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Crisis Assistance Ministry

Crisis Assistance Ministry

Charlotte, NC

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You and Lucy Are Lifelines

April 13, 2022

Meet Lucy the loyal 16-year-old black lab.

Pet lovers know the importance of a furry best friend. Lucy has provided Tammy with a lot of love and support over the years.

Tammy and Lucy moved to Charlotte to support her sister with her first pregnancy. She got a job as an assistant manager but soon learned that the $13.50 an hour she made was not quite enough to cover all of her bills. Then her car broke down and she was told it wasn’t worth fixing. That added an additional cost of finding and buying a used car which she wasn’t anticipating.

Bills were piling up and I felt like my back was against the wall.

Tammy was referred to Crisis Assistance Ministry after seeking help from other agencies. Thanks to donors like you, she found immediate relief in the form of a check directly to her leasing company. Your generosity helped Tammy avoid eviction and keep her loyal companion Lucy by her side.

MAKE A GIFT

After getting help, she was invited to receive one-on-one coaching and counseling through Crisis Assistance Ministry’s Economic Mobility program.

Tammy’s story is a familiar one: Her family never discussed money or budgeting so once she was on her own she had to figure out everything without any guidance. During her meetings with Economic Mobility Specialist Randee, she got to work analyzing her bills and setting up schedules for payments to get her back on track.

She recognizes, “Having to pry open my finances (with someone else), as uncomfortable as it was, was necessary because I was more relieved after every call.”

Once she laid the financial foundation, they focused on advocating for herself at her work. She requested and received a promotion, along with a small raise.

As store manager, Tammy is still only making $15 an hour. When she got a notice that a different leasing company was taking over her property and raising rents, she wasn’t happy. She doesn’t have the money to move out and find a new place yet. But with the skills she learned working with Randee, she is planning for a brighter future.

Tammy hopes to one day start her own business and create her own destiny. Your generosity helped her avoid eviction and get back on track so she and Lucy can stay happily housed together.

But, there are many others in our community that need the same helping hand to avoid homelessness or utility shut off.

MAKE A GIFT

Right now, you can team up with the Merancas Foundation to provide basic needs for those in crisis and empower them to achieve self-sufficiency by joining the Challenge.

All donations up to $500,000 will be matched by the Merancas Foundation to amplify your gifts.

Working together, your gift before April 30th will double your impact and help more neighbors overcome their financial crisis and regain financial stability.

Filed Under: Agency News, Campaign, Customer Stories Tagged With: #challenge2022, #DoubleYourImpact, #MakeYourMatch, #PreserveDignity, #PreventHomelessness, Customer, Economic Mobility, Financial Assistance

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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

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What's in your closet that could help out a neighbor in the warmer months? 
Spring has sprung here in the Queen City. That means the needs of families shopping, free of charge, at @CrisisAssistMin are changing too. 
You can help meet their needs with donations of new or gently used clothing, shoes, or household goods or by signing up as a volunteer to help receive, inspect, and prepare donations for shoppers.

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What do you do when you miss out on the big dance? 
Well, these Charlotte area #Tarheels pitched in to unload a truckload of donated goods and prepare them for families who shop free of charge in the Free Store. Thanks to these @charlottecarolinaclub #volunteers, it's always a #GDTBATH! 
THANKS for all you do to give back in #CLT.

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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

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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. #volunteers

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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.

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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.

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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.

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