Mission

​Unchained Identity Haven Ministries exists to proclaim the transformative love, liberty, and healing power of Jesus Christ to vulnerable individuals and families facing severe life crises. Through frontline dignity street outreach, compassionate second-chance workforce pathways, and future Christ-centered residential Haven Homes, we are dedicated to breaking generational cycles of trauma, overcoming chemical dependency, preventing suicide, and providing safe refuge and maternal support for young women facing crisis pregnancies. We meet people at their point of deepest need to restore their God-given identity and guide them toward lasting spiritual, emotional, and physical freedom.  

​About Minerva Payano (Founder & President)

​"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound." — Isaiah 61:1

 ​Minerva Payano is the Founder and President of Unchained Identity Haven Ministries, a Charlotte-based, faith-forward nonprofit born out of a relentless calling to restore dignity to the overlooked and brokenhearted. Minerva’s life and ministry are anchored entirely in the Gospel of Jesus Christ and His power to bring radical, lasting freedom.  

​Witnessing firsthand the acute challenges facing our city—homelessness, substance dependency, severe emotional despair, and the isolation young mothers experience during unplanned pregnancies—Minerva established Unchained Identity Haven Ministries to bridge immediate frontline relief with long-term residential transformation.  

​Her vision is rooted in action: stepping directly onto the streets to restore human dignity through mobile showers, nutritious meals, personal prayer, and on-site second-chance job interviews. Her ultimate commitment is the acquisition of physical Haven Homes across North Carolina—safe harbors offering clinical care, trauma-informed de-escalation, addiction recovery, and maternal support so no young mother feels forced into abortion, and no individual feels beyond hope.  

​Minerva leads with hands-on compassion, uncompromising faith, and a heart committed to building a ministry where everyone who enters can break their chains and discover who they truly are in Christ.