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Crisis Ministry

Crisis Ministry

For many working poor families, living paycheck-to-paycheck means there is no savings account, or one month’s salary saved for emergencies. Numerous situations such as a loss of a spouse, a long-term illness, a lost job, or even a car breaking down can send good, hard-working people into a crisis. When this occurs, rent, utilities and other bills go unpaid, starting a downward spiral of unfortunate circumstances, often leading to eviction. In many cases, these families do not qualify for government assistance and do not know where to turn for help. Our Crisis Team works with local Wake County school social workers, partner agencies and churches to help those at this critical juncture who need temporary assistance to get back on their feet. ADTH provides one-time financial assistance in addition to partnering with other local agencies to meet the immediate needs of the family and return them to self-sufficiency. Our Crisis Team carefully screens each referral, discussing income, verifying employment, speaking with landlords, etc., to ensure that we are not only good stewards of our funds but that we can meet the needs of the recipient and return them to stability. Recipients of our Crisis Ministry must:

  • Have at least one employed adult in the household and provide proof of stable employment.
  • Be referred by an ADTH-affiliated social worker or agency who has been working with the family for at least three months.
  • Be a resident of Wake County. We serve the following zip codes:
    27502, 27511, 27512, 27513, 27518, 27519, 27523, 27526, 27539, 27540, 27560, 27601, 27605, 27606, 27607, 27608, 27610
  • Provide a reason for the recent crisis. Recipients cannot have an ongoing cycle of unpaid bills or chronic stability issues.
  • All payments are made directly to the landlord or bill collector

ADTH’s Crisis Ministry is unique. By partnering with community agencies and caseworkers in Wake County, we provide the following programs to families:

Rent Assistance

ADTH provides funds to help families facing homelessness stay in their current living arrangements, as well as help families coming out of homelessness pay for rental deposits for new housing. Rental assistance helps families regain self-sufficiency and prevents the debilitating sting of eviction. We partner with agencies such as Dorcas Ministries, Western Wake Crisis Ministries, St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church, The Carying Place, Family Promise, Designed for Joy, Dress for Success, Families Together and more.

Food & Clothing Assistance

ADTH assists families-in-need of food or clothing by providing gift cards, vouchers to our partner agency Catholic Parish Outreach, or referrals to partner agencies such as Dorcas Ministries, Note in the Pocket, Western Wake Crisis Ministries, and other community agencies.

Household Furnishing Assistance

ADTH provides household goods and furnishings to families who can move into a dwelling but lack necessary kitchen, linens, and furniture. ADTH partners with A Green Chair Project to provide furnishings for a home.  We also welcome each family to their new home with a basket of essential household goods such as toilet paper, detergent, paper towels, toothpaste and more.

Child Care Assistance

ADTH provides after-school and before-school childcare for working poor families. Families at the poverty level often do not have the additional means to pay for childcare and, often a loss of childcare can result in a loss of income, with a cascading effect on bills. We aid with childcare through partnering agencies such as Wake County Public School and the YMCA or help to keep a child with their current childcare provider. In addition, we work with the YMCA to provide summer camps to children who cannot afford them.

Utility Assistance

ADTH provides families with deposits for new utility services or helps with overdue and current bills to sustain the current utility services and prevent services from being discontinued.