Wednesday, April 20, 2011

For the Birds provides behind-the-scenes look at Raptor Center

On a recent Saturday, a group of Hands On Charlotte volunteers arrived at the Carolina Raptor Center ready to work. The team included Julie, John, Crystal, Brandy, Kellie, Victoria, Heather, Guohua, Rui and Rob. The Raptor Center has over 23 different species of raptors housed along a ¾ mile nature trail.

In two groups, we worked on two main projects. One group prepared the amphitheater so that it could be painted at a later time. The other group helped to refit a cage for a new bird. Armed with sledgehammers, crowbars, and a battery-powered drill, the work began.

Julie, our project leader, was knowledgeable about the raptors and provided information as we went to and from the work areas. She gave us a chance to see the raptors and a sense of the importance of helping out at the Center.

One of the many benefits of volunteering was being able to see some areas that the general public isn’t allowed to see. Birds being rehabilitated need to be caged in a quiet area that is not accessible to the public. We were able to see these raptors and to talk with some of the staff from the rehabilitation facility. We also got to see an eagle that was rescued in Asheville in 1993, when it struck its wing on an electrical wire.

Volunteers are always needed at the Carolina Raptor Center, and volunteering through Hands On Charlotte is great way to do just that. "For the Birds" opportunities are available through the Hands On Charlotte volunteer calendar.


--Rob Bridges is a volunteer for Hands On Charlotte.

Monday, April 18, 2011

Visiting the McColl Center for Visual Art

Since I am an art lover, I decided to volunteer at McColl’s Community Service Day. Every corner of the restored neo-Gothic church was filled with family friendly art activities and children performances. Some of the activities including book making while another allowed patrons to assist an artist with his installation called the “Work of Art that Grows.”

My particular task included helping a former resident artist, Annabel Manning, with the Nature Prints. The project consisted of 5 stages in which individuals created their own print with miscellaneous objects, construction paper cutouts or their personal design on a plastic transparency. Throughout the morning and afternoon, our group assisted numerous families with their mini projects in which they proudly displayed on our studio walls and in the halls.

As I left my shift, I participated in a brief 20 minute docent led tour to learn more about the history and vision of the McColl Center. The tour consisted of a brief history of the original church, McColl Center, and its artist in residency programs. As a new Charlotte resident and a fellow MBA graduate student, it was rather insightful to learn how the McColl Center integrates with the Uptown community to spur innovation and creativity.

As I walked out the Center’s arches into the beautiful spring day, I was reminded of my childhood as two young boys were in deep concentration on their sidewalk chalk drawing. This event was yet another Hands On Charlotte project that me closer to the Charlotte community.


--Leticia Foster is a Hands On Charlotte volunteer.

Friday, April 15, 2011

Volunteer Spotlight: Dan Snipes

When Dan Snipes moved to Charlotte five years ago from Denver, Colorado, he wanted to find out what the locals here do for fun. He came across an article about Hands On Charlotte and decided he’d better see what we were all about. After trying out half-dozen projects, Dan stumbled upon the Wednesday night Cradles to Crayons project and was hooked!

According to Dan, the children at The Summit House who attend this project don't have a very typical home life. While they are very fortunate to have a community to help raise them, Dan worries that they don’t always get the special attention kids need. Volunteers at Cradles to Crayons provide that special attention and lots of love.

“The kids need to know they are important. I think we do a fairly good job of spoiling them. This is evidenced by the rush to the door and the incredible hugs we get when we arrive,” Dan said.

Dan said he likes that there are so may ways to get involved and make a difference in the community: planting gardens, cleaning school grounds, helping at homeless shelters, sorting clothing and food, assisting those with special needs… the list goes on and on.

So what’s Dan’s best advice for Hands On Charlotte volunteers?

“Try a bunch of different activities to see what brings you the most joy. Return to that project often, but keep trying out new ones too,” Dan said.

“Throw yourself into it and allow yourself to be creative. While volunteering, be sure to live in the moment and enjoy the company of those around you. There are so many good people in your community, from all walks of life. You'll be amazed by who you meet.


