The mission of Crisis Assistance Ministry is to provide assistance and advocacy for people in financial crisis, helping them move toward self-sufficiency.
Our vision is to inspire our community to justice and generosity as we provide help, hope, and understanding to people struggling with limited financial resources.
Crisis Assistance Ministry's shared values are reflected in everything we do—as we interact with customers, volunteers, donors, coworkers, and the community.
Crisis Assistance Ministry was created in 1975 by a group of local churches as a single, centralized place for Mecklenburg County residents to receive emergency financial assistance to prevent eviction and utility disconnection.
Years later, the agency was the obvious choice when Charlotte leaders wanted to consolidate numerous clothing closets, and the Free Store was founded to provide a dignified shopping experience for families struggling with limited financial resources.
In 1985, a county-wide task force was convened to create an efficient way to serve the growing number of people facing homelessness and the result was the designation of Crisis Assistance Ministry as the Lead Agency for all Mecklenburg County emergency financial assistance.
Over time, it became clear that a new form of casework was needed to help people move up the economic ladder. This led to the launch of the Economic Mobility Program in 2012. Now known as the Financial Empowerment service, this longer-term coaching model, coupled with strategic collaborations, empowers customers to identify barriers to financial security and create their own pathways to economic opportunity.
In 2008, the Board of Directors focused on the advocacy role in our mission and determined that Crisis Assistance Ministry should offer educational opportunities, including two-hour, immersive Poverty Simulations, to create awareness in the community about the challenges and realities of poverty. Coupled with the demand for our leaders to speak to civic groups, business forums, houses of faith and the media, the agency educates and inspires the community to understand and remove economic barriers for all the residents of our region.
Today, Crisis Assistance Ministry continues to serve as a one-stop shop for Mecklenburg families facing financial crisis. Whether providing a coat to a woman who is homeless, a utility payment for a single father who is trying to keep his home warm, or rental assistance for a veteran who has fallen on hard times, Crisis Assistance Ministry preserves the dignity of customers while stabilizing housing for families struggling with limited resources.