5 Places to Volunteer as a Family in Charlotte

Give some of your time volunteering as a family at one of these local nonprofit organizations

November 30, 2016

Michele Huggins, SHARE Charlotte,

Charlotterescuecourtneybond.mr28 2 — All photos courtesy of SHARE Charlotte

Charlotte Rescue Mission

Charlotte Rescue Mission people struggling with addiction, poverty, or hopelessness to become productive, self-sufficient citizens. During the holidays, serve a bit of holiday cheer to thousands of families in need by helping prepare, serve or delivery holiday meals. Volunteers of all ages can support Charlotte Rescue Mission and engage the community at the same time. Sign up for volunteer shifts at charlotterescuemission.org/volunteer.

The Relatives

The Relatives Crisis Center, the On Ramp Resource Center and Journey Place Transitional Residence work to keep kids safe and families together. Family volunteers can help out by organizing an evening or weekend activity with the youth, including games, craft projects, presentations or demonstrations, cooking lessons; or by sponsoring or donating dinner or lunch and staying for food and fellowship after the meal. therelatives.org.

Family volunteers are needed to plan and play games at The Relatives on weekends and evenings.

Perfect Provisions

A mobile soup kitchen established in 2011, Perfect Provisions serves a hot meal to 600-700 people each month, including 524 homeless children who receive a Brown Bag Dinner for after school. During the holiday season, the nonprofit is providing a toy to each homeless boy and girl. Perfect Provisions Market Place gives out clothes, blankets, boots, shoes, personal hygiene kits, coats, gloves, sleeping bags, backpacks and scarves to people in need, treating each person dignity and respect. Teens and adults are needed to help make brown-bag lunches and help serve Christmas meals, as well as sort clothes and personal hygiene items. Get more details about volunteering to help serve a meal at sharecharlotte.org/nonprofit/perfect-provisions-inc.

Teens can help make brown-bag lunches for homeless children, and help serve a Christmas meal to homeless families through Perfect Provisions.

Promising Pages

Have children's books to share? Promising Pages provides more than 100,000 free books annually to children who do not have books at home, and hosts innovative classroom programs at local schools.

“Consider hosting a book drive or collecting books that Promising Pages can provide to kids during the holiday break,” says Melissa Hovey, marketing strategy, social media and communications consultant for Promising Pages. “Or gather your friends, family or co-workers for a book-wrapping party in our operations center where we always need help cleaning, sorting and wrapping books for new bookworms.”

The organization is on a mission to collect 40,000 books for children to take home over the upcoming holiday break. Drop off books at the big brown donation box on Peterson Avenue across from Doc Porter Distillery. promisingpages.org.

Clean off your bookshelves and share with Promising Pages who in turn shares with children across the city who don't have books at home.

Loaves and Fishes

Let children put their sorting skills to work volunteering at the Loaves and Fishes warehouse. Volunteers are needed Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays to help sort and pack food donations for distribution to local food banks. No training is needed. Groups and families are welcome. loavesandfishes.org.