Stories

How  did you spend your free time when you were in high school? Raising awareness and spreading the word about human trafficking and dedicating time to helping a nonprofit to further their mission of saving those in harm’s way?

No? Well, you are no Meredith Shank.

At just 17, Meredith has taken on the role of Social Media Advisor and Graphics Designer for Compassion to Act- a local nonprofit with a goal of liberating and restoring victims of human trafficking and exploitation through awareness, liberation, restoration and sustainability.

Wanting to put her social media and graphic design skills to work in the real world, Meredith began searching for opportunities that would allow her to use her talents for GOOD. 

After a quick search for graphic design opportunities on SHARE’s website, Meredith was  lead straight to an organization that would become near and dear to her heart.

Compassion to Act was looking for a volunteer to run their Facebook and Instagram accounts but knew they needed someone with a creative eye as creating visuals and content around such sensitive subject as human trafficking is no easy task. Meredith was up for the challenge.

Meredith attended an interest meeting which opened her eyes to just how much Compassion to Act does for our community. She explained that from the outside looking in, Compassion to Act may seem like a smaller organization, but now that she is on the inside, she can see that they may be small in size, but are large in impact. 

She was not only drawn to this organization because of their important mission, but also felt pulled toward Compassion to Act as it is a Christian based organization and Meredith is a devout Christian herself. She explained that finding an organization that not only fulfilled her graphic design search but also fit with her personal beliefs has been extremely rewarding.

Since she first began volunteering last Spring, Meredith says she has learned so much about  just how prevalent human trafficking is in Charlotte in particular and explained that her favorite thing about working for Compassion to Act is seeing the impact it has on the community. She says seeing the graphics and designs that were once just software on her computer screen come to life and help spread the word, and in turn help victims, is her favorite part about her particular role with the nonprofit. 

While Meredith has learned a lot about Compassion to Act’s specific organization and mission, her role has also opened her eyes to just how much work goes into any nonprofit organization. Meredith says she has such an incredible respect for Founder of Compassion to Act, Debbie Hancock, and nonprofit leaders everywhere now that she has seen first hand all of the hard work that goes into running a nonprofit. 

For Compassion to Act in particular, day to day operations include conducting rescue missions, to providing counseling, to building Safe Houses, and everything in between to provide safety and healing  to victims of human trafficking as well as to identify warning signs for those in danger. 

And Debbie Hancock, likewise, has an immense amount for respect for Meredith, saying “Meredith has been an incredible asset to our ministry.  Her creativity and experience has definitely added value to the work we are doing helping women walking  out their freedom.  Social media is a vital part in spreading awareness and Meredith has been able to take our social media to the next step.  We are thankful to have her as a part of our team.” 

Meredith is a perfect example of an individual volunteering their time within their skill set and using their biggest strengths to make a big difference. 

To learn more about Compassion to Act, visit the official website. 

To get involved with a local nonprofit using your personalized skill set like Meredith did, click here.