From Caterpillars to Butterflies: How a Nonprofit Is Transforming a Neighborhood 

BY: TAYLOR MABREY, CONTENT MANAGER 

In the heart of North Mecklenburg’s Huntington Green community, transformation has taken root. What began as a small outreach effort nearly two decades ago has grown into a powerful movement of faith, education and empowerment, led by Caterpillar Ministries. 

Anne Crawford began Caterpillar Ministries in 2007 because she wanted families, and particularly children, to know that God gave them gifts and gave them a purpose. 

Caterpillar Ministries empowers the people of Huntington Green to build a secure and vibrant community by fostering faith, advocacy, and learning. 

Operating from their five pillars of care– faith development, academic enrichment, family stability, advocacy and support, and community engagement– Caterpillar Ministries is supporting their residents in all aspects of life. 

“What started as a small ministry has evolved into a very holistic approach – when Anne started this, she wanted to go deep into one neighborhood; she did not want to go wide,” Executive Director Sarah Fortner said, “Going deep, the work is very relational, working with all residents depending on their individual needs, because one size does not fit all.” 

Caterpillar Ministries started with its faith development pillar, which included Bible clubs for preschoolers. Now, there have added elementary Bible clubs, youth small groups, summer camps, adult Bible study and more.  

“At the time when the ministry started 17 years ago, if you would have asked the Huntersville police where not to live, they would have said, ‘Huntington Green’ – the crime and drugs were rampant. Teenage pregnancy was rampant, and kids were not graduating from high school,” Fortner said. 

Caterpillar Ministries has brought the Huntington Green community together in ways they had never imagined and has grown beyond their expectations. When Fortner joined as the Director of Adult Services in 2017, there were 50 children in the program. Fast forward to today, there are more than 300 children and teens participating in Caterpillar Ministries. 

Academic enrichment is another pillar of care, helping children and teens who once struggled in school to thrive. A key component of this pillar are preschool partnerships, where Caterpillar Ministries staff members accompany families to tour local preschools, help them find where they are comfortable and let the family choose the right fit – something that was unheard of 18 years ago in the community. The partnership also provides a discount to families, with Caterpillar Ministries and the schools themselves contributing to tuition costs. Other components include after-school tutoring, homework help, English classes and mentorship programs. 

 “Mentorship covers a lot of topics,” Fortner said, “Ninety-five percent of our kids are first-generation high school graduates, so if a student wants to go to college, a mentor will help them navigate those systems and processes. If a student isn’t quite sure of what they want to do after high school, we will help them figure it out.”   

Beyond education, family stability has become a huge piece of Caterpillar’s work. The organization helps families stay housed and healthy, providing financial assistance during crises, connecting neighbors with counseling and promoting access to nutritious foods and health education. Through advocacy and support, Caterpillar Ministries ensures families never face challenges alone – walking alongside them through school meetings, landlord disputes, immigration needs and other moments when having a trusted partner can make all the difference. 

Fortner described the community engagement efforts as “just having fun,” whether it is their weekly community dinners, an ice cream pop-up in the neighborhood or activities like crafts or games. 

“The more you bring the residents together in workshops, in conversations and focus groups and having fun, the more they begin to get to know each other. They look after each other, and that’s the beauty of belonging and this sense of community,” Fortner said, “We are here to help build that.” 

The power of Caterpillar Ministries does not just lie in the programs they run, but in the relationships they build. The organization’s staff and volunteers are deeply embedded in Huntington Green, ensuring that trust and dignity come first. When residents visit the ministry’s headquarters – affectionately known as “Dad’s House” – they’re greeted not as clients, but as friends and family. That relational approach has helped turn a once-isolated community into a thriving, connected neighborhood where the residents look out for one another. 

Caterpillar Ministries is part of United Way’s United Neighborhoods initiative for place-based work, serving North Mecklenburg. Through United Neighborhoods, United Way provides funding to nonprofits whose services address needs identified by residents. 

Fortner spoke about how they could not do this work without partners, and described how United Way’s funding, support and trust over the past four years has increased their agility when showing up for neighbors. 

“It has taken us 18 years to build trust with our families, and United Way came in and trusted that we would be good stewards of their funds. With unrestricted funds, we know that if we need to pivot to a food situation, then we can pivot. If we need to increase our mental health workshops, because that’s what our families are asking for, then we can do that. We have the flexibility to serve our residents’ needs because of United Way,” Fortner said. 

Along with unrestricted funding, United Way provides training opportunities for nonprofit partners to help strengthen their infrastructure. 

“United Way has been a cheerleader for us. We feel loved, we feel heard, we feel supported and encouraged,” Fortner said, “The training they have brought to us has been huge. The wisdom that has been given has been tremendous.” 

Caterpillar Ministries has evolved over the years themselves, and they believe in transformation for others – not overnight change, but the steady, hopeful process of growing. Their story is a reminder of what’s possible when a nonprofit becomes more than a service provider, when it becomes a true partner in the community. In Huntington Green, that partnership is creating pathways to opportunity, belonging and hope.  

“It’s been beautiful to see first experiences happen for these kids and families that have been with us through the years. Eighteen years ago, kids and families didn’t know how to dream,” Fortner said, “They know how to dream now.” 

Learn more about the United Neighborhoods initiative.