Nooze Hounds: Melody Gross Discusses Domestic Violence in Charlotte

On episode 42 of the Nooze Hounds podcast, Ryan and Justin brought in Melody Gross, founder of Courageous SHIFT, for a discussion on domestic violence in Charlotte. Five years ago, Gross fled from an abusive relationship with her young son, and in spring 2020, launched Courageous SHIFT, through which she offers support to survivors, consulting services for employers, and more recently the Eva Lee Parker Fund, which offers emergency financial aid to Black women fleeing domestic violence in Charlotte. 

In the episode, Gross explains the different types of abuse that many people aren’t familiar with, how employers can set policies to help confront domestic violence and support survivors, and how stigmatic behavior and shaming makes her job all the more difficult. You can read more about Melody’s work in our latest news feature, or in Ryan’s latest Editor’s Note describing his own firsthand experience with what she does. 

In the back half of the episode, the trio chats about recent news from CMPD regarding sexual assault crimes against children, attempts by Republicans in the state legislature to end the federal unemployment benefits extension early, and how the so-called Pop Tart Bandit from Catawba County was caught before he could enjoy the spoils of his crime. 

Remember you can catch us on Spotify and other places where you find podcasts, and be sure to check out Queen City Podcast Network for a slew of other great Charlotte podcasts that aren’t quite as good as ours but pretty damn close. Find past Nooze Hounds episodes here. 

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