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Crisis Assistance Ministry faces major budget cut despite pleas for full funding

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CHARLOTTE — Crisis Assistance Ministry, a nonprofit known for helping families facing eviction or a hefty utility bill, is now experiencing a financial strain of its own.

On Thursday, Mecklenburg County Commissioners voted 5 to 4 to give $396,250 to the non-profit. This is a 13% cut from 2024.

The non-profit’s full request was $792,500, almost $80,000 more than what they received last year from the county.

“In our 50-year history, I’m certain there’s never been a cut this large,” said Crisis Assistance Ministry CEO Carol Hardison. “The cut is to the people who are working hard and just had a setback, just had an unexpected expense.”

Hardison told Channel 9 that this cut will result in freezing open positions and limiting their resources within the financial literacy program.

“It’s not our purpose and mission to have people just get money and not really feel like there’s been a service that was provided,” said Hardison.

County Commissioner Susan Rodriguez-McDowell was one of the five. She said she proposed granting the full request to support the group’s financial literacy program, but that motion failed.

“This has been the toughest budget year that we’ve had since I’ve been around,” said Rodriguez-McDowell. “Two of the programs were recommended to be reinstated, you know, kept in full, and then one program was recommended to be cut.”

Rodriguez-McDowell said it was a difficult decision.

“It was the kind of decision where you can’t sleep at night. And you’re just, you know, trying to figure out how to provide the services that are needed,” said Rodriguez-McDowell.

Other non-profits, like Rain Charlotte and Community Culinary School, will also be receiving half of what they requested from the city.

The final vote on the budget will take place next Thursday.


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