Tag Archives: HOC

Where a child (and their parent) meets the village

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Kindergarten isn’t what it used to be. Or, it isn’t what I remember it to be.

I recently discovered this as I struggle to keep up with my eldest son’s social calendar, school fundraisers, class projects, extracurricular activities and homework. He’s five years old, a kindergartner. An 8-hour school day followed by homework!?

The kindergarten I remember was comprised of circle time, free play time and naps. The school day was four hours long.

I have no doubt the reading and writing skills my son is honing early in his education will help him succeed well into high school and beyond. My wife and I are very pleased with his teacher and the public school he is attending.

But Kindergarten has been an eye-opener on just how involved a parent must be in their child’s education. All too often, students do not have the full support of their family. Educators believe the lack of parental support is a key reason why nearly 20% of all North Carolina students don’t graduate from high school.

When parents are struggling to provide basic needs for their children, like food and shelter, it’s easy to understand why they may not be focused on what’s happening at their child’s school. Language barriers also isolate parents from their school communities.

Hands On Charlotte, along with several partner agencies, is working to eliminate these hurdles and engage more parents in their child’s education through a new initiative, the Coalition for Albemarle Road Elementary School (CARES). The coalition opens the school on two evenings each month and invites adults and children to come to the school for a free dinner. The meal is followed by educational clubs for students and life-skills classes for parents, including Healthy Living, English as a Second Language (ESL) and CMS Parent University. CARES also provides childcare for younger children.

CARES borrowed the Family Night concept from a similar program at McClintock Middle School. Since its inception in 2007, McClintock Partners in Education (McPIE) has seen a decrease in student absenteeism and higher scores on standardized tests. Like CARES, the efforts at McClintock are a collaborative effort involving a church, the neighborhood and the school’s faculty and staff.  

Educational achievement is only one measurement of success for Family Night. Kamille Pickens, one of three AmeriCorps VISTA members who help Hands On Charlotte manage the CARES initiative, said instructors have given parents some potentially life-changing advice: a mother who was able to get a scholarship from the Susan G. Komen Foundation to pay for a mammogram after finding a lump in her breast, and several ESL families who learned their rights when stopped by law enforcement, clearing up some common misconceptions.

Through these relationships and by establishing networks of support, volunteers can help children succeed in school and improve the lives of their families. It’s an investment of time and money. Grants from the City of Charlotte, the Teen Impact Fund and the Annie E. Casey Foundation help cover expenses, including meals, program materials and childcare providers. Donations from individuals and partner agencies will be crucial for sustaining the Family Night program.

Opportunities abound for volunteers who wish to bolster the work of Charlotte’s educators in other ways. Hands On Charlotte’s project calendar includes several tutoring and mentoring events every month, through partnerships with Central Piedmont Community College and several Mecklenburg non-profit agencies.

When our community shares its talent, time and resources, every child has the ability to succeed in school and establish a foundation for a successful life.

Mark Boone

Board Member and Communications Volunteer

Hands On Charlottte

Shopping for a cause

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Bargain shoppers are expected to form a long line outside this years highly anticipated Plato’s Closet/Once Upon A Child: Grab Bag Event.

The recycled retail store will be hosting their annual fashion event where shoppers can fill a grab bag (provided by the store) with clearance items for $15. This year, Plato’s Closet/Once Upon a Child will be donating all event proceeds to local nonprofit agency, Hands On Charlotte (HOC). 

Hands On Charlotte is a nonprofit volunteer service organization founded in 1991. Our mission is to inspire, equip and mobilize a diverse corps of volunteers to strengthen our community. Throughout the year, Hands On Charlotte (HOC) works with more than 100 partner agencies to offer a variety of flexible volunteer opportunities to create positive change. HOC volunteers help homeless families, guide at-risk youth, tutor disadvantaged children, feed the hungry, care for our environment and so much more. Please visit www.handsoncharlotte.org for more information. 

The event is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on September 8 at the Plato’s Closet Matthews location, 9623 E Independence Blvd, Matthews, NC. 

Not only will shoppers save hundreds of dollars on discounted clothing and accessories, but they will also be shopping for a cause. 

“All of us at Hands On Charlotte are so grateful to Plato’s Closet for choosing HOC to benefit from this Grab Bag Event,” said Hands On Charlotte Executive Director Eric Law. “This support will help us provide even more opportunities for volunteers to give their time and talent to address our community’s most critical needs.”

