#YPMixerCLT Recap
If you were one of the 400 YP’s that flooded the Brewers at 4001 Yancey last week as part of the 7th annual #YPMixerCLT, you know the magic that happened!
A huge thanks to Meredith Dean for emceeing this epic event and to the CLT Avengers for promoting the GOOD. This year’s mixer would not have been possible without help from our co-host YMCA of Greater Charlotte. We are especially grateful for our awesome sponsors U.S. Bank and Beacon Partners; thanks for your support in helping us bring Charlotte’s young professional and nonprofit communities together.
If you didn't get to make it to the YP Mixer, we deployed our guest writer, Eden, to scope out the event and give a behind the scenes perspective on the night's festivities. You can also click here browse the photos from QC Booths and our photographer, Lesley Childers.
A First-Hand Look into the 7th Annual YPMixerCLT
Written By Eden Estabrook
What a night!
For the 7th time in the Queen City, the YPMixer brought together hundreds of young professionals eager to Do GOOD in their city with 50 local nonprofits. This year, the event was held at Brewers at 4001 Yancey, and attending YPs had the opportunity to shake hands with nonprofit representatives and learn more about how they can give back their unique talents to the city. With so much talent and opportunity in one room, everyone’s experience and conversation are bound to look different. But, for those of you who couldn’t make it, here’s what my time at the YPMixer looked like for your reading pleasure. Enjoy!
I made it to 14 tables before my vocal cords called it quits. I’ve also got the directional skills of a wounded bumblebee, so I had no system whatsoever for picking tables. What I did know was that I needed at least 10 signatures to earn a raffle entry and that was definitely going to happen (somebody won a trip to ATL on a private jet. Kinda bitter it wasn’t me, but that’s OK).
I’ll list all the attending nonprofits at the end of this article, but to keep this article from turning into a novel, I’d just like to share some surprising facts about some of the opportunities I learned about in my conversation.
Rebuilding Together of Greater Charlotte
You don’t have to be a builder to volunteer with this organization! Which is good, because I couldn’t tell you a nut from a bolt without the help of Google. They are looking for Marketing and Development committee members, so those of us with little-to-no building skills can still help them tackle the affordable housing crisis!
I studied English so imagine my surprise when they told me you don’t have to be a mathematician to tutor with Heart! They even gave me a little demo of how easy it is to teach the concepts necessary to bring students up to grade level. So, trust me, if I’m able to sign up to be a MATH tutor, you can too. Check them out!
Help Answer Scholarship mentor single moms through college by sharing your expertise! They’re looking for individuals that can help recipients develop career skills by facilitating talks and workshops on what YOU do every day.
To be honest, I didn’t even know they were a nonprofit. When I saw their table at the mixer, I knew I had to stop by and ask about it. It’s a big misconception that Daniel Stowe isn’t nonprofit, but in reality, they help bring the beauty of nature to our community. This one is for you outdoorsy people.
We can all learn from the Arthritis Foundation. They reminded me it’s never too early to get my jingle on. As a lover of all things holiday season, I was ecstatic to see the Jingle Bell Run on their table. Get in the holiday spirit a little early and sign up! 100% of the registration fee and fundraising efforts go to a great cause!
Last, but certainly not least, Project Outpour made its YPMixer debut this year! They have a mobile operation that brings bathrooms and showers to the homeless in an effort to alleviate the challenges of homelessness and promote health and dignity. Give them a Queen City welcome and show them some love!
If you’ve survived college, you know how daunting an experience it can be. Carolina Youth Coalition is here to help high-achieving, but under-resourced, youth overcome the challenge that is a college education. They need passionate volunteers to serve as College Mentors, Writing Coaches, Academic Tutors, and Helping Hands to help them support their Fellows on their path to college and beyond!
If you made it to the end of this article, congratulations! I’m impressed. That was an overview of 7 out of the 14 tables I connected with. And that still leaves 36 tables I never even made it to! If one of my highlighted nonprofits intrigues you, I’d encourage you to reach out to them to learn more! If not, that’s OK! There are still 43 other nonprofits that attended. Find them listed below. Now, let’s get out there and DO GOOD!
Nonprofits:
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Socialserve
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Safe Alliance
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Brave Step
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Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation
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Carolina Thread Trail & Catawba Lands Conservancy
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Humane Society of Charlotte
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Child Care Resources
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Justice Initiatives
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The Magellan Society
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Young Affiliates of the Mint Museum
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Urban League of Central Carolinas
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Council for Children’s Rights
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YMCA
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Girl Scouts
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Girls on the Run Charlotte
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Let Me Run
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America Youth Foundation
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Alexander Youth Network
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Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Carolina
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The Relatives
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Elon Homes
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EmpowHERment Inc
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Teaching Fellows Institute
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Community in Schools
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Smart Start of Mecklenburg County
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Dottie Rose Foundation
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Healing Vine Harbor, Inc
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Carolina Refugee Resettlement Agency
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Ryan Seacrest Foundation
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Vs. Cancer
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Planned Parenthood South Atlantic
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Alzheimer’s Association
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All Things Possible Medical Fundraising
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Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
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Ronald McDonald House of Charlotte
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American Lunch Association
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Parkinson Association of the Carolinas
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Metrolina Association for the Blind
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Lupus Foundation of America, NC Chapter
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The Go Jen Go Foundation
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SHARE Charlotte