--Sarah Langford

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Volunteer Spotlight: Eboney Luckey

At the heart of Eboney Luckey’s weekly volunteerism at Hope Haven is her belief that everyone should be offered a chance at recovery and rehabilitation. And what better way to provide a fresh start than to tutor adults who are trying to obtain their GEDs. Every Monday evening you’ll find Eboney arriving early to this GED/ABE Tutoring project so she can photocopy study sheets and worksheets for a group of enthusiastic students.

Eboney is a stay-at-home mom and a native of Charlotte who originally found out about Hands On Charlotte from her daughter’s middle school in 2007. Having always tutored in some form—from the neighborhood community center to helping classmates in the school library during lunch—Eboney has a passion for teaching and learning. Her background is in information technology and telecommunications, and she uses this expertise in her extensive preparation before every project. Each student is on a different level in his or her GED preparations, and Eboney has developed countless practice sheets for the students to use in their studying.

Eboney chooses to volunteer through Hands On Charlotte because of its organized approach to volunteering and the variety of projects through which she can help. She wants others to be aware that everyone can do something and make an impact on the world around them. Hands On Charlotte’s goal is to help people do just that.

Education is a right, and everyone should have access to learn the basic skills,” Eboney said.

It is with this conviction that Eboney continues to “do something” quite extraordinary.


--Sarah Langford

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Volunteer Spotlight: Wendy Raker

Wendy Raker first volunteered at the Britthaven Retirement Home – now University Place Nursing and Rehabilitation – on September 14, 2004. With only a few exceptions, she has been back twice a month every month for almost seven years. Her routine has remained the constant.

“I get to the center a bit early and go to the residents’ rooms to visit and to see if they want to join us for Bingo,” Raker said. “If they need help, I help them get to where we play. If they don’t feel up to it, I visit for a few minutes and then I go to the next room.”

Twice a month for nearly seven years.

“The most important thing with volunteering is consistency,” she said. “Being there week in and week out, the residents and the staff all know me. They are comfortable with me. I am ‘Bingo.’”

It’s worth noting that Wendy didn’t walk into a well-established program at Britthaven. Along with a close friend, she built the program from the ground up. At first, they encountered some obstacles like the lack of a budget and some staff resistance.

“It was a challenge for us to keep it going, but we took the bull by the horns and forced the issue,” she said.

Despite the challenges, Wendy has established Bingo & More into one of Hands On Charlotte’s best senior-focused projects. As the volunteer leader, she said she is always looking for more Hands On Charlotte volunteers.

“You have to do it from the heart,” she said. “It’s not easy because sometimes there is loss. But when you think about what it means to the residents, it makes it all worth it.”


--Tanner Kroeger

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Volunteer Spotlight: Kerry McCray

In less than one year, Kerry McCray has donated $4,250.06 worth of labor to Hands On Charlotte. Do the math. That’s $354.17 per month, $82.67 per week or $11.81 every day. Yet, the recent transplant from Los Angeles, California, thinks she needs to thank us.

“L.A. is such a different world. But I feel at home here,” she said. “Hands On Charlotte has really helped me make Charlotte my home.”

But on a day when we are celebrating our volunteers’ service to the environment, we can’t think of anyone to thank before Kerry McCray. As the volunteer leader of the Panthers Recycling program and a regular at the McGill Rose Garden, she has bolstered some of Hands On Charlotte’s most popular environment-focused projects.

As the leader of the Panthers Recycling program – where volunteers collect cans and trash from fans tailgating at Carolina Panthers games – Kerry led Hands On Charlotte volunteers in helping to recycle 23.4 tons of garbage. To give some context, that’s nearly 29 percent of all the trash produced at Panthers games.

“What I really love about [Panthers Recycling] is that I hate trash. I hate trash,” she said. “Trash makes me cringe. And the fans just love it. They always yell ‘Hey! We’ve been waiting for you!’ It’s tough not to enjoy.”

In addition to helping Hands On Charlotte volunteers enjoy their experience, she’s also helped us continue our great relationship with the City of Charlotte.

