Monday, December 20, 2010

Hands On Charlotte making an impact at KIPP Charlotte

For as much as we talk about the impact of Hands On Charlotte volunteers, it felt pretty great on Friday when WSOC TV did a spot on our program at KIPP Charlotte. Reporters came and looked at our tutoring program at KIPP Charlotte, a charter school for underserved communities.

Thank you to all the volunteers who participate at KIPP Charlotte and at all of our tutoring programs in Charlotte. Want more information on how you can get involved in one of our Charlotte tutoring programs? Email Shari Williams.

Friday, December 17, 2010

An open letter from Executive Director Lisa Quisenberry

Dear Hands On Charlotte volunteers,

Some of you may remember that almost 20 years ago a group of 15 concerned citizens came together to found Hands On Charlotte in order to make it easier for people to volunteer their time. While the scope and impact of HOC have grown through the years, our core mission remains to inspire, to equip and to mobilize volunteers to meet critical community needs.

I am blessed to have been able to be part of Hands On Charlotte’s evolution from that original group into one of our city’s most important nonprofits. Our volunteer programs assist hundreds of nonprofits, schools and agencies and engage 12,000 volunteers. Together, we have built HOC into an impactful and sustainable institution.

I was reminded of the importance of sustainability recently when I met a student volunteer at Hawthorne High School named Jasmine. Jasmine looked at my nametag and said, “I remember you and Hands On Charlotte. You used to come to the Boy’s & Girl’s Club and teach us and play with us. You all were so nice”. I was astonished that she would know me, as it’s been at least 10 years since I volunteered there. But what really excited me was that now SHE was volunteering 4 hours of her time on a to help build a memorial garden for a Hawthorne student who was murdered last year.

That’s the legacy of HOC. That a teenaged girl has such a good memory of volunteers who spent time with her that she would joyfully get up early on a Saturday morning and volunteer herself! This legacy would not be possible without the continued support of you – HOC’s committed volunteers.

Helping others is a life-changing event, and I am dedicated to making sure that many, many more people get that chance. I hope you will join me in ensuring that Hands On Charlotte is sustainable next year and many more years to come by making a financial contribution. We’ve made it easy for you – just click this link to give online. If you prefer the tried-and-true method of mailing a check, our address is:

Hands On Charlotte
1616 Central Avenue Suite 200
Charlotte, NC 28205

Thank you so much for all you do for Hands On Charlotte and have a wonderful holiday.


In service,

Lisa Quisenberry
Co-Founder and Executive Director
Hands On Charlotte

Friday Roundup – 12.17.10 – The Holiday Party Edition

Is anyone going to a holiday party this weekend? Apparently there are a few of those around town this weekend. I’ve posted a poll over to the left, below the logo.

We’ve cemented our plans for MLK Week, and we hope you’ll join us next month. To find out more, visit the special events section of our website. If you have any questions about how to get involved on MLK Day in Charlotte, please email me.

One final note: tune into WSOC TV tonight between 5:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. One of our AmeriCorps members, Shari Lerline Williams, and her Hands On Charlotte project at KIPP Charter School will be on the news!

Have a great weekend, and enjoy your parties!

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Our different contributions and our collective action

Dear friends of Hands On Charlotte,

Service” is a buzzword this time of year. “Community” is another. Add to the list of holiday feel-good phrases: “charity,” “helping the less fortunate,” and “giving back.” I’m confident we all agree that these words and ideas are, in large part, what make the holiday season so special.

But what gets lost in the season is that these ideas look very different to each of us. We each serve our communities in distinct ways. Each of our contributions is based on a number of factors – our talents, our capacities, our schedules and our desires.

For the past 18 months, my service has taken shape as a member of AmeriCorps. If you’re unfamiliar with AmeriCorps, it’s like a domestic Peace Corps. AmeriCorps members work 40 hours per week and earn a stipend just below the poverty line. I spent a year in Chicago, working for the public schools’ homeless education program, and now I’m here with Hands On Charlotte. I’m young. I’m idealistic. And I’m energetic. I need service opportunities that allow me to jump in headfirst – to give substantial amounts of time and thought to specific organizations.

