Giving Tuesday: 23 Charlotte groups taking donations for affordable housing causes

Giving Tuesday is upon us, the day to think about your favorite causes and nonprofits during the post-Thanksgiving spending spree.

Affordable housing is among Charlotte’s greatest challenges. More than 3,100 people are homeless in Mecklenburg County. Housing costs are a burden for nearly half of renters. And the area’s booming real estate market is making homeownership further out of reach for many, while neighborhood changes increasingly push out longtime residents.

Charlotte saw its most visible reminder of unsheltered homelessness earlier this year with the growth and dismantling of the outdoor encampment, dubbed “Tent City,” on the edge of uptown.

There are organizations of all sizes doing work across the affordable housing spectrum, from working with people currently experiencing homelessness to those that promote homeownership and neighborhood stability to prevent displacement.

Donation guide in Charlotte

If you want to support emergency shelter:

• Roof Above is the area’s largest provider of shelter and related services, including multiple men’s shelter locations, day center and permanent supportive housing. The shelter has a list of donation requests for hygiene items and clothing, particularly for cold weather, as well as gift cards to area grocery stores and restaurants. Financial donations can be mailed to PO Box 31335 Charlotte, NC 28231 or at roofabove.org/donate.

• Salvation Army Center of Hope, which primarily serves women and children, operates a shelter, funds hotel rooms and vouchers for families, among other programs. Visit salvationarmycarolinas.org to donate.

• Charlotte Rescue Mission offers residential drug and alcohol recovery programs for people experiencing homelessness. It also runs Community Matters Cafe uptown, which employs people in recovery and leaving homelessness. In addition to donations online, they can be mailed to PO Box 33000 Charlotte, NC 28233.

• Safe Alliance offers shelter from domestic violence through 19 apartment-style suites for families and 10 units for single adults. Donations can be made online at safealliance.org/donations/giving-tuesday.

If you want to help children and families:

• YWCA Central Carolinas has transitional housing for 66 women, as well as 10 townhouses for families on its Park Road campus, where it is also building more than 100 affordable apartments. Donations can be made online or by check mailed to the philanthropy department at 3420 Park Rd Charlotte, NC 28209.

• The Relatives operates a youth crisis center and provides housing for young people who are homeless or experiencing domestic violence. Donate online at therelatives.org/donate or by mail to 119 E. Eighth St. Charlotte, NC 28202.
  
  

• Time Out Youth works with LGBTQ youth, including a volunteer host home program for teens and young adults without a safe place to stay. Visit timeoutyouth.org for donation information.

• Beds for Kids has delivered more than 15,000 beds in the last decade and has launched its 2021 bed challenge, with a goal to raise a little more than $300,000 by the end of the year to purchase 2,021 twin beds. Visit bedsforkids.org for information on monetary or furniture donations.

If you want to help people become homeowners or stay housed:

• West Side Community Land Trust creates “permanently affordable housing” by acquiring houses on Charlotte’s rapidly-gentrifying west side. The nonprofit sells them at an affordable price in part by retaining ownership of the land, while the buyer owns the home. Visit westsideclt.org/donate or by mail to PO Box 668023, Charlotte, NC 28206.

• Habitat for Humanity of the Charlotte Region builds and sells affordable homes to families and makes critical repairs for low-income residents to help them keep their homes. Visit habitatcltregion.org for donation information.

• DreamKey Partners is developer that builds affordable apartments. The organization also administers the city’s down payment assistance program for first-time buyers and the local COVID-19 rent and mortgage relief funds. Visit dreamkeypartners.org/donations or by mail to 4601 Charlotte Park Drive, Suite 350 Charlotte, NC 28217, Attention: Fund Development.

• Rebuilding Together Of Greater Charlotte has a variety of programs to help people stay in their homes, including safety hazards like falls, fires, moisture, mold or carbon monoxide. Donate online at rebuildingtogetherclt.org or mail to 1026 Jay St. Suite B-122, Charlotte, NC 28208.
  
  

• Supportive Housing Communities provides permanent supportive housing to people who are homeless and have a disabling condition. Its locations include McCreesh Place and St. John’s Place. Visit supportivehousingcommunities.org to donate or mail to 601 E. Fifth St., Suite 255 Charlotte, NC 28202, or text DONATE to 704-741-3083.

• Community Link offers a variety of housing programs including rental assistance, financial counseling and foreclosure prevention. Donate online at communitylinknc.networkforgood.com by mail to 601 E. Fifth St., Suite 220 Charlotte, NC 28202.
  
  

If you want to support smaller or grassroots organizations:

• Block Love Charlotte works on the ground with people experiencing homelessness providing essentials like clothing, food, sleeping bags and toiletries. The group was a leader in connecting with those in the uptown encampment, and now manages some hotel operations for people who left the camp. Donate online at blockloveclt.org, via Cash App at $blockloveclt or by emailing team@blockloveclt.org for pickup of donated items.

• Hearts for the Invisible Charlotte Coalition was also active in helping those in the tent encampment. In addition to monetary donations, the organization is hosting a holiday toy drive for children living in motels and other families in need. Online donation information is at hftic.org.

• For the Struggle has several racial justice and community empowerment initiatives. Its Elder Response Network focuses on preventing displacement of older residents in gentrifying, predominantly Black neighborhoods via critical home repairs, future planning such as wills and power of attorney, and property tax relief. Donate online at for forthestruggleinc.com.

If you want to support hygiene access:

• Hope Vibes operates a mobile laundry and shower unit for people experiencing homelessness. Visit hopevibes.org/donate or mail PO Box 481653 Charlotte, NC 28269.

• Project Outpour offers a mobile shower and restroom trailer four days a week at area library branches and church parking lots. Visit projectoutpour.org/donate or mail to 1800 Camden Road Suite 107-143 Charlotte, NC 28203.

• Leah’s Hopes and Dreams brings its mobile shower unit to uptown twice a week, where the group also offers haircuts and meals. Donations can be made by Cash App or PayPal on leahshopesanddreams.org.

If you want to help Afghan families in Charlotte:

• Catholic Charities and Carolina Refugee Resettlement Agency are the two resettlement agencies in Charlotte. Both are helping arriving Afghan families find housing and get settled. Donate to Catholic Charities online or by mail to Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte, attention Central Processing All Regions 1123 S. Church St. Charlotte, NC 28203. Donate to Carolina Refugee Resettlement Agency online or bring items from its wish list to the office at 5009 Monroe Road, Suite 100 Charlotte, NC 28205.

• Interpreting Freedom Foundation helps interpreters, translators and linguists who worked with the U.S. military and are resettling in the Charlotte area to find housing, employment and other services. Donations can be made at every.org/interpreting-freedom-foundation-inc/donate or by mail to 8349 Arrowridge Blvd. Suite R, Charlotte, NC 28273.
  
  

Information about more nonprofits working in housing and dozens of other causes is available at sharecharlotte.org/givingtuesdayclt-2021.

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