If you’ve just moved to the Queen City and you’re looking to make some new connections, we’ve got some great ideas for you. These three volunteer opportunities will connect you with like-minded folks who love to do good, just like you!
Pet Visits with Hands On Charlotte - Hey, your furry friend would probably love to meet some new people too! Take your pet along to a scheduled visit at a local retirement community. The pets don't need to have any special training or certification. They just have to be friendly and prepared to receive a lot of attention and praise.
Where: Charlotte Community ToolBank, 2513 South Tryon Street Charlotte, NC 28203
Who: Great for groups
Why: This is a nonprofit tool lending program that provides nonprofit organizations with year-round access to an inventory of tools for use in volunteer projects and for facility and grounds maintenance. Access to ToolBank tools eliminates the need for agencies to incur the expense of purchasing, repairing, and storing tools, reducing the costs associated with service projects. It allows agencies to focus more of their resources on their mission.
If you follow our "Crazy Busy" posts, you know it’s possible to do good even if you don’t have a ton of time to spare.
This weekend, thanks to the uber-coordinating efforts of Hands On Charlotte, my family and I volunteered at East Meck High School to celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr Day. Along with scores of other volunteers we made bookmarks, tied reading “snuggle” blankets, wrote letters to first graders and made heart-shaped valentines for nursing home residents. It was a well-spent Saturday morning.
Of course, not every opportunity to help is quite so easy to weave into your daily life. But the short term, “crazy busy” opportunities are often a great way to try out a lot of different organizations to see where your heart fits. You can find them throughout this blog, or just search our Collection of Good for something that works really well for you and your schedule.
Where: At Samaritan House, 611 Fortune St.,Charlotte, NC 28205
Who: Groups
Why: All of the things involved in a successful recuperation, like careful attention to medication and the rest needed to heal, become nearly impossible for the homeless when they are released from the hospital. Here in Charlotte, however, they can find a haven in Samaritan House.
Samaritan House provides recuperative care for homeless men and women in need of short term care following a hospital or emergency room stay. All guests enter the program through a referral system used by social workers and authorized medical personnel at area hospitals.
Where: Flexible. Limited meetings and most tasks can be done from home or work except the day of the event.
Who: Individual
Why: The Humane Society of Charlotte is a community resource committed to improving the lives of companion animals through adoption, spay/neuter and education. Their vision is for all companion animals to one day live in a community full of care and compassion without the threat of being unwanted.
We had fun with this post about Rescue Ranch, and it looks like you did too! Here's the reader's favorite from December:
One touch of nature makes the whole world kin. William Shakespeare
Has your child ever seen a fish swimming in a pond? What about a chicken clucking and pecking around a yard? The answer is probably yes. But there are kids in Charlotte who have not, and as a result they may have little connection to or awareness of the natural world.
We blinked and SHARE Charlotte turned 2 years old last month. In that time we have had the privilege of connecting people all over this city with hundreds of nonprofits. The depth and diversity of the nonprofit work being done here is mind-boggling. It has become obvious that there truly is a role for everyone to play to contribute to our beautiful city!
Each day, we remind ourselves of the Hindu proverb, “Help your brother’s boat across, and your own will reach the shore.” The stories we hear and the people we meet humble us and help fuel our energy to keep thinking about others around us and build upon our work.
Our number one goal is to keep making it easier for every Charlotte neighbor to play a role in making our community better.
Are you making a New Year’s resolution about volunteering or getting more involved in the community? We love that! Here are three tech-friendly ways to keep track of them.
Lift - This app employs coaching, community, and data to help you be your best and it’s available on iPhone or Android.
MindBloom - This service aims to improve the quality of your life in many areas (health, finances, career, etc.) but you can use it to zero in on your lifestyle goals around volunteering and community involvement as well.
Google Calendar - Not really an app, but this is super easy if you’re already using Google Calendar for the rest of your life. Just set up a separate calendar specifically for your goals and resolutions, set reminders, and go.
We have so much great news to share from our nonprofit partners about their amazing work. But, we'd love to hear from you. Let us know if you have stories you'd like to tell and we'll make you a guest blogger!!
