‘Pushing families forward:’ How a Charlotte nonprofit is fighting poverty, changing lives

Two years ago, Elaine Brown lost her home and had to live in a 15-bedroom space with 14 other families.

She now owns a new car and a new apartment. So, how did she get here?

Families Forward Charlotte helped Brown move forward with her life after facing homelessness and poverty. The organization supported Brown every step of the way, and it has done the same for other Charlotte families since 2017.

“It’s for everybody: families, single moms, single dads; once you complete the program, you have a family to lean on. I learned to lean on people, and I’m where I want to be today because of it,” Brown said.

Planting roots in the community

The nonprofit was founded in 2017 by Carrie Christian, Dena Graziano, and Angelica Rosen. Christian was inspired to start it after helping a struggling Charlotte family and wanting to do more.

They developed a three-pronged approach to helping families improve their economic mobility. The program hosts mentorship, provides financial support, and encourages education.

Families Forward Charlotte “gives families the tools, life skills, and support they need to better their families in the future,” according to a statement on its website.

“We work with a lot of single moms with minor children in their care, individuals that may be experiencing homelessness, individuals that are seeking gainful employment for their families,” said Christian about who the program helps.

To participate in the program, families must be recommended by a referral representative. Once referred, families are paired with a family liaison who walks with them through their journey to stability.

Christian believes family liaisons are what make the program impactful.

“We like to think that we take an individualized approach. We think that is incredibly important because poverty doesn’t look the same for each family,” she told The Charlotte Observer.

Liaisons are not the only support families receive.

Program participants are called family partners and attend educational workshops where they learn about handling their finances and goal-setting skills.

Family partners can also receive financial support through the program to cover child care, food, and other critical needs.

Christian says families seeking support are shocked by what her program offers.

“You don’t get a case manager that has a caseload of 30 to 50 people,” she said. “You get an individual that is working with you, a one-on-one that is their only responsibility outside for their life and job.”

From 2022 to 2023, about 93 families participated in the Family Success program. This year the program is serving 60 families and hopes to grow to 100 by the end of 2024, according to the organization’s 2022-2023 annual report.

‘To become a better you’

Brown, who graduated from the program in 2023, knows the support is life-changing.

“I grew to become independent again and get out of the mindset I was in, “ she told the Observer.

In 2021, Brown was referred to the program by Charlotte Family Housing, which is a program that supports families experiencing homelessness.

Brown, who was originally from New York, moved to Charlotte in 1999. After a long career in banking, she left to start her own business.

Unfortunately, the business wasn’t successful, and in 2018, she lost her home. Brown and her son had nowhere to go until they found their way to Charlotte Family Housing.

The Charlotte organization offered a 15-bedroom house that Brown shared with 14 other families. The space serves as a short-term shelter for families as they transition from homelessness.

Charlotte Family Housing says on its website that it empowers families “to manage a household budget, establish healthy routines, and become more involved in their children’s education—which improves the quality of a child’s educational experience and can help improve academic performance.”

During her stay at Charlotte Family Housing, Brown was tasked with receiving financial advice and adhering to the house rules, which included a curfew and chores.

After three months, Brown accumulated enough savings to graduate from group housing. The program then assisted her in moving into another living space.

Even though the housing wasn’t ideal, she was still provided support through monthly check-ins and gift cards to help with food and fuel costs by Charlotte Family Housing.

Brown says she was initially doing well and beginning to regain her confidence. Then, tragedy hit.

“Once we got into the apartment, I was a little scared because I doubted if I could be confident and independent again,” she said. “Then my mom passed in 2019, and I backslid and crumbled down. I became depressed, and at the same time, COVID came.”

An individual familiar with Brown’s struggles referred her to Families Forward, suggesting they could help her become more confident and maintain her growth from the housing program.

“They helped a lot with me being unsure because I had goals to set. They asked me what I want to do, where I want to be, and how I want to live,” she said about building her confidence.

Brown says the housing helped her recover from homelessness, and Families Forward helped her stay on the path to stability.

“There was always something to do. They were always having an event. They were always having workshops, so once I started to get my foot in and really get to know the people, I just started enjoying it and looking forward to the workshops,” she said.

After her first six months in the housing program, Brown saw her life changing. She was able to purchase a new car and continue budgeting for a new apartment.

She attributes her progress to the goal-setting and finance skills she learned in workshops.

Brown says the organization’s name speaks for itself.

“That name [Families Forward Charlotte] solidifies once you get to know your liaison, get to know the members of Families Forward; they push you forward to become a better you,” she said, describing how the organization helped her.

Echoing the call for support

About 10.3% of Mecklenburg County residents live in poverty, according to the latest U.S. Census Bureau data.

Families Forward attempts to combat these statistics by helping families become economically stable before children reach adulthood and become trapped in a cycle.

Brown says the program didn’t just help her confidence but her 15-year-old son as well.

She said he became more comfortable with their family liaison, Ashley Snider, and her husband. He even found community with the other young people involved in the program.

“I think that he started to blossom and find himself,” she said .

Now, Brown is back in school to earn an associate’s degree and is giving back to the same program that helped her flourish.

She echoes the call for support from the Charlotte community and encourages people to volunteer and seek help if they need it.

“I’ve become stronger than I was before, even before coming here, and those two organizations pushed me to become stronger and to be who I am today,” she said.