Olivia has a full time job but it just wasn’t enough to keep her young family stably housed. When she needed help, you came through and lifted her up and set her on the right path.

Holiday cards and card inserts are available now! Make a gift and send cards or card inserts to honor someone in your life today.

What does home mean to you? As we move into the season of giving, instead of providing a gift in a bag or box, you can give the gift of help and hope to our neighbors.

Inside this year’s annual report, you’ll meet neighbors who have found hope in the midst of a crisis thanks to your support, take a look at the remarkable statistics their stories represent, and examine the financial snapshot for the year ending June 30, 2019.

As temperatures begin to drop, the approaching winter adds renewed urgency for families who are struggling to make ends meet in Charlotte-Mecklenburg. You can help by donating new and gently used coats and winter gear.

Inside this issue of The Advocate newsletter, read about individuals and families who found hope because of your support, a key partnership helping neighbors understand their rights in the face of rising eviction rates, and more.

Vanguard’s commitment to community brings teams of volunteers to Crisis Assistance Ministry consistently to help out with a variety of tasks. The group’s coordinator, Cynthia Jordan, has a personal connection to the agency’s mission.

Last year, millions of Americans didn’t vote because they missed a registration deadline. National Voter Registration Day is a day of action before state deadlines begin in October.

The Charity Navigator database was created in 2001 with the goal of creating a world where philanthropy is inclusive, vibrant, and effect. Today, they are the gold standard in accessing the financial health, accountability, and transparency of charities.

“I know I am lucky. So many people need that kind of help and don’t have family and friends who are able to give it,” says Dywoine Massey. “I can relate to the situations moms and dads are in when they come here. That could have been me.” That’s what motivates him to keep coming back every day to his role coaching individuals and families beyond their immediate crisis toward economic mobility.

Join us on Sunday, October 20 at 1:30 pm at Independence Park for the CROP Hunger Walk. Your support will raise awareness about the families in our community struggling with food insecurity.

Crisis Assistance Ministry this week celebrated the contribution of volunteers in preventing homelessness and preserving dignity for struggling families in Mecklenburg County. In the most recent fiscal year, individual, family, group and corporate volunteers served over 47,000 hours. Honorees included Kelvin Glee, Randy Franklin, TIAA, and Legal Aid of North Carolina.