As a native Charlottean, Kara had been aware of Crisis Assistance Ministry for some time but never imagined she would need to seek out the agency’s services. But a job loss and other strains on her finances meant that several years ago, she needed a temporary hand up.
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.
Siblings Hannah, Kelsey, and Nicholas decided they wanted to make a difference and give back to the community. While Mom and Dad put together a yard sale, they sold lemonade and homemade cookies, with the proceeds benefiting families seeking help at Crisis Assistance Ministry.
Edith and her husband came to Crisis Assistance Ministry over 20 years ago when they were facing homelessness. Recently, she returned to the agency to give back financially and volunteer in the Free Store.
Of the more than 1 million items that pass through the Free Store each year, a good number are new items donated by Walmart, thanks to a longstanding partnership with Second Harvest Food Bank. Recently, Walmart made a generous $20,000 donation to Crisis Assistance Ministry to support families struggling to meet life’s basic needs.
You can change lives by joining Al, Andrea, Lea, Andrew, Carol and Dick with a gift that celebrates all the GOOD we can do together. It’s about extending a hand to moms, dads, sisters, brothers, children, veterans, seniors, and survivors who just need a little help to regain financial security.
Chuck Barger is a long time friend of Crisis Assistance Ministry and the families served here. When it came time to retire from his daily role at Common Market, he found a new way to use his retail skills, stocking Crisis Assistance Ministry’s Free Store with donated items for individuals and families who shop here free-of-charge.
If you could change one thing to make the world a better place what would you do?
Eleven-year-old Webb would “try to house all of the homeless people”. Just a middle schooler, he is already aware of Charlotte’s problems with housing instability and homelessness.
