'This is where the story began' | Charlotte woman reflects on how Crittenton provided support when she needed it most

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — With the help of the community, Crittenton, a center that offers support and housing for women in crisis, announced it received enough support through donations that it can finally purchase the building it's been renting. 

The organization has been operating for over 100 years in North Carolina. The center moved into a newer building in 2020 and has been paying costly rent. 

Now, with enough donations they can purchase the building and use that money to help more women. 

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Charlotte City Councilwoman Tiawana Brown said it's a testament to how much the center is doing to help people in the area. 

“There is a high demand but the supply isn’t there and so if we can look into what they are doing and embrace that and send it over the airwaves," Brown said. "What we are talking about is needed every hour, every second of the day.”

Some chapters in life are tough to navigate. Devonne Moise's story is a testament to that. 

"Very emotional," Moise said. "My world was tumbling down, I had nowhere to go."

In 1996, Moise heard a commercial about Crittenton on the radio. She said she called immediately and that's when her life changed. 

On Feb. 15, Moise visited the new building with photos in her hand. She said the photos represent a difficult time when she was carrying more than fear. 

“I was homeless, I had about three days to make a life-changing decision," Moise said. 

She was pregnant. 

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"This is how the story began, this is how it developed," Moise said. "Now it ends."

Now, 28 years later, Moise broke down into tears and looked back on how the center supported her. She was a woman who didn't know what the next paragraph of her life story would look like and was facing the difficult decision of whether to have an abortion. Instead, her daughter is by her side. She said it wouldn't have been possible without the center. 

A new chapter unfolded for the two. It's a part of a story where they didn't know if there would be another page written.

Contact Austin Walker at awalker@wcnc.com and follow him on Facebook, X and Instagram.