Young leaders group to meet March 26

United Way’s Young Leaders group will hold an informational networking event on March 26 for Lake Norman area professionals younger than 40.

United Way of Central Carolinas Mooresville/Lake Norman Community Director Linda Beck said the group’s mission is to “improve communities through collaborative action and education” by working with United Way’s partners and agencies.

The meeting is open to those interested in volunteering and who live or work in the Lake Norman area, “from Exit 18 to Exit 45 up to Troutman,” Beck said. The meeting will provide specific ways Young Leaders can get involved in their community in the coming months.

“We’re trying to be thematically-composed,” Beck said, noting community mental-health issues will be the focus this spring and summer.

A representative from Safe Alliance will be on hand to speak about larger mental health issues – such as the role it could play with gun control – and more community-oriented topics, like the mental health hospital set to break ground in Davidson in April, Beck said.

Also in April, Beck said, interested volunteers will have the chance to participate in another networking event, as well as Safe Alliance’s first “Run for Hope and Healing” April 20 in Huntersville.

Beck also said the March 26 meeting will offer details and applications for volunteers interested in joining the six- to eight- member board who will steer the group’s focus for the next year.

“We want to get more influence from the community,” Beck said. “They’ll be making those decisions what this looks like.”

Lake Norman Young Leaders officially got started last fall, when about 50 people attended a kick-off meeting, followed by a service project in January, Beck said.

“We have a feeling there are a lot of young leaders out there who want to get connected and find others with like interests like they have,” Beck said. “We’re ready to ramp it up, we’ve had such an interest.”