What Matthews Help Center does

Matthews Help Center (MHC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization founded in November 1979 and headquartered at 119 N. Ames St., Matthews, North Carolina. The organization delivers short-term crisis assistance to residents of the Greater Matthews community across six zip codes (28104, 28105, 28226, 28270, 28211, 28079), serving individuals and families experiencing unforeseen financial hardship such as job loss, reduced work hours, or medical emergencies. Core service lines include rental and utility assistance (paid directly to landlords and utility vendors), a food assistance program providing 3-day supplemental staples, clothing and household-item vouchers, transportation assistance via short-term bus passes, a K-12 Back to School supply program, and a Holiday Support shopping experience.

MHC operates a wholly-owned retail subsidiary, Backporch Treasures Thrift Boutique, which sells donated clothing, antiques, collectibles, home décor, electronics, and toys and functions as both an earned-revenue stream and the physical distribution channel for client clothing and household-item vouchers. The organization does not use proprietary technology; service delivery is manual, based on client inquiry forms, intake assessments, and appointment-based social work consultations during posted weekday hours. Backporch Treasures operates as a walk-in retail storefront Monday through Saturday, with donation drop-off handled seasonally.

Funding is diversified across individual donations, corporate partnerships (notably Novant Health as 2026 Premier Sponsor and Atrium Health as 2026 Elite Sponsor, the latter with board representation), foundation and institutional grants, area churches, donor-advised funds (Fidelity Charitable, Schwab Charitable, BNY Mellon Charitable Gift Fund), and proceeds from Backporch Treasures. MHC holds a GuideStar Four-Star rating for transparency and accountability, a 2025 Charlotte's Best Bronze award in the charity/nonprofit category, and is governed by a 12-member Board of Directors under Executive Director Sandra Rose and a leadership team spanning retail operations, programs and services, development, and community and volunteer engagement.

Name

Matthews Help Center

Legal name

Matthews HELP Center

Website

https://matthewshelpcenter.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Matthews Help Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1979 that delivers short-term crisis assistance — rent, utilities, food, clothing, transportation, and holiday support — to residents of six zip codes in the Greater Matthews, North Carolina area, funded by donations, corporate sponsors, grants, and its Backporch Treasures thrift boutique.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Crisis Assistance Services

NAICS

Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Individual and Family Services (6241), Community Housing Services (62422)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Financial Assistance & Benefits Navigation Services (BPAGAEAK)

Keywords

• Crisis assistance services
• Emergency financial aid
• Nonprofit social services
• Food pantry programs
• Community resource center

Headquarters

HQ city

Matthews

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Thrift Boutique Sales: Revenue generated from Backporch Treasures Thrift Boutique sales of donated clothing, household items, antiques, and collectibles. Proceeds directly fund crisis assistance programs.
2. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible charitable contributions from individuals, families, and community members supporting crisis assistance programs.
3. Corporate Partnerships: Corporate partnership program with tiered sponsorship levels (Gold, Silver) providing annual investment in exchange for employee engagement and community involvement benefits.
4. Foundation and Institutional Grants: Support from foundations, area churches, and businesses through grants and charitable giving programs.
5. Donor Advised Funds: Accepts donations through Fidelity Charitable, Schwab Charitable, and BNY Mellon Charitable Gift Fund donor advised funds.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Matthews HELP Center is a nonprofit charitable organization that provides short-term crisis assistance to residents in the Greater Matthews community. Core services include emergency financial aid for rent and utilities, 3-day supplemental food staples, clothing and household item vouchers, transportation bus passes, school supplies for K-12 students, and holiday gift shopping for children. The Backporch Treasures Thrift Boutique operates as a retail revenue source and a voucher-based resource for clients.

