A Return To The Relatives Creates a New Beginning For Youth in Crisis
Charlotte artist Bunny Gregory remembers staying at The Relatives Crisis Center in the 1980s with self-described “happy feelings.”
“Being at The Relatives, I felt respected and I wasn’t feeling that at home.”
Since 1974, the Crisis Center has served homeless and runaway youth, ages 7-17, with a safe, welcoming shelter in the heart of Dilworth. For the past 12 years, our Resource Center has helped young adults in crisis, ages 16-24, achieve stability and independence. To many Charlotteans, the Crisis Center on East Blvd. is a familiar landmark. Bunny drives past it often and is reminded of her time there.
“I remember feeling the love from the staff. I remember their spirit. The Relatives felt like a home, like a family.” Bunny, along with MyLoan Dinh, are the founders and lead artists of Mural Ninjas, a local artist collective. Recently, the Mural Ninjas were commissioned to create a mural for the Resource Center. “When I found out we were doing a mural at The Relatives, it made me cry. But remembering my time at The Relatives is, ultimately, a safe thought because it’s a place of care.”
To create the mural, Bunny and MyLoan found inspiration from the young people served by The Relatives and the universal need to feel encouraged. “The people depicted in the mural are strong,” says Bunny and MyLoan. “The young people who visit The Relatives have superpowers and we believe in their ability to overcome obstacles and find a new beginning.” “There’s a butterfly in the mural that represents a new beginning; changing from something that people may find ugly into something beautiful,” says Bunny. “I want the kids at The Relatives to know they don’t have to stay in that ugly space.”
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