Tirzah Turner is the Community Pastor at Crosspointe Church in Cary, North Carolina. Her congregation partners with community organizations to advocate for justice and equality in Wake and Durham Counties.
B.M. Music Education, Carson Newman University
MDiv, M. Christopher White School of Divinity, Gardner-Webb University
DMin Student, Drew University
tturner@crosspointe.org
The Story
During the COVID-19 pandemic, our congregation paid over $100,000 in bills for individuals and families in our community. While many were COVID-19 related due to job loss, health bills, etc, most were simply remnants of the broken systems. While Wake County, NC is considered one of the best places to live in the nation, many of its residents cannot afford to live.
Many move to the area with the hope of employment and a “better life,” but instead find themselves underemployed, unable to secure housing, and often on the verge of homelessness. Others are forced to work multiple jobs in order to secure basic shelter, while not being able to simultaneously afford other necessities like utilities, food, and transportation. Data suggests that community stability and relationships suffer when families are consistently forced to move and that the consistent presence of stable adults in a child’s life can lead to better long-term outcomes. However, we fail to create communities that offer living wages so that parents can invest time in the lives of their children.
Although our congregation has plans to continue to pay bills, we recognize that this is just a bandaid on a larger wound. In order to make significant change, we feel the need to both educate our congregation and advocate for affordable housing and living wages in our community. This website is an attempt to work toward the former.
“The rent eats first.”
-Matthew Desmond
Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City
