Stories

“Mommy, what were forests like?”

1,426.

That’s how many trees were cut down in the time it took you to read that sentence. And here’s another number:

15 billion.

The number of trees we lose every single year.

Scared yet? You should be. The world has lost more than half of its trees since the beginning of human civilization.

And like just about every other environmental effect we’ve had on this world, the problem isn’t getting better, it’s getting worse.

"There's a study that shows if you don't have access to high-quality preschool, you start kindergarten 12-14 months behind," says Banu Valladares, executive director of Charlotte Bilingual Preschool. "If you start behind, then you're twice as likely to fail the reading test in third grade and if you don't pass that, you're four times as likely to drop out of high school."

In March, SHARE Charlotte’s Spotlight Series focuses on local organizations working to improve literacy and school readiness in Charlotte. These organizations do everything from provide free books, to reading support to free preschool. See who they are and find ways to help. #CLTLovesToRead

Faster. Fairer. Kinder. That’s how we at Google Fiber describe our gigabit speed internet service, but it is also a vision we have for the world.

Faster. We want individuals to have the ability to quickly and easily make a positive impact on issues that matter most to them.

Fairer. We seek to create communities where everyone has a chance to succeed.

Kinder. We imagine a society where generosity and compassion are the norm.

Volunteering makes the world go round. It just does. By definition to volunteer is to freely offer to do something. That's it. Holding a door open for someone, helping a neighbor with a project, taking a meal to a family with a new baby all fit the bill and are all efforts greatly appreciated. But there are those who work -- for free -- right here in Charlotte to make our city better for those around them. These are our SHAREheroes and we'd like you to meet them.

Follow us on Instagram as we unveil new SHAREheroes throughout the month.

*Photo provided by Shepherd's Center of Charlotte

As 40-somethings in the midst of our own parenting journeys, my husband and I are taking on a growing responsibility in caring for our own parents. My parents relocated to Charlotte several years ago and are thankfully healthy and active. My mother-in-law who requires extra care will also be moving to Charlotte this summer.