Are you interested in volunteering for the event? Individual and group, opportunities are still available. Those interested can view the registration details online by visiting http://www.handsoncharlotte.org 

Lauren Gilbertson

Special Events Volunteer

Hands On Charlotte

Smash & Bash: ‘getting all that leftover weekly stress out’

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Smash & Bash is a great volunteer opportunity listed on our calendar, and you have a chance to sign up for the opportunity this Saturday, Dec. 17. Here is a little about it:

About the Organization/Project: Through the selling of donated construction and home-related items, Habitat Restore hopes to: 1. Increase the number of homes build with low-income families through Habitat for Humanity of Charlotte, 2. Prevent usable items from being put in landfills, and 3. Provide quality-building materials to the general public at discounted prices.

One of our wonderful volunteers, Lauren Griffin, volunteered with Smash & Bash in November, and here’s what she had to say about it:

This opportunity was very fulfilling! I started by meeting Mark, the event leader, and also Jeff, the Restore Expert. Both were very welcoming by introducing the project and goals. Jeff took the volunteers right into the back room to showcase the items that we were going to take apart. I couldn’t believe the large amount of washers and dryers that were abandoned, damaged and collected. I could see why this place needed some extra hands! The Restore tests these items to see if they can still re-sell. After declaring if these items are recyclable, they are taken apart to make profit off of the wire, the motors and the metals. What a great way to get some cash for parts!  After a very thorough demonstration, Jeff let us get to work. I worked with a partner for the first few washers and dryers to get a hand on things. Besides inspecting the items for recyclable parts, there was much energy used for the smashing and bashing. That was my favorite part… getting all that leftover weekly stress out on a Saturday Morning! I made friends with that hammer. Some Advice: wear gloves and safety goggles at all times, get ready to get your clothes and shoes dusty, and be prepared to have a great attitude when you leave. This was well worth the time, I would definitely go back to help the Habitat Restore!

So, hurry up and sign up for this weekend’s opportunity today! Spots are filling up. And if you still need more convincing, check out these awesome photos:

 

Story mentions two of our partners

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This story from Fox Charlotte discusses Charlotte’s panhandling. A task force formed by one of Hands On Charlotte’s partner agencies, Center City Partners, looked into Charlotte’s street population and declared its support of agencies that serve the homeless such as that of another one of our partners, Steele Creek Outreach‘s Serve Charlotte’s Homeless program. David Levine, a Hands On Charlotte volunteer, is quoted in the article.

“The business group put together a task force that looked into Charlotte’s street population. It concluded the best way to help the nearly 3600 homeless adults is for people to give to organizations that feed the hungry, rather than individuals that beg for help.

Dale Mullennix with Urban Ministry Center says that’s the way to end homelessness. “Then if somebody’s asking for money on the street, they’re probably not homeless,” said Mullennix. “They’ve decided that’s their way of making a living, and obviously we don’t need to support that.”

Serve Charlotte’s Homeless is another organization that also helps people in need. “We don’t want precedent set right now that effects all the homeless in Charlotte that are fighting everyday to survive,” said volunteer David Levine.”

Click here for the full story.

 

For those who have walked away, those who have come back and those who are here now: 20th anniversary celebration

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Twelve years ago, I walked away from Hands On Charlotte.

It was not that I did not enjoy my time at Hands On Charlotte projects or the camaraderie with other volunteers. Life was too busy. There were just too many other priorities. My family and my career came first. Volunteering always ended up at the bottom of my agenda.

Although my volunteerism came to a halt, I still came face to face with the tremendous needs of the economically challenged in our community and the non-profit agencies, which aim to help individuals and families, survive. It was my job to connect with these people and organizations to share their stories through my work as a television news reporter. Viewers seemed to respond to the news coverage and were often eager to help. It was nice to know that my work sometimes made a difference.

Last year, I changed careers.

It was time to step away from the hectic and sometimes chaotic life that comes with working in TV news. It was a chance to focus on other priorities. I still needed an outlet to help the people I came to know through my previous job. It was time to come back to Hands On Charlotte.

Because I had been absent for 11 years, I needed to attend another orientation session. I stood in a circle of new volunteers at the Hands On Charlotte office and listened to introductions. My eyes wandered around the room.

“Wait, what is that?” I thought to myself. “Is that…that’s my signature on the wall!”

I had completely forgotten about my first orientation back in 1999. Twelve years later, I was staring at my handprint and signature from when I had first signed up with Hands On Charlotte.

As I looked at the other handprints on the walls, I wondered how many of those other volunteers had attended orientation, signed the wall, participated in one or two Hands On Charlotte projects and then stopped volunteering.

Hands On Charlotte was there for me in 1999. It welcomed me back in 2010.

It’s staggering to think of the number of people who have stood in a circle at a Hands On Charlotte orientation since the organization’s founding in 1991. It’s comforting to know you can walk away when needed and come back when you’re ready to go to work.

Next week, Hands On Charlotte is celebrating all of the people who have walked away, the people who have come back and the people who are here now.

