Hands-on activity

I recently discovered for myself a great way to get involved and meet new people: Hands on Charlotte .

It’s a way to volunteer without making a regular time commitment. You sign up, attend an orientation, and then look at an online calendar of events – many of them on evenings and weekends – and sign up for only those for which you have time.

At my orientation, the vast majority were newcomers. Most were in their 20s and 30s.

They offer a program called “TeamWorks,” in which participants are assigned to a team that volunteers and socializes together.

My first volunteering activity was last weekend. I met with a group of about eight others at Crisis Assistance Ministry’s clothing ministry. We sorted through the clothing in the store the agency makes available to its needy clients. We threw away damaged pieces and folded winter inventory for storage. Then we re-stocked the racks with freshly donated items – meaning we could instantly see the results of our work.