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Crisis Assistance Ministry

Crisis Assistance Ministry

Charlotte, NC

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Agency News

Group of people standing and talking in the Crisis Assistance Ministry lobby during the 2025 alumni event

May 14, 2026

Crisis Assistance Ministry Welcomes New Board Members 

Crisis Assistance Ministry is happy to welcome Sherry, Ferguson, Jay Herring, and Allison Hoffman to the Board of Directors! Serving on Crisis Assistance Ministry’s Board of Directors means far more than attending meetings. Board members help shape policy for programs that help families move toward self-sufficiency, and support staff who show up every day to meet neighbors at some of the hardest moments of their […]

Filed Under: Agency News Tagged With: Board Members, Board of Directors, Charlotte Nonprofits, Community Leadership, Crisis Assistance Ministry, Emergency Rent and Utility Help, Financial Assistance, Housing Stability, Mecklenburg Nonprofits, Nonprofit Governance, Volunteer Leadership

Tax prep time

February 9, 2026

VITA Free Tax Prep Meck

Free Tax Prep Meck is back. IRS-Certified tax preparation at no cost to qualifying individuals.

Filed Under: Advocacy, Agency News Tagged With: Ada Jenkins Center, Free resources, Free Tax Preparation, Free taxes, tax prep, Taxes, VITA

Matthew Sharp headshot

February 9, 2026

Crisis Assistance Ministry Names Matthew Sharp Chief Housing Stability Officer 

Crisis Assistance Ministry is pleased to announce the appointment of Matthew Sharp as Chief Housing Stability Officer (CHSO). Sharp brings more than 19 years of senior leadership experience across the nonprofit and higher education sectors to this critical executive role. As CHSO, Sharp will lead the agency’s Housing Stability Services division, overseeing emergency financial assistance […]

Filed Under: Agency News Tagged With: Chief Housing Security Officer, Economic Mobility, Executive Team, Financial Empowerment

December 19, 2025

“Toys from Thomas” Comes to Crisis Assistance Ministry

Carolina Panthers offensive tackle Taylor Moton and his family bring Toys from Thomas to life for families working hard toward financial stability.

Filed Under: Agency News, Donor Stories Tagged With: Community Impact, Financial Stability, Free Store, holiday giving, NC, Taylor Moton, Taylor Moton Fund

November 30, 2025

Warm Hearts, Warm Smiles For More Than 20 Years

More than two decades ago, then WSOC Meteorologist Steve Udelson saw a need and rallied the Charlotte-Mecklenburg community to solve it. That first year, viewers donated about 3,000 coats for people served by Crisis Assistance Ministry. By the time Steve retired, the annual collection was averaging more than 30,000 coats. All told, Steve’s Coats is […]

Filed Under: Agency News, Customer Stories Tagged With: 50, 50 Years of Hope, Coats, Community, Free Store, WSOC TV 9 Coats for Kids

October 25, 2025

Charlotte Means Business: Local Companies Give Time and Dollars to Preserve Dignity

With some of the largest companies in America headquartered in the Charlotte Region, it is no surprise that local businesses enhance Crisis Assistance Ministry’s ability to serve Mecklenburg County. From thousands of volunteer hours to clothing and household good donations to sizeable financial gifts, Charlotte companies provide critical support to Crisis Assistance Ministry operations. Over […]

Filed Under: Agency News, Volunteer Stories Tagged With: Bank of America, Corporate Volunteers, Electrolux, Elliott Davis, Free Store, Volunteers

October 21, 2025

Stronger Together: How Our Partner Agency Network Amplifies Impact

Every day in Mecklenburg County, families face unexpected crises – a job loss, a medical emergency, or a sudden rent increase – that threaten to upend their stability. When that happens, no one should have to face those challenges alone. That belief drives Crisis Assistance Ministry’s Partner Agency Network, a collaboration of organizations working together to ensure help arrives […]

Filed Under: Agency News, Customer Stories Tagged With: Community, Economic Mobility, Financial Assistance, Latin American Coaltion, Partnerships

Woman holding a baby in the Free Store circa 1986

September 25, 2025

The 50-Year Legacy of the Free Store

What if every shirt, every pair of pants, and every warm coat had a story to tell? Not just the journey it took from one home to a donation bin, but the story of the family who received it, the hope it brought, and the crisis it helped avert. In the heart of Charlotte, there’s […]

Filed Under: Agency News, Donor Stories Tagged With: 50th, Clothing, Drive Thru, Free Store, History, Material Goods

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Recent Posts

  • Group of people standing and talking in the Crisis Assistance Ministry lobby during the 2025 alumni eventCrisis Assistance Ministry Welcomes New Board Members 
  • A Tale of Two Customers 
  • The Cycle of Poverty, Eviction, and Mental Illness
  • New Report Reveals Deepening Pressure on Charlotte Mecklenburg Families 
  • The Benefits Cliff: When Progress Costs Too Much

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Crisis Assistance Ministry

Contact Us

  • (704) 371-3001
  • 500-A Spratt St.
    Charlotte, NC 28206
  • Tax ID:
    EIN 56-1416719
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crisisassistmin

Open post by crisisassistmin with ID 18440646022139634
Help us welcome our newest Board members: Sherry Ferguson, Jay Herring, and Allison Hoffman. 💛

Our Board is a volunteer group of community leaders guiding housing stability and financial assistance work across Charlotte‑Mecklenburg. They bring expertise from finance, healthcare, housing, law, and grassroots organizing, all grounded in a shared commitment to neighbors in financial crisis.