The party, marking HOC’s 20th anniversary, begins at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, November 29th at Taco Mac in Piedmont Row, near SouthPark Mall. Light appetizers will be provided, along with a cash bar.

The celebration is also an opportunity to introduce your friends, colleagues and family to the volunteer opportunities Hands On Charlotte provides. Because new volunteers will help ensure HOC is around for the next 20 years, with doors open whenever you are ready to come back.

Mark Boone
Hands On Charlotte volunteer
HOC Media and Communications Committee member

Supporting our veterans through service

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They’ve sweated, bled and sacrificed for this country. They have done the ultimate duty. Now, it’s time to recognize their services to our country. Veterans’ Day is an annual federal holiday where we remember the service of our soldiers. On this day, we respect the heroes and those who have put their lives on the line for this country.

But not only should we respect and admire our veterans, we should also recognize the need to assist them with reintegration back into civilian life. And Family Forum is a non-profit that works to do just that.

Some, if not many, of our veterans have faced hardship returning to society at large. Some have even ended up homeless. Family Forum, with the help of the Department of Veteran Affairs, people like you and others, has found a way to house our veterans who have faced homelessness.

I know that we can make a difference in the lives of our veterans who have faced such hardship. This Saturday, November 12, 2011 from 8:30 a.m. to noon, Hands On Charlotte and Family Forum will be honoring our veterans with service. So sign up for the Veterans’ Day project today. Our veterans need us. We hope to see you there.

Tarik Kiley
tarik@handsoncharlotte.org

‘I got more from a group of volunteers …than I have from people I have known for years’

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You get so many memories from volunteering and it truly builds relationships like nothing else can. Some memories are uncomfortable; some are uplifting and inspiring; some are rewarding; and, some memories are just dirty. The “BIG Project” for November is back and seeing the “BIG Project” on the calendar made me smile until my cheeks hurt remembering my first experience.

The “BIG Project” is a monster undertaking that Hands on Charlotte organizes.  It takes cooperation on the part of the school, volunteers and “Blue Max” (BIG Project’s corporate sponsor). For November, the BIG Project will take place at Steele Creek Elementary School in southwest Charlotte. Volunteers will help to repair garden beds, build new beds in the school’s courtyard, build benches and otherwise beautify and maintain the school grounds. Nothing brings people together like bad weather and hard work!

One of my first projects with Hands On Charlotte, much before I decided to serve as an AmeriCorps volunteer, was with the BIG Project in March 2011 at Olympic High School.

As with anything unfamiliar, my experience started off a little intimidating and, like every project since, before and after, I remember feeling good but anxious and full of apprehension. My initial reaction was to run away as fast as possible.

To be surrounded by strangers, working outside, is something that can take almost anyone out of their comfort zone.  But I didn’t end up running away! I had committed to being there and I was going to get through that morning. I probably wouldn’t come back next week, but I was getting through it, I thought to myself.

It was raining that morning — it wasn’t a heavy rain but a non-stop drizzle that covers you from head to toe and makes you wonder if you will ever be dry again. It felt like walking through a heavy fog and coming out of a swimming pool — a rain that covers you in water.

To make the wet and sloppiness of the day harder, we were beautifying the front of the school by spreading fresh dirt over the flower beds and areas around the trees. If you have ever worked with piles of dirt and rain, you know it is like gaining extra pounds with every step you take. Slowly, the mud sticks to your jeans and clothes as you walk. It feels like carrying an extra five pounds per extremity.

Again, nothing brings people together like bad weather and hard work!

While slipping, falling, and laughing at each other, we completed everything we set out to do that morning. Some of us built benches, some of us planted flowers and some of us shoveled a swamp into wheel barrels. Boys, girls, men and women, no one shied away from the dirt and mud. It is always amazing to see what people can accomplish.

Through all of this work and mud, something remarkable happened. We accidentally got to know the people working around us. Some of us spend our lives trying to protect that from happening. This day was different, Maybe it was because we were building something for a neighborhood, giving something back of ourselves. Maybe it was because we didn’t give up when we got there and saw the rain. Maybe it was because we were covered in rain and dirt and filth (some of us more than others). Maybe, just maybe, for a brief moment, it just didn’t matter what anyone thought and we allowed ourselves to be — ourselves. Whatever the reason, people opened up and the people I meet that day helped me realize something I never knew. Letting go of your insecurities and connecting to another human is something we crave and something we need to make us feel alive.

It is only when we force ourselves out of our comfort zones that we truly open up to connect, when we let down our guards and release our insecurities that we can really get to know the people around us. I showed up that morning ready to run. I left that afternoon feeling like a new person, ready to conquer anything.

