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Economic Mobility Program
Crisis Assistance Ministry’s Economic Mobility Program helps families move toward financial security and introduces pathways to economic opportunity. Outcomes are improved for families at risk of homelessness by addressing underlying social determinants of quality of life.
Enrolled families work one-on-one with a specially trained caseworker for an average of three months to identify barriers to financial security and to set goals for the future. Housing stability is guaranteed through a rent and/or utility subsidy while customers work towards their goals.
How to Enroll
Individuals who are interested in the Economic Mobility Program should first meet with a caseworker in the Basic Needs Program.
Economic Mobility Stories
The Real Meaning of Hope, Warmth, & Light
Hope. Warmth. Light. What do these words really mean? What happens when they are taken away? Joe’Asia knows that fear, but she’s now able to share warmth with her family thanks to the help of neighbors like you.
Can We Really Abolish Poverty?
For Pulitzer Prize-winning author and sociologist Matthew Desmond, the answer is YES!
During his recent visit to Charlotte-Mecklenburg, Desmond brought both data and passion to the discussion of why America is one of the richest nations on earth, yet has “more poverty than any other advanced democracy.”
Will Medicaid Expansion Help Mecklenburg?
This long-awaited move by North Carolina will provide welcome relief to many low-wage earners who often are not offered health insurance through their employers. Considering the struggles of working families here in Mecklenburg County, there are certainly thousands who will benefit from Medicaid expansion in our own community. Based on evidence from other states, it’s likely all of us will reap the benefits of improved community health, lower eviction rates, and a stronger safety net for our neighbors.
Here’s What You Make Possible
It’s not too late to make stories like the one Carol shares here possible. You won’t need to attend a big gala, hire a babysitter, or order an Uber. Instead, make a direct contribution to help stabilize nearby families facing a financial crisis.
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.
“Poverty, By America”: New Book Asks the Hard Questions
Does poverty exist because we want it to? In his new book, “POVERTY, BY AMERICA,” Matthew Desmond asks this and other provocative questions about persistent poverty in our land of plenty.
On Juneteenth, Equity, Equality, and Freedom
Juneteenth marks a celebration of freedom—at least in the legal sense of the word. But it also evokes several bitter truths surrounding emancipation and its legacy. We see the ripples of that legacy here every day as we work to help our neighbors whose struggles are made more difficult by the social and systemic legacies of chattel slavery in the United States.
As we reflect on a historic moment in time, we can’t overlook the centuries of disenfranchisement that have followed legal emancipation and consider whether true freedom, equity, and equality have yet to arrive for many of our fellow citizens.
Black History Month: Resisting the Status Quo
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. At Crisis Assistance Ministry, every day, we see brave and committed Black Charlotteans struggling to resist the forces of an unjust society right here in Mecklenburg County.
This Experience Will Make You Rethink Poverty
Participation in a poverty simulation: fast moving, immersive, stressful, real. Everything that can go wrong WILL go wrong. But you will be left thinking.
There is No “Them” or “Us”
When I wake up in the morning, I am not worried about whether I am going to struggle to pay my rent this month. I am not worried about whether my lights are going to get turned off or if I won’t have water in the next couple of days. When I wake up in the morning, my first worry is if I am late for work or class, and that is a privilege I didn’t even know I had until I began working at Crisis Assistance Ministry this summer.
Sometimes You Need A Friend
You could be that friend to offer hope and help during a trying time. With your help, people like Mary find that support through Economic Mobility specialists like Crisis Assistance Ministry staffer Randee. Caring community members like you have the unique opportunity to offer help during the initial financial crisis and to extend hope through vital life-changing resources like the Economic Mobility program. All with a gift before our Challenge comes to a close at midnight on April 30.