This blog was written by Chauna Wall, volunteer coordinator for Charlotte Mecklenburg Library.
Today we enter into a week-long celebration called National Volunteer Week which runs from April 21 - 27.
I would like to take this opportunity to shine a light on the people that inspire us to serve. Volunteerism empowers individuals to find their purpose, to take their passion and turn it into meaningful change. When you answer the call to make a difference, we make progress in “Improving Lives and Building a Stronger Community,” our core mission.
This week, we celebrate our volunteers for giving their time to Charlotte Mecklenburg Library and the many volunteers who stand with us in promoting inclusion, education and literacy to the entire community.
We had some very exciting milestones this year which were powered by very dedicated volunteers. These include:
Student Success Centers: a physical learning space that are open in branches at least once a week. Trained volunteers work with Kindergartners – 5th grade with Homework Help, Skill practice and tutor.com. Volunteers responded to our request to help our students succeed in an overwhelming way. Recruiting more volunteers than the number of registered students.
The Living Archives needed volunteers to transcribe the stories of People of Color and their experiences during the pandemic. Again, an abundance of individuals came forth to offer their skills.
You may have heard of MeckTech; an effort to close the Digital Divide in which we gave away 20,000 free laptops to the citizens of Mecklenburg County. We didn’t do it alone; we tapped the skills of over 900 volunteers over the course of a year. Individuals, families, groups, corporate volunteers and teens rose to the occasion for this very sizeable and far-reaching project.
You can clearly see the exceptional ways in which our citizenry responded to the needs of the Library and broader community.
Every day our volunteers inspire us and help us create a more educated and literate community. Never doubt you make a measurable difference. Last year you gave us over 31,000 hours of your time which equates to a value of over $1million.
Hear from some of our volunteers on why they do this work below:
"The Library is a safe space, for teens especially to be able to exist peacefully and authentically without the stress of whatever else is happening in their life."
Máire B., VolunTeen at North County Regional Library
"Not only did my service at the Library strengthen my leadership skills, it also introduced me to other aspects of that I hadn’t initially been aware of."
Rachel J., VolunTeen at West Boulevard Library
"The Library is important because for others It is a place of both knowledge and enrichment. I have learned a lot from the Library."
Ashritha N., VolunTeen at Matthews Library
"Volunteering at the Library has shown me how important it is that we have a place to gather, reflect, read, and connect."
Elliott K., VolunTeen at Matthews Library
"Volunteering at the Library is a chance to give back. The staff at Mint Hill are Wonderful!"
Lance, Volunteer at Mint Hill Library
"I have always loved to read. I feel like I’m giving back some of the good things people have done for me."
Lee, Reading Buddy at Mint Hill Library
"The Library supports literacy and education in addition to cultural learning. Books open the world to children."
Barbara, Reading Buddy at Mint Hill Library
"One of my Reading Buddies said to me at the end of our half hour, 'I'm not ready to go!' - it touched my heart!"
Lori, Reading Buddy at Mountain Island Library
"The library is a safe space for all people. Stories inspire creativity and without creativity society would be lost.
Katy, Volunteer at Mint Hill Library
"Volunteering at the Library is incredibly rewarding—seeing school-aged students grow in reading confidence over time is wonderful. To think that Wicked and I might have played even a small part is simply amazing and makes every moment worth it!"
Kelsey & Wicked, Paws to Read volunteers at Mountain Island Library
"Sometimes kids are nervous around dogs or about reading and it’s so rewarding watching them become comfortable and confident and light up when they sit and read to Phineas."
Lauren A. & Phineas, Paws to Read volunteers at SouthPark Regional Library
"Watching kids learn to read and making verbal connections in real-time is really neat...kids light up and smile when they see Pippa! Knowing that I’m making a small difference in a child’s ability to read is really cool!"
Courtney S. & Pippa, Paws to Read volunteers at SouthPark Regional Library
"Volunteering to me means making a difference. Also, having an impact in children’s lives and families.
Ashlyn, Volunteer at Mint Hill Library
"Volunteering is fun for me since I am retired and I like giving back to the community.
Cindy, Volunteer at Mint Hill Library
"It feels good to think someone might enjoy reading a little better because I volunteered.
Kathy, Volunteer at Mint Hill Library
Rachel S. and Dumpling, Paws to Read volunteers at Hickory Grove Library
Sue, Reading Buddy Volunteer at Mint Hill Library
Krissy, Volunteer at Hickory Grove Library
Anna, Volunteer at Matthews Library
Kelly, Reading Buddy Volunteer at Mountain Island Library
Don, Volunteer at SouthPark Library
Daniel, Volunteer at SouthPark Library
Russ, Reading Buddy Volunteer at SouthPark Library
Kurt S., Volunteer at Mint Hill Library
Lori D., Volunteer at North County Regional Library
Marci., Reading Buddy Volunteer at SouthPark Regional Library
"The library offers a variety of programs and children’s storytimes. Volunteering gets me back into the environment that I love!"
Gail Z., Volunteer at Mint Hill Library
You will see our volunteers helping with…
- Adopt an Aisle which include families and children 12 and under.
- Tech Tutoring-Classes and one on one learning
- Providing Plant Care
- Leading Writing Groups
- training to be Reading Buddies
- shelving, pulling holds and helping with morning deliveries
- English as a Second Language programs
- Filling Free Little Libraries all over Mecklenburg County
- The ever-popular Paws to Read program where even your trained dog can volunteer!
If I may give a respectful nod to those of you who help our staff shelve in the Children's department (which isn’t for the meek), and a special thank you to the 32 staff who have taken on the role of Volunteer Point Person (VPPs) who guide and engage with our volunteers daily. They have worked diligently to make the Library a great experience for our volunteers.
Thank you for being a Library volunteer and helping deliver the magic of books, stories, technology and lifelong learning. You are a treasured and valuable part of our story.
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
Margaret Mead