While AmeriCorps is the right opportunity for me, it’s not the right opportunity for everyone. Some volunteers have more precise skills – lawyers, facility managers, accountants – and they prefer to donate those skills to specific tasks. Some people prefer volunteer opportunities that give them direct contact with people – like mentoring kids or spending time with senior citizens. Some people prefer to be outside, working to make schools, parks and public places look beautiful.

Therein is the critical importance of Hands On Charlotte. We facilitate all of these opportunities. We empower people to serve their communities through the means that best suit their talents and desires. Community service can be a nebulous idea. We help you assign it meaning.

One form of service, however, is uniquely defined. Donating money. Yes, donating money is a form of community service. Hands On Charlotte needs your financial donation in order to continue providing the many service opportunities we provide throughout the year.

As we approach the final days of 2010, I urge you to make a charitable donation to Hands On Charlotte. This support allows us to continue providing you with your volunteer opportunities in Charlotte. Please donate on our website today.

We all serve our city in different ways. But collectively, our work is a penetrating and meaningful force. This idea of collective action is important as we close out the year with a donation campaign. We have the goal of raising $20,000. We’re at $6,000. If everyone donates $7, we’ll reach our goal by Christmas. Our collective action starts with your contribution today.


Together in service,

Tanner Kroeger
AmeriCorps & Program Manager, Strategic Partnership Initiative
Hands On Charlotte

Friday, December 10, 2010

Friday Roundup – 12.10.10

The office renovation project is in its final stages. We will come back Monday to some repaired walls and fresh paint. Perhaps it’s not as riveting of a story for everyone in the blogosphere, but for us at Hands On Charlotte, it’s a big, big deal.

Through all the excitement, we’ve been working on two fronts. For one, our holiday donation campaign is in full swing. Have you considered making a charitable donation to Hands On Charlotte this holiday season? If you want to donate this weekend, amid all the holiday shopping, please visit our main website.

In addition to working on the holiday campaign, we are in the thick of planning for our MLK Week of Service, which we will kick off in mid January. News of our big plans broke on WSOC earlier this week. I promise to keep you updated on here over the next five weeks. Hands On Charlotte’s MLK Week of Service is going to be fantastic! Stay tuned.

Of course, you don’t have to wait until January to volunteer in Charlotte! Here are a couple opportunities to volunteer through Hands On Charlotte:
  • Saturday – Thunder Road Marathon: Charlotte is buzzing about tomorrow’s marathon. Here is you chance to watch the event while helping make it a success.
  • Saturday – Metal Recycling at Habitat ReStore: One of our favorite projects, come join Habitat for Humanity’s efforts on a different level. By sorting through donated materials, volunteers help make Habitat’s process more efficient and impactful.
I hope everyone has a great weekend. Thanks for reading, and we’ll be back to the blog next week!


Tanner

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Why I Chose Hands On Charlotte and Why HOC Needs You

Hands On Charlotte is a great organization for young professionals. Coming to Charlotte in 2006 from a co-ed service fraternity at UNC-Chapel Hill, I wanted to get involved in the community and to meet others with similar interests. HOC allowed me to go online and to pick a project that worked for my schedule. This worked well for me since I couldn’t volunteer, say, every Thursday night, and it allowed me to volunteer at a variety of agencies based on my interests. I was impressed with how HOC organized the project and provided an on-site coordinator to keep the project running smoothly.

Now all of this sounds great, but I wondered… How are these projects and the volunteer coordination funded? Joining the Board, I quickly found out that this is not an easy task.

Coming from the for-profit world of banking, I was always taught that I could not finance a deal in which I could not get paid back with some sort of return. This is in stark contrast to the non-profit world in which many tasks are done for free simply to better the community in which we live. I never thought about how the mulch, rakes, trash bags and tools got to the HOC project sites. I never thought about how the website was funded or who paid the salary of the full-time staff.

