A thank you from Lisa Quisenberry

Dear friends of Hands On Charlotte,


Hands On Charlotte Day is now behind us, and I want to send a very big thank you to everyone who participated and donated. With your help, we had an incredibly successful event. From everyone at Hands On Charlotte, thank you for joining us on this year's Hands On Charlotte Day.


We want to share with you some of the results. We sent teams to 19 sites - 10 of which were public schools. At this year's Hands On Charlotte Day, our volunteers:

• donated 1,540 hours of their time,
• cleared 30,315 square feet of land,
• spread 8,580 pounds of mulch,
• spread 6,766 pounds of topsoil,
• planted 369 flowers,
• collected 137 bags of trash,
• spread 117 bales of pine straw, and
• sorted 61 pallets of donations.

Come visit us on Facebook, where you can check out all the pictures from our projects!


The winner of the $1,000 gift card from US Airways is Ben Milam. Ben volunteered with a team from Manheim at Walter G. Byers Elementary School. Don't forget you can still win US Airways gift cards worth $250 each if you update your volunteer information on our Web site by November 10.


We also want to thank the sponsors who supported Hands On Charlotte Day. Charlotte Business Journal was the event's primary sponsor. We are also grateful for the support of The Home Depot, Newell Rubbermaid, UNC Charlotte and Elevation Church, as well as Anne L. Bradley (CPA, PA), Carlisle & Gallagher Consulting, Kola Construction and Rorick Construction.


We'll be sure to keep you updated, but in the meantime, let us know what's new with you! If you have ideas for service projects, we're always looking for ways to grow. You can keep up with us on Facebook and Twitter, but never hesitate to send me an email directly.


Again, thank you to everyone who supported Hands On Charlotte Day. If you weren't able to participate, but wanted to make a charitable donation, just visit our donation page. Until we reconnect, I hope you have an amazing holiday season.




Together in service,


Lisa Quisenberry
Co-founder and executive director
Hands On Charlotte

It's Hands On Charlotte Day....Eve!

“Hands On Charlotte Day” has a very special meaning for me. It’s where I met my now husband in 1994. It took us another year to start dating, but that’s another story.

“Hands On Charlotte Day,” in addition to being a setting for romance, is just a great day. It’s exciting to be part of a legion of volunteers working simultaneously to improve our community. The synergy of this day is unlike any other. From the border of South Carolina to Huntersville and in between, volunteers will be sorting, landscaping, painting, building and recycling. The power of citizen involvement will be in full force.

In years past, volunteers have convened before or after their projects for a celebration event. With the fiscal challenges Hands On Charlotte - just like most nonprofits - is facing, we decided to forgo the party this year and concentrate on the volunteering. All the funds raised are going to support the projects and our year round volunteer efforts.

But fear not, you will still be able to celebrate. We are going to blanket the social media landscape and create a virtual celebration. In real time, you can follow the progress on Twitter, Facebook and our blog. Both during “Hands On Charlotte Day” projects and after, you can follow the progress, see pictures, thank our sponsors and find out how much work was completed. So when you get home after volunteering, pop open a beverage of your choice, grab a snack and your computer and celebrate with us!

Any time you Tweet or post on Facebook, attach the hashtag #handsoncharlotteday . Then we’ll all be able to chat and congratulate each other on work well done. Tell us what you accomplished and who you met. Tell us where you volunteered and what sponsors were at your event.

Speaking of sponsors, we could not do this without them. Charlotte Business Journal is our Presenting Sponsor this year. We are so proud of our partnership with the city’s premier business publication. They appreciate and help HOC promote good business also means doing good in the community. The Home Depot and Newell Rubbermaid are two companies that live that ethic and we are thrilled to have them as Transformational Sponsors as well as our good friends at Elevation Church and UNC Charlotte. We thank all our sponsors, the teams and individual donors for making this day happen. But most of all, thanks to those of you who will be out volunteering on Saturday!


Together in service,

Lisa Quisenberry
Co-founder and executive director
Hands On Charlotte

Volunteers across Charlotte prepare for day of service

With only 12 days left until “Hands On Charlotte Day,” volunteers across the city are signing up to serve local schools and non-profit organizations on October 16. Approximately 1,000 Charlotteans will come out for Hands On Charlotte’s 18th-annual day of service.


Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools are set to be among the day’s top beneficiaries. Hands On Charlotte has organized 10 beautification projects at public schools around city. In addition, volunteer teams will serve area non-profits at a number of other sites. The Charlotte Nature Museum, for example, will host volunteers to work on trails and gardens. Like many other HOC Day projects, the Charlotte Nature Museum is a family-friendly event, welcoming families with children over the age of 6.


“Our volunteers are essential to the success of ‘Hands On Charlotte Day,’” said Bob Young, Hands On Charlotte’s associate director. “We really can’t thank them enough for their efforts. Anyone who wants to support ‘Hands On Charlotte Day’ should visit our Web site.”


A number of Charlotte-area organizations have answered the call to help make “Hands On Charlotte Day” a success. Charlotte Business Journal is the day’s primary sponsor. Elevation Church, The Home Depot Foundation, Newell Rubbermaid and UNC Charlotte, as well as Anne L. Bradley (CPA, PA), Carlisle & Gallagher Consulting, Kola Construction and Rorick Construction have all signed on to support “Hands On Charlotte Day.”


“Without our corporate partners, Hands On Charlotte would not be able to organize this event,” Young said. “These organizations’ involvement in ‘Hands On Charlotte Day’ demonstrates their collective commitment to building and maintaining Charlotte’s reputation as one the nation’s top places to live.”


Hands On Charlotte is still looking for individual volunteers, volunteer teams and partners to help with this year’s Hands On Charlotte Day. To register, please visit our Web site for details.