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Crisis Assistance Ministry

Crisis Assistance Ministry

Charlotte, NC

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One Area Where Charlotte Should Rank Dead Last

You get home from work and are greeted with a padlock on your door. You panic. Where is your daughter who stays home alone after school? Where will you sleep tonight?

June 1, 2018


By Carol Hardison, Chief Executive Officer at Crisis Assistance Ministry

Special to The Charlotte Observer

You get home from work and are greeted with a padlock on your door. You panic. Where is your daughter who stays home alone after school? Where will you sleep tonight? What about your clothes, furniture and possessions which you will lose unless you can hire a moving truck and rent a storage unit within the next 5-7 days? You wish you had never trusted your ex-husband to pay the rent as promised.

This personal story of a Crisis Assistance Ministry board member mirrors that of nearly 30,000 households in Mecklenburg County annually. Lives upended by eviction notices in the midst of trying to keep it all together after a financial crisis. The downward spiral of homelessness begins.

“Eviction is both a cause and condition of poverty,” said Matthew Desmond, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Evicted. His research revealed that Charlotte’s eviction rate is almost twice similar cities such as Raleigh, Atlanta and Nashville. As a matter of fact, we are the 21st highest in evictions out of 100 US cities. 

Families lose possessions, owe court fees, incur apartment application fees, need security, utility and rent deposits and more. And missed work during this trauma just compounds the financial crisis. The initial trigger might be unpaid time off with a sick child, a cancer diagnosis, a robbery or a market rate adjustment notice that the rent is going up $200. Whatever the cause, the eviction cycle is traumatic, expensive and unrelenting for families who become “hidden homeless” and just need a safe place to sleep. 

According to the recent three-part series on Charlotte Mecklenburg evictions authored by the UNC Charlotte Urban Institute and initiated by the Housing Advisory Board, Mecklenburg County has roughly one eviction for every 37 people, and that rate more than doubles in some neighborhoods in north, east and west Charlotte. 

The momentum created by the Charlotte Mecklenburg Opportunity Task Force report is inspiring. The city manager’s proposed $50 million Housing Trust Fund and other initiatives to fill our affordable housing gap prove our community is serious. Let’s add one more bold commitment. Let’s fight for our city to be in last place. Let’s aim to be 100 out of 100 — in evictions. 

Retrieved from The Charlotte Observer, http://www.charlotteobserver.com/opinion/op-ed/article212112244.html Retrieved May 30, 2018.

Filed Under: Advocacy, Agency News Tagged With: Advocacy, Carol Hardison, Charlotte Observer, Eviction

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Crisis Assistance Ministry

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    Charlotte, NC 28206
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We can't wait for next month's LIVE MUSIC tribute benefitting families served here. Rock Star Randy Franklin has put together a great show at @theeveningmuse featuring @kennyroby of @6stringdrag and other local musicians in a tribute to the craft of songwriting. This show has been known to sell out, so you'll want to grab your tickets soon. (Use the Quick Link in our bio)

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Crisis Assistance Ministry will be closed Monday, July 4, 2022, in observance of the Independence Day holiday. Typical hours resume on Tuesday, July 5. 😎

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Happy New Year! 🎉
Our staff celebrated the beginning of a new fiscal year with smiles and a few popsicles this afternoon. Every one of them counts it an honor to serve our neighbors here.
Thanks for helping us continue serving families in financial crisis throughout the year 😎

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Pssst . . . we've got plenty of room for group and individual #volunteers this summer (and even this fall). These great folks from @wellsfargo helped prepare donated clothing for Free Store shoppers yesterday. Meanwhile, individual volunteers helped get customers connected to emergency financial assistance. You can find the perfect opportunity for you OR your teens by visiting our VOLUNTEER tab on our website. (link in bio)

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This volunteer team from @CareRingNC's Nurse Family Partnership brought a burst of energy Friday as they inspected and hung clothes in the warehouse and then helped stock the Free Store. We had a hard time keeping up with them, but with their help the store is now stocked and ready for up to 60 Mecklenburg County families per day to shop free-of-charge thanks to the generosity of our community. And the store looks fabulous, thanks to awesome #volunteers!

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Rising fifth-grader Haley knows what she wants. Accompanied by her mother, she combs the aisles of Crisis Assistance Ministry's Free Store looking to find just what she needs for her upcoming trip to camp. An avid reader, Haley is among 150+ area scholars who will attend overnight camp this summer with the help of @wayfindersnc. Mom Amber is focused on the basics, but then a new summer companion catches Haley's eye. Join her on her shopping trip at the link in bio: Meet Haley's New Friend

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The ONE Charlotte Health Alliance mobile unit will be back onsite Wednesday AND Thursday this week. Wednesday (9 am to 4 pm) will focus on Free HIV Testing, and Thursday (10 am to 3 pm) will include a variety of health screenings.
No appointment is necessary.

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Crisis Assistance Ministry is closed today to observe Juneteenth. But the question remains: while Juneteenth commemorates the arrival of legal emancipation for formerly enslaved people, when will we loose the chains of economic disparity and move our community toward a place of equity? Read more in today's blog at the link in our bio.

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Crisis Assistance Ministry will be closed on Monday, June 20, 2022, in observance of Juneteenth. Typical business hours will resume on Tuesday, June 21.

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