Ep 5: Crisis, evictions, and financial challenges for the working poor with Tchernavia Montgomery and Chuck Jones
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Many cost-burdened families were struggling with housing, childcare, and utilities payments before the pandemic. How is Covid-19 affecting the working poor, and what can we do to help?
To answer this question, we've invited Tchernavia Montgomery, Chief Program Officer at Crisis Assistance Ministry, to talk about the challenges many families are facing and how her organization is working to provide financial assistance and resources to families on the brink. Tchernavia also talks about inequality through the lens of racial disparities for Black families - and how working to reduce poverty must also address systemic racism.
We also invited Chuck Jones, Executive Director of Commonwealth Charlotte, to talk about financial wellbeing and education for cost-burdened families. Chuck talks about how his work makes banking and financial products more accessible to working families.
Resources
Leading on Opportunity - An organization in Charlotte working to address inequality.
Poor People’s Campaign: About - An introduction to the PPC organization and roots in the civil rights movement.
Guests
As Chief Program Officer at Crisis Assistance Ministry, Tchernavia Montgomery leads the teams which serves nearly 200 people per day who seek assistance with basic needs including emergency rent or utility payments, clothing, household goods, furniture, beds, and appliances. A servant leader at-heart, licensed clinical social worker and UNCC alum, she joined Mecklenburg county’s lead agency in the fight against poverty in 2018 with 17 years of experience in human services and behavioral health. In addition to her role at Crisis Assistance Ministry, Tchernavia serves as an adjunct faculty member with the UNCC College of Health & Human Services, Chairperson of the UNCC School of Social Work’s Community Advisory Board, and Board member of: the Greater Carolinas chapter of the America Red Cross’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee, Charlotte Resilience Project and the Mecklenburg County Continuum of Care Governing Board. In January 2018, she was also state-appointed by the NC Secretary of Health & Human Services to the Board of Directors of Cardinal Innovations Healthcare, a leading managed care organization (MCO) serving 850,000 individuals with complex needs. Tchernavia is a Senior Fellow with the American Leadership Fellowship (Lee Institute). Tchernavia is a devoted spouse, loving mother of 3 boys, published author, and a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated (Charlotte Alumnae Chapter).
LinkedIn | Twitter (Crisis) | Facebook (Crisis) | Instagram (Crisis)
Chuck Jones is Executive Director of Common Wealth Charlotte, a nonprofit providing trauma-informed financial capability building services Charlotte's economically-vulnerable families families. He is a 33-year resident of Charlotte, spending the 25 years prior to joining CWC with CJDR, Inc., a freelance marketing communications firm co-owned with his wife, Aprill. He loves the outdoors, having traveled to 49 of 50 states, visiting, hiking and soaking in 48 national parks and monuments. He also loves the indoors, as a guitarist, keyboardist, vocalist, novelist, coffee roaster and candle maker. He and Aprill have been married 36 years, and share life with Liana the English setter, Boz the cat and the newest member of the family, Rocco the pit bull.