Product overview

Matthews HELP Center operates as a single, unified non-profit service organization offering a portfolio of crisis assistance programs rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core offerings include: the Crisis Assistance Program (financial assistance for rent, utilities, and childcare), Food Assistance Program (3-day supplemental staples), Clothing Assistance (vouchers to the Backporch Treasures Thrift Boutique), Transportation Assistance (bus passes), Back to School Program (school supplies), Holiday Support Program (gift vouchers), and Rental and Utility Assistance. The Backporch Treasures Thrift Boutique serves as both a retail operation generating revenue to support the organization's mission and a resource providing affordable goods to the community. All services are delivered through a social work department that conducts client intake, budget assessments, and case management to help families achieve financial stability.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Crisis Assistance Program Short-term crisis assistance providing financial support for rent, utilities, and childcare, and non-financial assistance for food, clothing, and household items for individuals and families in the Greater Matthews community experiencing recent crises such as job loss or medical emergency.
• Rental and Utility Assistance Financial assistance with rent and utility payments for residents facing unforeseen financial crisis. Payments are made directly to landlords and utility providers. MHC does not assist with hotel or mortgage payments.
• Food Assistance Program Provides 3 days' worth of supplemental staples (food and basic items) to eligible households in the Greater Matthews service area. Available by appointment on Thursdays from 10am to 1pm.
• Clothing Assistance Provides vouchers to the Backporch Treasures thrift store for clients in need of clothing or household items, including interview clothes for job searches.
• Transportation Assistance Provides short-term bus passes to clients for whom transportation is a barrier to employment or necessary appointments.
• Back to School Program School supply drive assisting K-12 students in the Greater Matthews service area for the new school year. Conducted in partnership with Matthews Gives Back.
• Holiday Support Program Holiday shopping experience where eligible clients use vouchers to purchase gift items for children under 18 in their household. Conducted in partnership with Matthews Police Department, Kiwanis Club of Matthews, City of Matthews, and Matthews United Methodist Church.
• Backporch Treasures Thrift Boutique A thrift store generating revenue to support the Matthews HELP Center mission. Offers gently used and new merchandise including antiques, collectibles, clothing, accessories, home décor, electronics, toys, and more. Open Monday-Saturday 10AM-5PM.

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Novant HealthflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner2026 Premier Sponsor and Elite Sponsor. Novant Health participates in the Corporate Partnership Program and supports MHC's financial assistance programs through investment and employee engagement opportunities.
• Atrium HealthcoreGTM or Marketing Partner2026 Elite Sponsor. Atrium Health, through its Director of Community Engagement Shawn Spohn who serves on MHC's Board of Directors, participates in the Corporate Partnership Program.
• Matthews Gives BackcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Back to School program providing school supplies for K-12 students, and Holiday Support program for gift shopping experience.
• Matthews Police DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Holiday Support program that hosts a holiday shopping experience for eligible clients.
• Kiwanis Club of MatthewscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Holiday Support program that hosts a holiday shopping experience for eligible clients.
• City of MatthewscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Holiday Support program and provides support for the Matthews HELP Center operations.
• Matthews United Methodist ChurchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Holiday Support program hosting a holiday shopping experience for eligible clients.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Charlotte Rescue Mission: Charlotte nonprofit providing residential recovery programs, food, and clothing to individuals and families in crisis. Direct peer in faith-affiliated social services delivery within the Charlotte metro.
• Loaves & Fishes: Charlotte-area nonprofit providing groceries, weekend food for children, and mobile pantry services. Direct peer in community food assistance with overlapping donor base and corporate partner ecosystem in the Charlotte metro.
• Roof Above (formerly Urban Ministry Center): Charlotte-based nonprofit operating shelter, supportive housing, and services for people experiencing homelessness. Direct peer in social services delivery to financially vulnerable populations in the same metro market.
• Crisis Assistance Ministry: Charlotte-based nonprofit providing rent/utility assistance, clothing, and food for families in financial crisis. Direct peer in mission, services, and target population; operates in the adjacent Charlotte market with overlapping referral networks.
• Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont: Regional Goodwill operating thrift retail stores whose proceeds fund job training and social services. Comparable hybrid thrift-plus-mission operating model with overlapping retail/donor audience in the Charlotte region.

Broad incumbents

• Salvation Army of Greater Charlotte: National nonprofit with a large Charlotte presence providing rent/utility assistance, food, clothing, and holiday programs. Broad incumbent with overlapping crisis services but operating at a larger, multi-county scale with different funding mechanisms.
• United Way of Central Carolinas: Regional United Way affiliate that funds and coordinates social services across the Charlotte metro, including many of the same partner agencies as MHC. Broad incumbent in the same funding ecosystem; not a direct service peer but a major influence on grant flows.

Regional players

• Housing & Financial Empowerment Coalition (or similar Charlotte-area housing nonprofit): Comparable housing-stability and emergency assistance nonprofit in adjacent NC markets (e.g., Raleigh/Durham). Regional player offering similar emergency assistance and eviction prevention in a different but comparable geographic context.

Emerging players

• Blessing Box / Village Heartbeat (community mutual aid networks): Grassroots, technology-enabled mutual aid and emergency assistance networks providing on-demand food and small-dollar crisis help. Emerging peer with similar end-user population but very different (tech-led) delivery model and donor base.
• Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina: Regional food bank serving the Charlotte metro, distributing food to partner agencies including many feeding programs. Upstream peer supplying food to MHC's food assistance program; potential partner or competitor for food-related funding.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UChi9tr3W5HkLXWMaSKpUAfQ/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/MatthewsHelpCenter
• Instagraminstagram.com/backporchtreasures?igshid=id59eirkqopz
• Xx.com/matthews_help

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Matthews Help Center