New Board member Allison Hoffman put it this way:

“It is such an honor to join the amazing board at Crisis Assistance Ministry. I'm looking forward to learning more about the important work they are doing in our community, and raising awareness about the financial hardships our neighbors are facing.”

We are grateful for Sherry, Jay, and Allison’s time, talents, and heart for this mission.

crisisassistmin

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Spring cleaning meets summer sun. 🌼☀️ This week’s most needed items on our Amazon Wishlist are Fabuloso and sunscreen, helping neighbors keep their homes fresh and their families protected as warmer days approach.

Scan the QR code in the graphic or use the link in our bio to shop our wishlist and have essentials sent directly to Crisis Assistance Ministry. Every item you give makes a real difference for a local family. 💛

crisisassistmin

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Change happens when we show up and speak out.

Earlier this week, Carol Hardison @carolinthehouse stood before @cltgov  City Council to support “The People’s Budget” – a vision for a city budget that centers care, dignity, and justice for all of Charlotte, not just a few.

Every day, we see neighbors pushed to the brink by rising housing costs, low wages, and impossible choices. In the last fiscal year, 52,625 evictions were filed in Mecklenburg County.

Carol uses her voice publicly and consistently so those realities are not ignored, calling for investments in housing stability and the services families rely on. Leadership means being willing to be seen, to listen, and to speak up for those who are too often left out of the conversation. We are grateful to have a leader who does exactly that for our entire community. 💛

crisisassistmin

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According to a national study, renters who believe they’re likely to be evicted in the next two months have more than double the odds of experiencing depression and anxiety compared with renters who feel secure in their housing.

Even the threat of losing a home can keep families up at night. This Mental Health Awareness Month and Affordable Housing Month, we’re working so that more Mecklenburg County neighbors can worry less about eviction and focus more on healing.

crisisassistmin

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This could have been a novel full of obstacles, but it’s a real story of hope, resilience, and strength.

In “A Tale of Two Customers,” Mandy and Shawn walk through the same lobby at Crisis Assistance Ministry carrying very different burdens and find the same open door to help and a way forward. Their journeys reflect what so many of our neighbors face when life unravels: past‑due notices, hard choices, and the fear of losing home and stability.

But there’s light at the end of the tunnel.

During our Challenge Match, every dollar you give is matched dollar for dollar, so your generosity goes twice as far—twice the help, twice the impact, twice the hope—for families like Mandy’s and Shawn’s. Tap the link in our bio to read “A Tale of Two Customers” and make your matched gift today.

crisisassistmin

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This group surprised us in the best way 💛

The Child First team from Children’s Home Society of North Carolina showed up with a gentle approach and fierce tenacity, carefully inspecting donations that will soon support local families — and somehow made it all look fun and effortless at the same time. We’re so grateful for partners whose mission to strengthen children and families aligns so closely with ours, and we can’t wait to welcome them back again soon.

crisisassistmin

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We’ve been looking for you everywhere — our favorite financial supporter! We checked X, we peeked at Bluesky, and look at that … we finally found you here on Instagram. 

Every dollar you give to our Challenge Match is matched dollar for dollar (up to $1 million!) turning one act of generosity into two. Your gift goes twice as far: twice the help, twice the impact, twice the hope for neighbors who are doing everything they can to keep the lights on and a safe place to call home.

Ready to make your generosity do double duty?

🔁 Your donation is matched 1:1
❤️ Twice the impact for families in crisis
📲 Give today and help keep the lights on, the rent paid, and hope alive

Tap the link in our bio to donate now and watch your gift be doubled for our community.

crisisassistmin

Open post by crisisassistmin with ID 18089886851462106
Then: median rent around $145.
Now: about $1,600.

Wages didn’t keep up. Housing costs did.
Neighbors we serve today earn about $25,000 a year and spend most of it just to stay housed.

Since 1975, 2.5 million people have found help here when the math just didn’t work anymore.

The year changed. The zip codes changed.
The need for a safety net in Charlotte didn’t.

crisisassistmin

Open post by crisisassistmin with ID 17919929730353761
Children’s mental health isn’t always shaped by school, friends, and family—sometimes it starts with a notice on the door, a packed suitcase, and another bedroom they’ll only sleep in for a few months.

Help keep children safely housed by supporting Crisis Assistance Ministry’s Challenge Match. Your gift will be matched dollar for dollar (up to $1M) and will support a neighbor who’s choosing between essentials and rent. Link in Bio

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