“Working for the city has been a big part of why that program is so much fun. They think we’re the greatest thing, and because of that, they go out of their way to help us out,” she said.

Kerry admits that environment-focused projects can easily become preachy, but it’s her enthusiasm that makes Hands On Charlotte environment projects so much fun.

“The impact of what we’re doing there is great. The statistics demonstrate that,” she said. “But what’s really great is that it’s a non-lecture-y way to educate people about the importance of recycling and taking care of the environment.”


--Tanner Kroeger

Monday, April 11, 2011

Volunteer Spotlight: Roy Shuler

For almost eleven years now, Volunteer Leader Roy Shuler, a 51 year-old native of Charlotte, has been at the forefront of Hands On Charlotte’s poverty-focused projects. As a testament to the health benefits of service, it was a doctor who first suggested Roy try volunteering in the community. From Race Against Hunger to Spruce Up Hospitality House, Roy soon became one of Hands On Charlotte’s most active volunteers. In 2009, he became the Volunteer Leader for Race Against Hunger, and we’re grateful to have his enthusiastic leadership for such an important project.

So why has Roy stuck around for so long? It’s crucial for him to give back to the community in such a tangible way, he says. The Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina, where Race Against Hunger is held, allows him to do just that. Roy is good friends with the staff there now, and they regularly call him in on the weekends to do extra work. When asked which activity at the Food Bank he enjoys the most, Roy answers that he likes working wherever he is most needed.

And why is Roy such an ardent supporter of Hands On Charlotte? It’s an organization that has encouraged him to get out and help the community—and to do projects that he otherwise might not have considered. Roy’s volunteer history is evidence that he likes to spread his volunteer around, and Hands On Charlotte offers the variety of projects that he likes. However, he’s found that it is the projects he goes to consistently that end up being the most rewarding.

Perhaps the most important reason Roy is committed to volunteering is that he knows he is making a difference. When he’s at Second Harvest or Crisis Assistance Ministry, he can see the impact he has on the organizations, and more importantly, the people affected by them. Roy’s service experiences have changed the way he thinks about his community, and he’s learned how widespread poverty in Charlotte really is. He’s seen firsthand how crucial the school backpack programs are and how greatly people’s lives can be impacted by his work. And fortunately for the Charlotte community, Roy is showing no signs of slowing down. You can join him in his efforts to curb local poverty by checking out the many projects Hands On Charlotte offers each month at both the Second Harvest Food Bank and Crisis Assistance Ministry. Because if there’s one thing Roy’s story teaches us, it’s that a single individual can make a huge difference.

--Sarah Langford

Saturday, April 9, 2011

Volunteer Spotlight: Anthony Parker


Anthony Parker is a high-energy guy. There’s a hop to his step that is contagious. Perhaps that’s what makes the 24-year-old one of Hands On Charlotte’s most popular and committed volunteers. In just over one year, he has served 107 hours – a significant portion of which he has spent at Special Rollers, a bowling league for people with developmental disabilities.

“Everyone is born into circumstances that we can’t control. This project allows me to serve people, who, in some instances, can’t always help themselves,” Parker said. “But when you think about it, that’s what service is, no matter if you serve people in poverty, in schools or other things. It’s all about being positive and overcoming challenges.”

His commitment to serving people with disabilities is common among many Hands On Charlotte volunteers. For a list of projects where you can volunteer like Anthony, click here.

Through Hands On Charlotte, Parker has made the city his home. After graduating from the College of Charleston in 2008, he moved to Charlotte to work for Wells Fargo.

“Because of Hands On Charlotte, I’ve been able to interact with people I never would have met otherwise,” he said. “It’s social, but it’s also organized, and I feel like I’m making a difference.”

Anthony’s commitment to volunteerism is deep. A member of the service fraternity Alpha Phi Omega in college, he has been finding ways to serve his community for much of his life.

Life is all about serving people. It’s not really about you,” he said. “I can’t imagine not volunteering. It’s something that I always want to be a part of my life.”

--Tanner Kroeger