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Crisis Assistance Ministry

Crisis Assistance Ministry

Charlotte, NC

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Without You, Victoria Might Be Lost

Victoria knows how to stretch a dollar. But since the pandemic hit, even her usual budgeting and savings strategies have been extended to the limit. Thanks to donations from people like you, she has stable housing, cleaning supplies, and other household essentials—all with her dignity intact.

May 5, 2021

“I was raised to be self-sufficient and give service, not to ask someone else for service. It’s very humbling.” ~Victoria

Victoria, who does everything she can to make ends meet on her own

Victoria would be facing a much harsher reality without the hope and help she found here from people like you.

“Truly, if I didn’t have Crisis Assistance Ministry, I would not have survived this year. I might be in a tent in the woods,” Victoria explains. In fact, she confides, she keeps a tent on hand just in case.

Disabled by chronic health issues since 1995, Victoria knows how to stretch a dollar. She keeps a garden. She raises chickens with a friend’s help. She turns the heat off on March 15 and doesn’t turn it back on until November. In between, she says, “I just have to wear more clothes, drink tea, or have soup to stay warm.”

She lays out her budget: mortgage (less than even the most inexpensive apartment nowadays), power, water, food. All on a monthly disability check and a few odd jobs when she’s able.

“Any little thing puts me in the situation where I have to ask for help,” Victoria says. The pandemic forced her to give up outside work because of her high-risk conditions. She let her car go to avoid the cost of gas, insurance, and maintenance. She began to read by candlelight and lantern, taping light switches “off” so she didn’t turn them on accidentally. Anything to reduce costs. Still, she couldn’t keep up.

Finally, she ventured out—taking every precaution—to visit Crisis Assistance Ministry where she was glad to see CDC guidelines being observed. She found cleaning products, boots to keep her safe in the garden during early spring rains, and some kitchen tools to help transform her harvest into healthy meals. Thanks to your support, emergency payments were also made to keep her power and water flowing.

“The thing about chronic poverty is people make assumptions,” adds Victoria. “Many times your human dignity is lost. But I never felt that way at Crisis Assistance Ministry. No one here treats me in a way that would turn my humility into humiliation.”

Thank you for preventing homelessness while preserving dignity for Victoria and so many others.

Filed Under: Customer Stories Tagged With: #Challenge2021, #DoubleYourImpact, #MakeYourMatch, #PreserveDignity, #PreventHomelessness, Customer, Financial Assistance, Free Store

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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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Happy St Patrick's Day!  This big ole batch of 400+ granola bars will provide a little bit of sustenance to waiting families thanks to @MeckKidz from @meckchurch. Youth used "Meck Bucks" earned for participation in activities to purchase bars for the snack ministry here @CrisisAssistMin

crisisassistmin

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We loved hosting these visiting Bisons from @howard1867 as they lived out their motto of Excellence in Truth & Service here in #CLT. Thanks to them families will find essentials, free of charge, here in the @CrisisAssistMin Free Store

crisisassistmin

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Happy International Women's Day!
Today we take a look at how this year's theme of Embrace Equity affects the people (and mostly the women) served here at Crisis Assistance Ministry every day.

Observed worldwide on March 8 as a celebration of “the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women,” International Women’s Day is also a global call to action for accelerating women’s equality.

The theme for this year’s observance is “Embrace Equity.” Organizers at International Women’s Day (IWD) encourage everyone to “Imagine a gender-equal world. A world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination. A world that’s diverse, equitable, and inclusive. A world where difference is valued and celebrated.” 

While great strides in gender equality have been achieved since women gained the right to vote in 1920, there is still much work ahead. Consider these indicators of the gender gap in the United States:
- Women full-time workers earn, on average, 82 cents for every dollar earned by men
- American women earn less than men in all industries, with the most significant pay gaps in management positions
- The construction industry has the smallest gender pay gap, but only 9% of construction workers are women
- Unpaid work like housekeeping and caring for children falls mainly to women 

Read More at the link in our bio

crisisassistmin

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The theme for Black History Month 2023 is “Resistance”, a single word that encompasses so much. Through the centuries, a long line of brave and committed Black Americans have battled injustice, some on the public stage and others behind the scenes. But for every high-profile or large-scale act of resistance, countless others go unnoticed. Every day at @CrisisAssistMin, we see brave and committed Black Charlotteans struggling to resist the forces of an unjust society right here in Mecklenburg County.
Read "Black History Month: Resisting the Status Quo" at the link in our profile.

crisisassistmin

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It was a beautiful weekend to share (more than) @onewarmcoat with our neighbors! Our friends from One Warm Coat finished up their working retreat by distributing brand new coats to families right here in our parking lot. So many smiles, a few tears of relief, and a lot of runway spins were shared.

crisisassistmin

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We 💙 💙 💙 it when community members create their own "Army" to celebrate birthdays and other milestones in each others' lives. Thanks to these #volunteers from "Eric's Army," shoppers this week found essentials like clothing, shoes, and household goods free of charge. Together, we #preservedignity for #CLT families who are struggling financially.

crisisassistmin

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We're excited to have @QCfamilytree share their expertise as our staff digs into the impact of systemic racism here in Mecklenburg County and its impact on the people served here. Thanks Greg, Helms, & Shamaiye for taking time to help us begin these important conversations.

crisisassistmin

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Saturday was hopping with these volunteers from an area Honor Society and @meckchurch making sure Free Store shoppers will find essentials free-of-charge this week! Thank you #volunteers for making it possible to serve our neighbors' basic needs.

crisisassistmin

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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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