Do I still talk to anyone from that day of rain and mud? A couple of them, not many, but not all relationships last forever. Ultimately, I got more from a group of volunteers that wet and rainy morning than I have from people I have known for years. And even if we never talk again, I will always smile at the memory of that day.

Sean Leto
sean@handsoncharlotte.org

 

 

 

 

 

Community Grapevine: November 2011

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Every month, we will list volunteer opportunities that are not currently among HOC’s monthly projects, but still provide a valuable way to assist local non-profit or community service organizations. If you are interested in helping, please contact the organizations listed in the descriptions. Hands On Charlotte assumes no responsibility for these activities.

KIPP Charlotte: KIPP is recruiting volunteers for its Thanksgiving with the Pride event for its students and their families and give thanks for all their hard work.  The event takes place on Friday, November 18, at the KIPP campus in east Charlotte (931 Wilann Drive). Students, staff and families bring their favorite dishes, enjoy each others company and celebrate Team and Family!  Volunteers are needed to help set up, serve food and clean up.  Volunteers can work the entire day (9 a.m. – 4 p.m.) or in two-hour shifts.  For more information or to sign up, contact Shayna Quilty at squilty@kippcharlotte.org or (980) 297-3679.

The Light Factory: The Light Factory invites you to loosen your tie, let your hair down, kick off your shoes and jump at its 30th Annual Art Auction on Sat. Nov. 19 at the Extravaganza Dept. at 1610 N. Tryon Street. Free your mind and enjoy the art, the food, and the entertainment. Volunteer positions available are handlers, wrappers and runners to care for the valuable artwork for auction. After a brief training session, enjoy dinner, mingle and peruse the artwork until it’s time to kick in high gear. Contact Dina Asma with questions or to sign-up: dasma@lightfactory.org or 704-804-7468.
For those interested in purchasing tickets and see the art available for auction, go to www.auction.lightfactory.org. For more on exhibits, films, and classes, log onto www.lightfactory.org.

God’s Outreach Ministry: God’s Outreach Ministry is collecting donations of non-perishable food items for its weekly grocery distribution. God’s Outreach Ministry has been servicing low income communities in Charlotte for more than 10 years. Those interested can help by donating non-perishable food items, starting a food drive at their church, connecting God’s Outreach Ministry with organizations that can donate in large quantities, or monetary donations, which are tax deductible. You can make out checks or money orders to God’s Outreach Ministry Inc. 7722 Ellen Croft Ln. Charlotte, N.C. 28215. For more information, call 704-576-8995.


 

 

Make a Difference Day & Service Juris Day photos

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Last weekend, Hands On Charlotte held service projects for Make a Difference Day (for youth and families) and Service Juris Day (for members of the law community). Click the links to find out more about these projects and check out the photos from the events below.

The first six photos are from Make a Difference Day at Classroom Central and the next six are from Service Juris Day at the Friendship Trays garden at the correctional facility:

 

 

Don’t forget to save the date of our next special event, the MLK Week of Service Jan. 14-20. Stay tuned for more information in the coming weeks on the blog!

 

Why should you care?

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So, you’ve signed up for orientation and your background check has been completed. You are ready to volunteer here at Hands on Charlotte or you’ve been to the Website but haven’t become a regular member just yet.

Volunteering with Hands on Charlotte is more than one or two events or a few activities. Volunteering at Hands on Charlotte is an experience. Not only do you make a difference in your community, but you also meet great people, make lasting friendships, and generally better your world.

For example, I have been to Clothe Your Neighbor at Crises Assistance Ministry. At Clothe Your Neighbor, we simply hung up clothes on racks — but was it just hanging up clothes? No, it was more than that because the free store that we were hanging up clothes for serves low income people in Charlotte who do not have nice clothes otherwise or who may need clothes for job interviews, etc. and cannot necessarily afford to buy them. So, by the simple act of hanging up clothes we are helping scores of low-income people in Charlotte by making an impact and improving their lives.

Also, I recently attended GED/ABE tutoring at Central Piedmont Community College where I helped a student with his English homework. I have taught before and it is great when you see the light bulb go off in someone’s head because they understand what you are teaching. The student I was tutoring was smart, but he just needed confidence and an understanding of study skills. Just from the one session I had with him, I have high hopes that the student will go on to passing his tests, get his GED and be able to be more productive in society.

This is the impact you will have if you join Hands on Charlotte. You can make a difference.

So, if you still haven’t signed up for Make A Difference Day, you still have time. Sign up with friends and family today. If you can’t make it, our regular calendar projects throughout the week are ready for you too.

Hands on Charlotte wants to impact lives and improve the community, not only to help people but also to empower people. At Hands on Charlotte, everyone can do their part and join the Hands on Charlotte experience. I can promise you the Hands on Charlotte experience will change you.

Tarik Kiley
tarik@handsoncharlotte.org