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Crisis Assistance Ministry

Crisis Assistance Ministry

Charlotte, NC

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We All Depend Upon Each Other

Due to health and financial issues, Tangejula was already at risk when the coronavirus appeared. Thanks to help from people like you she has something to be grateful for right now.

March 30, 2020

“Some days I get overjoyed and I cry about how thankful I am.  And sometimes crying heals the soul.”

That’s Tangejula speaking from her hotel room a few days ago, after learning she will stay safely housed during the current pandemic. All thanks to the community’s generous response to the COVID-19 crisis, including donations from people like you. 

Just a week before, Tangejula was at the lowest point in her 49 years of life.  The hotel she had lived in for several months was putting her belongings out on the street when she missed the deadline to pay her weekly rent.  Her car broke down and was towed away, the expense of repairing it far beyond her means. 

Standing outside the hotel, looking at her possessions piled on the sidewalk, Tangejula struggled to make a plan.  Suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) makes it difficult for her to walk even a few yards without collapsing.  Her fragile health also makes her extremely vulnerable to exposure to COVID-19 and its potentially ravaging effects.

Something led her to Crisis Assistance Ministry’s Facebook page, where she poured out the details of her desperate situation.  Just in time, her phone rang and a kind voice on the other end explained that there was help available to keep her safely housed.

Speaking from her room via video chat, Tangejula said, “I am just thankful because it could be a lot worse.  I mean, imagine me being without the help.  I would’ve been on the corner at a bus stop, crawled up in my fuzzy blanket.”

“I will not leave this blanket anywhere,” Tangejula says.  “It’s soft and it’s warm and it was handmade.”  It’s also a reminder that life hasn’t always been this hard.  She bought it about a decade ago in New Mexico.  Back then, she drove an eighteen-wheeler cross-country. 

“That was the love of my life.  Oh, just fond memories.  The hard work, too,” Tangejula recalls with a smile.  Money was no issue back then.  She remembers helping family members financially and even shopping for her daughter’s prom dress on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills.

That all came to a screeching halt after a grueling cross-country haul about five years ago.  She started feeling “hazy” in Maryland, then could barely get out of the truck in Maine.  From there, she somehow made deliveries in Chicago, Indianapolis, and Raleigh, before finally arriving in Charlotte, where she was immediately hospitalized for two weeks before being diagnosed with COPD.

Adjusting to her disability wasn’t easy.  She settled into a nice rental house on the east side of town and discovered a talent for baking.  Tangejula pauses and sighs.  “I haven’t baked in six months.  That’s been one of the things I could channel my energy to is baking, and I haven’t been able to do that, and it’s been very sad.”

Everything happened so quickly, she could hardly believe it.  The owner suddenly decided to sell the property, giving her only 30 days to vacate the premises.   Her monthly disability income wasn’t enough to meet the “three times the monthly rent” amount most landlords were requiring.  After applying for several rentals, and losing the mandatory application fees, she settled into a weekly-rental hotel.  Her income covered three weeks out of each month.  For the fourth, she packed up her belongings and settled into her car until the next month’s check arrived. For six months, that was the rhythm of Tangejula’s life.

Looking back on that awful day when it seemed there was nowhere to turn, Tangejula is so grateful. She’s grateful to people like you whose generous support is keeping her safely housed during the COVID-19 crisis.

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Double Your Impact

Right now, you can extend this life-changing support to more people. That’s because a generous group of individuals has committed to match your gift (up to $250,000) through April 30.

Are you up for the Challenge?

Filed Under: Agency News, Campaign, Customer Stories Tagged With: #Challenge2020, #DoubleYourImpact, #MakeYourMatch

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Crisis Assistance Ministry

Preventing homelessness.
Preserving dignity.
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  • (704) 371-3001
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  • Main Office:
    500-A Spratt St.
    Charlotte, NC 28206
  • Tax ID
    EIN 56-1416719

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Recent Photos

crisisassistmin

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Summer Ahead! 😎 
As schools wrap up for the summer, Charlotte families look ahead to how they will keep their children occupied and cared for all summer long.
What are some of your "close to home" plans for the summer?
🏊‍♀️ ☀️ ⛲

crisisassistmin

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It's Intern Season!
Last week, our civic engagement team met with @CovenantPresbyCLT interns kicking off their summer of service. These young adults took part in a poverty simulation activity and talked about real life issues facing the families served at Crisis Assistance Ministry.

crisisassistmin

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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.

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