DoubleYourImpact

crisisassistmin

Open
Yesterday was a great day to celebrate #volunteers with so many great groups "in the house!" First up:  two sets of high schoolers from opposite sides of the Atlantic. 
📷 1 & 2:  Teens from West Charlotte HS who serve consistently, always getting stuff done in our warehouse.
📷 3:  High school students from all the way in France via Charlotte Latin School who also spent time preparing donated goods for Free Store shoppers.
We ♥️ our teen volunteers who bring so much energy to their visits here.

crisisassistmin

Open
Shout out to every neighbor who showed up and shared their time to help other neighbors get through a financial crisis and rebuild stability.
#volunteers #thankyou #DoGoodCLT #fightpoverty #NationalVolunteerWeek

crisisassistmin

Open
Crisis Assistance Ministry is excited to announce that local Charlotte leaders are coming together to help YOU double your impact this Spring.  Thanks to the generosity of Howard and Julie Levine - Howard R. Levine Foundation; Anna & Ed McMahan; and Kasey & Stuart Proffitt every contribution (up to $500K) will be matched now through May 31.
Will YOU rise to the challenge with a gift to help provide more individuals and families meet their basic needs, develop the tools to overcome financial adversity, and chart a path beyond the crisis toward financial security?

© 2023 · Crisis Assistance Ministry · Charlotte, NC · Privacy Policy · Site by Rabell Creative