More than a coat: Crisis Assistance Ministry taking donations to keep people warm
Donating a coat to Crisis Assistance Ministry’s “Free Store” often does more than keep a person warm.
For people in Mecklenburg County who are struggling financially, that free coat can mean a bill gets paid, said the nonprofit’s spokesperson, Tovi Martin.
“You can take those funds and make the utility payment, keep the heat on, or put it together with other things and make sure that the rent is paid so that you do have stable housing,” Martin said. “So now your family is warm at home and also warm when they have to go to the bus stop or go out and about in town or wherever else they need to go.”
Day to day for almost 50 years, Crisis Assistance Ministry been helping people in financial need. It offers rental assistance to families, helps them pay utility bills, offers financial coaching and more.
For the twenty-first year, the nonprofit is taking donations for its annual coat drive in partnership with The Charlotte Observer’s news partner, WSOC-TV. On average, people donate 30,000 coats a year, Martin said. From there, they go to the nonprofit’s “Free Store” or are distributed.
“We partner with a lot of people who serve children,” said Martin. “We also partner with Roof Above, which serves people who are homeless, so the coats do end up in the hands of a lot of people.”
On Dec. 18, the nonprofit offered some coats to ourBRIDGE for KIDS, a nonprofit that works with the immigrant community.
The coat drive typically lasts from November to mid-January, but so long as it’s cold outside, there’s a need for donations, Martin said.
“If you have access to two coats that your children have outgrown, that’s helpful,” she said.
And the nonprofit’s “Free Store” takes other donations, like school uniforms, year-round.
Want to help or need a coat?
Where: You can drop off or pick up a coat at 500-A Spratt Street in Charlotte.
When: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. from Tuesday to Friday to drop off, or from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays.
If you need a coat, you can pick it up from Tuesday to Saturday at the same hours.
Crisis Assistance Ministry will be closed on Christmas Eve, Christmas and New Year’s.
To learn more, visit www.crisisassistance.org or call 704-371-3001.
This story was originally published January 2, 2025 at 5:00 AM.