• 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
      • Appliances
      • 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
    • Make a Financial Donation
    • Donate Clothing & Household Goods
    • Amazon Wishlist
    • Donation Drives
    • Donate Stock
    • Donate a Car or Motor Vehicle
  • Donate Now

Interfaith Poverty Simulation Spurs Action in Matthews-Mint Hill

In the fall of 2016, with political acrimony and discord rocking the nation, retired pastor Reverend Richard Little looked around the congregation at Morning Star Lutheran Church and thought to himself, “If we can’t get together in the church to talk about our differences, where can we do that?”

October 15, 2019

In the fall of 2016, with political acrimony and discord rocking the nation, retired pastor Reverend Richard Little looked around the congregation at Morning Star Lutheran Church and thought to himself, “If we can’t get together in the church to talk about our differences, where can we do that?”

Meanwhile, down the road at Jonesville AME Zion Church, Gregg Coleman and others were talking about outreach efforts into the larger community. One day, while routinely responding to voice mail messages received by the church, Gregg found himself talking with a stranger named Richard Little about bridging divisions between churches. “And the rest, as they say, is history,” Gregg recalls with a smile.

After months of meeting on Saturdays, talking about big topics like racism and the educational system, members of the two churches noticed a common theme in their discussions: poverty. The community was grappling with many issues and none of them seemed solvable without addressing the devastating effects of poverty. 

Edwin Terry, a former Crisis Assistance Ministry board member, suggested the agency’s Poverty Simulation as a first step. The group formed a planning committee, reached out to all the houses of faith along the Albemarle Road corridor, and began a year-long process that eventually culminated with a community-wide Poverty Simulation last October. 

Crisis Assistance Ministry, with the help of twenty community volunteers, facilitated the Poverty Simulation for 80 attendees. The experience was eye-opening, even for the organizers themselves.   

“For me, it was a very personal feeling,” said Cherie Little. “I have a member of my family who lives in poverty. And I knew in my head the struggles that she is going through. But in the poverty simulation I knew in the deepest part of me how it must feel. And I can’t imagine living like that every day.”  

The Matthews-Mint Hill Interfaith Community speaks to their new understanding of poverty after experiencing a poverty simulation with Crisis Assistance Ministry.

Today, nearly a year later, about 50 people are actively working to improve the Matthews-Mint Hill community. Their efforts are focused on five distinct areas: Housing, Education, Access to Services, Financial Literacy, and Root Causes of Poverty.   

A few weeks ago, the working groups gathered for a celebratory lunch where they shared successes, among them: 

  • The Education group has adopted Lebanon Road Elementary School, where language is a barrier for many of the students’ immigrant parents. The group’s goal is to build relationships and trust, which they’re doing by tutoring students, donating school supplies, and providing hand-decorated encouragement notes to every third grader. 
  • The Housing group is partnering with Habitat for Humanity to provide funding and volunteers for home repairs in order to keep people safely in their own homes.   
  • The Access to Services group is printing wallet cards directing people in need to call 211, the United Way’s database of resources. 

Group member George Friday sums it up, “In a country where we have so much, it is immoral, in my mind, to have children that can’t eat a good breakfast . . . or can’t even wash their clothes to go to school. That’s a personal thing for me. I’m hoping that we can do some good in this area.” 

Filed Under: Advocacy Tagged With: interfaith, Jonesville AME Zion Church, Morning Star Lutheran Church, Poverty, Poverty Simulation

Primary Sidebar

Browse by Category

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

Recent Posts

  • Will Medicaid Expansion Help Mecklenburg?
  • Hear Pulitzer Prize-winning Matthew Desmond
  • Here’s What You Make Possible
  • Duke Energy Brings Summer of Service Here
  • Summer Adventures Made Possible By You

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
We had an unusual 🐿️ visitor this morning. While we DO specialize in stabilizing families through emergency basic needs and financial empowerment, our services are designed for neighbors of the human variety! 🤣 
Fortunately, our little squirrel buddy has been successfully relocated to the outdoors where they can continue to take care of their family too 😁 🎉

crisisassistmin

Open
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Matthew Desmond’s thought-provoking message will help us understand the systemic issues contributing to poverty and inspire us to be part of the solution here in our own community. Tickets are free, but required. Seating is Limited. <Link in Bio>

crisisassistmin

Open
We aren't throwing a big party, but we ARE asking friends and neighbors to make a direct contribution to help stabilize families facing a financial crisis. Your help with this Non-Event will make more stories like this one possible. Join us with a gift to help neighbors avoid eviction and loss of utilities and to empower more people with the tools to rebuild financial stability for themselves. Don't Save a Date . . . Save A Future.

crisisassistmin

Open
We love sharing our mission with corporate #volunteers like this team from @humana today. Thanks to their help, families will find essentials like clothing, shoes, school supplies, and household goods—free of charge— in our store while they continue to build financial stability. #thankful

crisisassistmin

Open
Instead of planning a fancy gala, we're inviting you to skip the party (and all those costs) and instead make a direct contribution to stabilize families experiencing financial crisis right here in Charlotte-Mecklenburg.
It's our NonEvent 2023, and your gift will help hardworking neighbors escape the threat of eviction or loss of utilities while empowering families with the resources to stabilize their families . . . and their future.
SAVE A FUTURE: https://crisisassistance.org/mobility

crisisassistmin

Open
What a wonderful day to welcome #volunteers from @DukeEnergy during their Summer of Service. Nearly 100 Duke employees spent part of their day helping with everything from painting barrels to inspecting donations and stocking the store. A GREAT way to spend a Friday here in the Queen City!

crisisassistmin

Open
This might look like a #Barbie appreciation post, but actually it is a shout out to Team @duke_energy and the 100+ folks who spent their day as #volunteers here today!

crisisassistmin

Open
Starting the day with a wonderful snack ministry from @elevationchurch for day 6 of #loveweek2023! Thank you for making sure families seeking help today have a little nourishment along the way.

crisisassistmin

Open
Today's LOVE WEEK 2023 #volunteers from @elevationchurch created no-sew blankets for families who shop here free of charge, staffed the checkout counters in the store, and prepared newly arrived clothing from corporate donors for future shoppers. With help like this, more than 80 people per day find essentials to help stabilize their families when they visit our Free Store. #thankful #loveweek2023

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