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.
Why: Alzheimer's is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. The Alzheimer's Association Western Carolina Chapter provides localized services to those affected by the disease.
What you’ll do:
Work as a team to create goals and a plan of operation specific to the group.
Projects may include but are not limited to Walk to End Alzheimer's teams, 3rd party events, education and wellness programs, advocacy, and Day of Caring.
Some people watch fashion trends or the stock market. We’re watching giving in Charlotte. As we kick off 2015, here’s what we’ve seen over the past few months that’s hot, and what’s not, in volunteering.
On December 2nd, folks here in Charlotte pledged over 9,000 volunteer hours for our community. If you were one of those community heroes, first of all we’d like to say “thanks”! We each have a critical role to play in making Charlotte the best it can be!
Second, have you figured out where you plan to use those hours? If not, we’re here for you! There are a lot of ways to think about how you want to give back. Here we've started with 9 common service categories, with an idea for each. Start with the suggestions below, and browse our Collection of Good if you need more ideas.
Animal Welfare and Conservation - Rescue Ranch is looking for Teaching Assistants who want to convey their love of animals to kids.
It's probably no surprise that the most popular post from November's Smarty SHARE blog was about holiday giving. The time for some of these ideas has passed, but there's still good info here for the last minute shopper (and don't forget that giving can happen at any time of the year)!
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Maybe Christmas, the Grinch thought, doesn’t come from a store. – Dr. Seuss
Looking for a way to give back as a family this holiday season? Many families get involved through their local church or community center, but if you’re looking for something new or a little different, we’ve got some suggestions for you!
Volunteering can work even when you’re crazy busy! Check out this quick opportunity to do good:
Project Scientist
December 15, 2014 from 2-4pm
Where: Packard Place
Who: Individuals (age 15 and up)
Why: Project Scientist educates, coaches and advocates for girls who have a passion, aptitude and talent for STEM. The packages you'll help put together provide more STEM opportunities for past students.
What you’ll do:
Package materials for experiment to be mailed to Project Scientist alumni.
Print address labels for packages.
Bring packages to post office with Project Scientist staff
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!!