So who is funding the non-profits? Corporate America is cutting back on the dollars they are giving to non-profits because they are struggling themselves. Many non-profits are under pressure to maintain their existing commitment to the community and some will simply not survive in this weak economy. This is why it is so important for HOC to build, maintain and preserve the relationships with the people who make HOC successful at tackling our community’s toughest issues…. YOU!

HOC Needs You

Many of us have sacrificed some “wants” over the past couple of years, but no one is able to sacrifice their needs. Non-profits around the city rely on volunteers from Hands On Charlotte for the volunteers' time, dedication and hard work. This is how the needs of our community are met. No one wants to tell a student that someone will no longer be able to come to have lunch with them at school. No one wants to tell the elderly that their weekly bingo has to be canceled. No one wants to tell those that are disabled that their bowling league can no longer continue.

With the year end approaching, Hands On Charlotte is now in need of our volunteers and supporters.
  • We need you to support 1 volunteer for a year in order to positively impact our community ($21.66 per year).
  • We need you to pay for our communication costs ($54.66 per month).
  • We need you to support a project with 10 volunteers ($118.22).
  • We need you to pay for 1 month of our online calendar ($472).
  • We need you to give a stipend and healthcare to 1 AmeriCorps member ($1,738 per month).

HOC will be celebrating its 20th birthday next year. Let’s give it the best present it could ask for…. the funds necessary to help homeless families, guide at-risk youth, tutor disadvantaged children, feed the hungry, care for our environment and deliver a real and measurable impact to the community we call home.

Please help HOC meet a need by donating today on our website.


John Wyatt is a member of Hands On Charlotte's Board of Directors.

Friday, December 3, 2010

Friday Roundup: The Office Renovation Edition

We are t-minus 2.5 hours away from a minor office renovation. That means office clean-up. Floors debris free? Check. Desks cleared of all loose items? Check. Computers stowed away? (Almost) check. In a little more than a week, Hands On Charlotte’s office will have a slightly fresher look. Drop by and check it out.

While the renovation gets started this weekend, there are plenty of opportunities for you to volunteer in Charlotte.
  • Saturday – Assistance League Thrift Store: Help organize clothes for the AL Thrift Store. Proceeds from the store benefit local youth and low-income communities.
  • Saturday – Panthers Recycling Program: Yes, you read correctly. While there isn’t a Panthers game Saturday, the ACC Championship football game is at the stadium Saturday night, and we need your help with our recycling program.
  • Saturday – Pet Therapy at White Oak Manor: Bring your pet (with updated vet records) to this senior home in the Cotswold neighborhood. Be sure to read the description for pet specifics before you sign up!
As the holiday season shifts into overdrive, we know many of you won’t be able to make it to a project until next year. However, we hope you will support Hands On Charlotte by making a charitable donation on our website. Without your financial support, we would not be able to offer the volunteer opportunities that you love. Thank you for donating to Hands On Charlotte!

OK, Shari is telling me to turn off my computer and to put it under my desk. That means I need to run. Have a great weekend!


Tanner

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Volunteer Diary: Liz Horgan at the Charlotte Nature Museum

I signed up for the outdoor workday/morning at the Nature Museum for 2 reasons. First, I used to take my kids there when they were younger, thought it was a great place, and know how difficult things are for non-profits today. Second, because I enjoy working outdoors. When I arrived (this being my first time volunteering at this site with HOC), I was surprised to see that I knew the activity leader! We're in the same class in grad school together! Small world.

The day was perfect, sunny and cool. We put down mulch, and on the nature trail helped mitigate the impacts from invasive plant species (that's an attempt at finding an impressive way of saying we pulled ivy from the hardwoods and ground cover - wheelbarrow fulls). I met a diverse group of people, all there happy to "help", and ended up having fun while benefiting the community. Thanks for organizing this project!


Liz Horgan is a volunteer for Hands On Charlotte.

Do you want to write a Volunteer Diary for our blog? Email Tanner Kroeger for details.