15 places to volunteer in Charlotte this holiday season and beyond
Tis’ the season of giving back, and today is the start of the 6th annual #GivingTuesdayCLT campaign. This campaign, presented by Wells Fargo and powered by SHARE Charlotte, encourages the Queen City community to give the gift of time, money and goods to local volunteer organizations this holiday season and beyond.
In the five years that this campaign has been running, it has inspired nearly $24 million in value for hundreds of nonprofits. As part of the kickoff for Giving Tuesday, volunteers from SHARE Charlotte will be handing out Lowe’s gift cards to be donated to the charity of your choice at the Uptown Tree Lighting at Victoria Yards today at 5:30 p.m. Additionally, the Red Cross is hosting five blood drives at YMCAs throughout the area, and Charlotte Independent Brewers Association breweries are starting a season-long campaign to donate 95 cents of every pint sold on a designated tap to the Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation.
If you are looking for other ways to give back, whether it is feeding the elderly, assisting a newly immigrated individual navigate life in the U.S., making a child’s holiday wish come true or building a new home for an abandoned puppy, here are 15 organizations you can get involved with:
(1) Charlotte Rescue Mission
Rebound: 907 W. 1st St.; Dove’s Nest: 2855 West Blvd.
Charlotte Rescue Mission serves people affected by addiction and helps to equip them to thrive in the community. Its facilities accommodate men, women and children, with its most recent addition, Community Matters Cafe, providing a full-service restaurant and coffee shop. The mission also offers life skills training programs that help prepare participants to transition back into the workplace. There are opportunities to prepare and serve meals, tutor, help in the store and assist at events.
(2) Classroom Central
2116 Wilkinson Blvd.
Classroom Central collects and distributes free school supplies to teachers in districts where 50% or more of the children qualify for free or reduced lunch. It serves nearly 200 schools in Charlotte. Get involved by volunteering at a free teacher shopping event, where volunteers are needed to load, sort and check teachers in and out. If you are looking for ways to give back from your home or business, consider making flashcards to donate or hosting a fundraiser to collect money or supplies.
(3) Friendship Trays
2401 Distribution St. # A
It takes Friendship Trays 120 volunteers every single day to prepare and deliver nutritious meals to elderly and infirmed individuals across Charlotte. In addition to giving these individuals a prepared meal, the volunteers at Friendship Trays provide human connection to often isolated and lonely individuals. Volunteers are needed both in the kitchen and to drive deliveries.
(4) Humane Society of Charlotte
2700 Toomey Ave.
Animal lovers can find plenty of ways to give back at the Humane Society of Charlotte. Even if you are not in the market to adopt, volunteers are needed to help with kennel cleaning, dog walking, cat socialization and events. For young animal lovers not old enough to get involved onsite, there are opportunities to make fleece blankets, dog toys, cat and dog houses and kitty scratchers from home.
(5) Operation Christmas Child
7100 Forest Point Blvd.
Charlotte is home to one of eight processing centers for Operation Christmas Child, a project run by Samaritan’s Purse, a nondenominational evangelical Christian organization providing spiritual and physical aid to hurting people around the world. Shoe boxes full of gifts and necessities are assembled, inspected and sent to children around the world during November and December, and items are collected year round.
(6) Perfect Provisions
P.O. Box 1228, Indian Trail
Perfect Provisions is a mobile soup kitchen that provides hot meals near the men’s shelter, the women’s shelter and a local apartment community. In addition to hot meals, the organization ensures that childrens’ lunch needs are met by providing bagged lunches, organizes gifts for the holidays and runs a trick-or-treat event for children. Clothing and other essential items are also distributed. Volunteers are needed to prepare and serve meals, as well as collect and distribute items.
(7) Project Outpour
1800 Camden Road, Suite 107-143
Everyone deserves the dignity of having a place to shower. This is the premise behind Project Outpour, which brings mobile showers to people moving through homelessness as a way to help alleviate suffering and promote holistic health. Volunteers can help at mobile sites getting guests signed in, offering a welcoming greeting and cleaning showers between use. There is also need for assistance behind the scenes.
(8) Promising Pages
4020 Yancey Road
Donate books, money or time at Promising Pages, an organization dedicated to helping children who cannot read proficiently. With more than 60,000 underserved kids in the Charlotte area at risk of falling behind, the need is great. Volunteer onsite, host a collection event or even give back from your own home by writing bookworm letters — special notes from grownup readers to encourage reading.
(9) Psychology for All
Access to mental health services is a challenge even in the best of circumstances. Psychology for All helps individuals in need of mental health assistance get access to psychotherapy services by connecting them with local psychological service providers. These providers have agreed to provide services at a discounted rate. In addition to mental health professional volunteers, Psychology for All has opportunities to get involved with coordination efforts.
(10) Queen City Unity
Formed after unrest in the city in 2016, Queen City Unity’s goal is to drive equity and equality in Charlotte. Its efforts are focused on engaging with the community, providing diversity education, creating community programs and advocating for those who have been discriminated against. With specific programs designed to provide diversity education to children, and upward mobility education and ongoing support to those struggling socioeconomically, there are many ways to get involved. Help with the Charlotte UNITE Festival, become a mentor in the Equity Ambassador Program, lead a community fundraising effort or simply donate some time to help with the many programs Queen City Unity offers.
(11) Refugee Support Services
3601 Central Ave.
Arriving in a new country can be overwhelming, especially if you do not speak the language. Refugee Support Services aims to help newly-arrived individuals settle into life in Charlotte. Volunteers assist with everyday tasks such as deciphering bills, making calls and completing paperwork. There are also opportunities to get involved in the preschool and educational center or help an individual practice English.
(12) Second Harvest
500 Spratt St. B
From senior programs and homeless shelters, to low income daycares and emergency pantries, Second Harvest is responsible for distributing over 60 million pounds of food and household items. These items go to 500,000 people in need across parts of North Carolina and South Carolina. It takes more than 98,000 volunteers donating their time to make this happen. Opportunities to help on a one-time or regular basis with cooking, collection, delivery and administrative tasks are available, and food and monetary donations are appreciated.
(13) TreesCharlotte
701 Tuckaseegee Road
If you’re passionate about trees and conservation, volunteering with TreesCharlotte is a great way to get outdoors and give back. The organization hosts planting events where volunteers are invited to roll up their sleeves and help plant new trees to add to Charlotte’s canopy. TreesCharlotte also needs assistance distributing seedling packets and caring for planted trees.
(14) Trips for Kids
1132 N. Caldwell St.
Trips for Kids gives underserved kids the chance to go on a Saturday morning guided bike ride or earn a bike by attending free bike safety and maintenance classes. Volunteers are needed seasonally to lead bike rides, as well as assist with repairs and teach classes. The organization also accepts old bikes and bike gear, even those that may be broken but can be used for spare parts.
(15) Wayfinders
725 Providence Road, Suite 212
Wayfinders helps expand the confidence and connections of underserved children by exposing them to new opportunities and providing ongoing mentorship. Through summer camps, year-round enrichment programs and one-on-one mentor relationships, any child — regardless of their ZIP code —can have access to life-altering experiences. In addition to mentors, Wayfinders needs volunteers to help with events, transportation and administrative work. You can also get involved by writing letters of encouragement and birthday cards to scholars.
This story was originally published December 3, 2019 at 5:45 AM.