Over the holiday season, we talked a lot about service. Of course, during that season, it’s an easy charge to talk about giving back and community engagement.
Here’s the challenge we all face on January 1: How do we sustain the spirit of the holiday season well into the New Year?
Here’s the answer in 30 words: Hands On Charlotte needs to empower our volunteers with new, innovative programming, and we need our volunteers to push themselves to continue serving their community, despite winter’s darkness and monotony.
The first major component of our 2011 programming is on January 17 at the Grady Cole Center, where we will host the first annual MLK Service Forum. The Forum will bring together some 20 nonprofit organizations from around the city to honor the life and ideas of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. We will have donation drop-offs, a volunteer-recruitment fair, free health screenings and children’s activities.
At our MLK Service Forum, you will have the opportunity to learn more about the needs of Charlotte’s nonprofits, and with that information, you’ll be able to map out how you want to serve your community in 2011.
We urge you to attend our MLK Service Forum. There is no cost to attend. Click here to learn more.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Monday, January 3, 2011
Starting an exciting, transformative year
Let’s kick off the New Year with a thank you. Thank you to everyone who donated to our holiday campaign in November and December. With your help, we raised $15,000 to support our programming. We said we needed your help to bring back all the dots, and as you can tell, the dots are all there.
In fact, you can see there are a few extra dots in the logo. As we begin 2011, we invite you to join in our 20th-anniversary celebration. We first started serving the Charlotte community in 1991, and 20 years later, we are looking forward to serving you 20 more!
We are going to celebrate our 20th anniversary with events all year long. The first of those events is January 17, when we will host our MLK Service Forum at Grady Cole Center from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. At the MLK Service Forum, we will honor the life and ideas of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., with donation-drop offs, a volunteer-recruitment fair and on-site service projects. The MLK Service Forum is part of our MLK Week of Service, which starts January 15 and will feature more than 60 service projects across the city.
Keep reading our blog and following our Twitter feed (@HandsOnCLT) for more updates on the MLK Service Forum and the MLK Week of Service. For all you Twitter users out there, the hashtag for the Service Forum is #mlkserviceforum.
In fact, you can see there are a few extra dots in the logo. As we begin 2011, we invite you to join in our 20th-anniversary celebration. We first started serving the Charlotte community in 1991, and 20 years later, we are looking forward to serving you 20 more!
We are going to celebrate our 20th anniversary with events all year long. The first of those events is January 17, when we will host our MLK Service Forum at Grady Cole Center from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. At the MLK Service Forum, we will honor the life and ideas of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., with donation-drop offs, a volunteer-recruitment fair and on-site service projects. The MLK Service Forum is part of our MLK Week of Service, which starts January 15 and will feature more than 60 service projects across the city.
Keep reading our blog and following our Twitter feed (@HandsOnCLT) for more updates on the MLK Service Forum and the MLK Week of Service. For all you Twitter users out there, the hashtag for the Service Forum is #mlkserviceforum.
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.
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
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!
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!
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