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Crisis Assistance Ministry

Crisis Assistance Ministry

Charlotte, NC

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When Working Hard Isn’t Quite Enough

Schawniekaw has worked three jobs sometimes to keep a roof over her family's head. Still, it's not enough. With the threat of eviction looming over her head, she turned to the community for help.

December 11, 2019

GIVE HOPE

Schawniekaw first came to Crisis Assistance Ministry when her landlord filed for eviction. She and her three children packed all their essentials into their truck. They honestly weren’t sure if they would be able to return to their apartment by the end of the day.

Schawniekaw has sometimes worked two or three jobs trying to keep up. Right now, she’s down to one main job plus occasional on-demand delivery. Her oldest daughter has Down Syndrome. She has to keep some time free for school meetings, doctor’s appointments, and all the other things special needs parents must do.

She works retail. So her hours (and paycheck) aren’t consistent. Even in a good month, it’s hard to stretch her dollars to cover the basics. If she has to miss work or if her employer schedules her for fewer hours, things fall further behind. Working hard just isn’t quite enough to keep her head above water financially.

She gets teary talking about the relief she felt when she finally asked for help. Because of donors like you, help was available to keep them in their apartment with their utilities on. All her troubles weren’t gone, she says, but at least she knew they wouldn’t have to sleep in the car for a while.

Her children were so grateful they each wrote thank you notes. Her son’s really captures their story:

“Thank you so much for helping me and my family with everything … You took a lot off my mom’s shoulders, from nights she got no sleep, stressing what to do, stressing how to make that money, how we gonna do this … she never gave up. You helped a lot and I finally [saw] her sleep. Though she’s still working hard, she finally got some sleep. I just wanna say thank you for everything. It means a lot to me and my family. Thank you. I appreciate you.” ~ Chris, age 15

Still working hard but struggling, Schawniekaw is now part of the Economic Mobility program where she meets regularly with a trained caseworker to create a plan for the future and keep moving toward financial stability.

In the meantime, she is grateful to community members like you who make help available through Crisis Assistance Ministry.

“You are angels. I didn’t know what we were going to do”, she says. “Without you, we definitely would be homeless right now.”

This season will be warmer for the whole family, who also received coats collected as part of Steve’s Coats for Kids just in time for the coolest days so far this winter.
GIVE HOPE

Filed Under: Agency News, Campaign, Customer Stories Tagged With: #holiday2019, Customer, Economic Mobility, Financial Assistance, Holiday, Rent

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Crisis Assistance Ministry

Preventing homelessness.
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  • Main Office:
    500-A Spratt St.
    Charlotte, NC 28206
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    EIN 56-1416719

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We are so #grateful for the team of dedicated #volunteers who volunteer their time & expertise on our Board of Directors. Today we welcome five newly elected members: Deborah Brewer, Yog Hari, Ed Holland, Deirdre John, and John Magnuson. (Learn about them through our linktree)

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We've got a special shout out to @championhouseofcare and @beyoubegreatnonprofit for their tireless commitment to helping the seniors displaced from Magnolia Apartments since Christmas Day. @CrisisAssistMin is proud to be working alongside these passionate grassroots organizations and @housingcollab_ to help craft individual plans to get our neighbors back into stable housing while ensuring their basic needs continue to be met.

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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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