One last project, one last push

To our supporters,


We are counting down the hours until "Hands On Charlotte Day." Thank you to everyone who has signed up and donated to this year's event. There are only about 24 hours left to sign up. How about we tackle one last project? Here's the story:

We need you at Shamrock Elementary School this Saturday from 9 a.m. until noon. Shamrock is a low-resource, high-poverty school, where almost 90 percent of the students receive free or reduced lunch.

Shamrock approached us early in the planning of "Hands On Charlotte Day" and asked us to help plant a garden. We were thrilled at the challenge. The school wants the garden - which you will fill with all sorts of edible goodies - specifically to teach students about healthy living, nutrition and agriculture.

Will you help us fill the 21 remaining spots on this project? If you can't come out Saturday, then we hope you will consider making a small charitable donation. "Hands On Charlotte Day" is our primary annual fundraiser, and we depend on it to sustain our programming. Thank you for your support.


Together in service,

Rob Hammock
Director of Strategic Partnerships
Hands On Charlotte

George Bernard Shaw loved volunteering

"I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community and as long as I live, it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can." - George Bernard Shaw


Like so many other people in Charlotte these days, I am not a native. I am one more Midwesterner who has made his way south and learned of the loveliness of the weather and the beauty of the area. No, the weather’s not always perfect, but I’ll gladly take it over the brutal winters I grew up with along Lake Michigan in Chicago. What I do miss is the sense of community and connection thrust upon me by living in such a dense, urban setting. The connections were not always positive, and not everyone in the community got along, but there was no denying the interweaving way in which neighbors, neighborhoods, businesses, schools, places of worship, and nonprofits worked together – or didn’t.


The point is not proximity, nor an apology for the urban life. It’s about seeing the way we are connected with others. It’s about seeing when this works well and when it doesn’t. In an internet-dominated age, it is harder to notice and easier to ignore the personal and physical relationships around us. We are not islands to ourselves, but part of a greater whole, whether we acknowledge it or not. Volunteering is one way we begin to see the connections and can take action. Volunteering is the acknowledgment that I am part of a bigger picture. The health of Charlotte depends upon our seeing this picture, acknowledging the connections, and figuring out how we can each strengthen them.


So, if you’re looking for an opportunity to see the connections and be a part of a bigger picture, come join us at Hands On Charlotte Day on October 16. Come explore the connections and see where you fit. It is not about just one day; it is about a new vision. Maybe Hands On Charlotte Day is your eye opener.

-Rob Hammock