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Crisis Assistance Ministry

Crisis Assistance Ministry

Charlotte, NC

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The Tragically Unsurprising Truth About COVID-19

While it may be true that no one is immune to the novel coronavirus, some have a socioeconomic resistance that protects them from the disease’s most ravaging effects. Others are left exposed and vulnerable.

May 28, 2020

Often called an equal opportunity virus, COVID-19 is “screeching like a heat-seeking missile toward the most vulnerable in society.” That’s how columnist Charles M. Blow described it in the New York Times’ “Social Distancing is a Privilege”.   

While it may be true that no one is immune to the novel coronavirus, some have a socioeconomic resistance that protects them from the disease’s most ravaging effects. Others are left exposed and vulnerable.  

Exactly who the most vulnerable among us are should not come as a surprise to anyone. Low income workers, disproportionately African American and female. Disabled and elderly people. Immigrants. Already struggling, these are the people least able to withstand a minor setback, let alone the double whammy of a health and economic crisis.  

With social distancing the best defense against the virus, many of our hardest working neighbors now risk their lives daily. According to a report by the Economic Policy Institute, nearly 1 in 3 white Americans can work from home but less than 1 in 5 African Americans and 1 in 6 Hispanics have that option.  The same report also highlights the disparity in job flexibility based on income: High-wage earners are six times more likely to have the ability to work from home than their low-wage counterparts.  

But it’s not just the ability to stay home that determines an individual’s outcome.  As the pandemic lumbers its way around the world, the data becomes clear. Those who die from COVID-19 are largely those whose health was already compromised.  

In the United States, centuries of unjust policies and practices have led to vastly disparate realities based on race and ethnicity. In “Racism Laid Bare by COVID-19”, the Shriver Center on Poverty Law summarizes not only what led to the current situation but actions to improve it.  As the article says, “The virus may not discriminate, but humans do.” 

Here in North Carolina, according to the North Carolina Justice Center, African Americans make up 22% of the state’s population but 39% of its confirmed COVID-19 cases and 37% of deaths from the virus. Put another way, in even starker terms, the crude death rate (deaths per 100,000 people) for all North Carolinians is 1.7 but for African Americans it is 3.0.   

Image courtesy of the NC Justice Health Advocacy Project 

In a recent webinar, experts from NC Justice Center’s Health Advocacy Project outlined factors behind this disparity. Among them:  

  • Unemployment and underemployment. The unemployment rate for black Americans is twice that for white Americans. Lack of a job directly impacts a person’s access to health care since most people get their health insurance through their employer. African Americans are also disproportionately more likely to work in low-wage jobs that don’t offer health insurance. 
  • Racial bias in health care. A popular medical algorithm has a significant racial bias, leading to widespread underestimates of black patients who require specialized care. 
  • Food insecurity and chronic illness. Lack of investment in neighborhoods of color creates food deserts. Limited access to a healthy diet puts residents at greater risk of developing obesity, heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes, all of which are complicating factors for COVID-19. 
  • Environmental racism. Exposure to contaminated air and water increases the risk for developing chronic illness. NC Justice Center policy analyst William Munn says that while 25% of all North Carolinians live within a one-mile radius of an EPA-defined polluter, the rate for African Americans is 44%.  

These factors are among the many that comprise the social determinants of health, or how a person’s overall wellbeing is affected by the conditions in which they live, work, and play. 

A screenshot of a cell phone

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Image courtesy of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation 

It is no coincidence that marginalized people in our society experience more negative social determinants. Nor is it coincidental that the most vulnerable are suffering the most during this pandemic. Our nation’s complex history of social injustice has effectively placed a bullseye on their backs for the heat-seeking missile that is COVID-19. 

Want to know more? 

“Covid-19 and Racial/Ethnic Disparities”.  JAMA Network.  May 11, 2020. 
“We Can’t Wait Until Coronavirus Is Over to Address Racial Disparities”.  CityLab. April 22, 2020. 
“For Charlotte’s black community, coronavirus points to a much larger, complex issue”.  Charlotte Agenda. April 20, 2020. 

Filed Under: Advocacy Tagged With: COVID-19

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Crisis Assistance Ministry

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    Charlotte, NC 28206
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crisisassistmin

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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