Stories

Volunteers help build our community through the work they do for Charlotte’s nonprofit organizations.

Myers & Chapman, a 65-year-old, Charlotte-based, full-service construction company may literally build our community through its business, but it’s the company’s culture toward volunteering that sets it apart.

As a locally owned business, Myers & Chapman has a vested interest in the health and well-being of our community and has partnered with SHARE Charlotte as an official sponsor of DO GOOD Week.

By Shenique Carmichael, VP, Director, Banking Change Management ,TIAA

At times in my life, I experienced hunger, thirst, lack of clothing and being shunned for not having. I went to school many days without shoes on my feet. When I got home from school, I didn’t know if I would have food to eat. I grew up with oil lamps and candles to allow me to do my homework. We didn’t have electricity or running water or a bed to sleep in, but I was able to rise above it all.

"Volunteers are the only human beings on the face of the earth who reflect this nation’s compassion, unselfish caring, patience, and just plain loving one another." ~Erma Bombeck

SHARE Charlotte partners with more than 400 nonprofits that all serve Mecklenburg County. While they all serve different people and causes in our community, they all have one thing in common: slim operating budgets necessitating a need for volunteers to help.

(CHARLOTTE, N.C.) – SHARE Charlotte’s second annual DO GOOD Week, powered by Duke Energy, is underway in the Queen City. DO GOOD Week is a celebration of volunteerism during National Volunteer Week (April 15-21) and a call to action for community engagement with local nonprofit organizations through volunteer work.

Ever wonder what it would be like to work for a Charlotte-area nonprofit? There is no better way to gain valuable hands-on experience and gain and understanding into the mission of an organization than by serving as an intern.

If you are an organized individual who is ready to jump right into any task at hand, taking on an administrative/clerical volunteer position may be for you!

There is not a nonprofit office in the world that couldn’t use another set of hands on any given day - there is ALWAYS something to be done in the world of philanthropy.

Who said volunteering was all work, no play? Galas, 5Ks, and auctions are all key events for some of our local area nonprofits, and if you are good at throwing a party, then you just may be the detail-oriented and creative minded volunteer that an organization needs!

If you love being outdoors, getting your hands dirty, or serving others, there are plenty of volunteer opportunities for you! Grab your tools and get out in your community, there is never a lack of need for hands-on people like you.

Volunteering is not all serving meals and building homes (though those are very generous activities that we will never advise against) but with technology forever evolving, all aspects of our community are following suit which means that nonprofit organizations are finding a need to keep up just as much as any other business.

If you are someone who truly believes you can make an impact on someone’s life simply by lending a little guidance, you may want to consider becoming a mentor.

There will always be a need for mentors in the community, whether it is for a child who needs tutoring, or an adult who needs support. If you desire to help others directly, mentoring someone in need is a valuable use of your time.