Hi Friend!

Finally, the weather has decided to catch up to the calendar, and, as I write this in the days leading up to Memorial Day, I'm hoping that it will be actually *warm* when the community pools open! I know that this is an incredibly busy time of year, but as you think about your summer plans, I want to encourage you to use the coming months to continue to serve our neighbors.

Summer in the South is designed to make us want to slow down and savor the fullness of the season. We move out to our porches, our community garden plots, local pools, and summer camps--place where we can build relationships and connect across difference in new ways. Even if you are a committed "indoor-sy" person who worships the legacy of Mr. Carrier (the inventor of modern air conditioning,) summer provides new and different ways to nurture ourselves and our community. When the world feels so uncertain and unstable, reaching out and building something positive with others can make all the difference. I was reminded by Ada Limón at the Winston-Salem Foundation's Community Convening this week that "Hope is something you do." Service can be a key way of turning hope into a verb, and I want to encourage you to keep acting out your hope this summer!

As always, we're highlighting a few ways you can do that in this newsletter, but you'll find LITERALLY hundreds of different service possibilities available across Forsyth, Guilford and other Triad communities on our GetConnected website. We hope that you'll take advantage of this resource and help spread the word to others!

If you'd like to help us share ways to connect with members of *your* communities--faith, civic, or business--please let us know! We'd love to come speak about trends in volunteering and service, and the important role that civic engagement has played over the course of the 250 years of the American experiment!

Yours in Service,

Amy

Amy Lytle

Executive Director

HandsOn NWNC.

Each year, HandsOn NWNC, alongside our co-presenters Salem College and United Way of Forsyth County, recognizes dozens of the "best of the best" volunteers in Forsyth County as part of our celebration of Global Volunteer Month.

On May 6th, nearly 200 community members gathered at The Intergenerational Center for Arts and Wellness to celebrate the stories of these amazing volunteers and recognize winners in twelve different categories. Always anchored by the inspiring stories of our volunteer winners sharing their personal stories of service, the dessert reception also featured greetings from Lori Timm (from our Premier Sponsor, Allegacy Financial,) and moving closing remarks from Dr. Antonia Monk Richburg of the United Way of Forsyth County. 

The Governor's Awards are a state-wide program, with individual counties taking responsibility for soliciting nominations as well as selecting and recognizing their winners each year. Please reach out if you'd like to learn more about these awards in your Triad community!

Read about all our amazing 2026 Forsyth County

Governor's Volunteer Service Award Winners!!

The 2026 Forsyth County Governor's Volunteer Awards were Generously Sponsored by:


PREMIER SPONSOR

Lead Sponsor

Volunteers Still Needed for Blooming Together on May 30th!

The 3rd Annual Blooming Together celebration of intergenerational creativity is coming up from 10 am to 2 pm on Saturday, May 30th at the Intergenerational Center for Arts and Wellness, and volunteers are still needed to help make it happen! No need to stay for the entire event; volunteer shifts are available for both morning duties (check-in, wayfinders, room hosts) and afternoon shifts (break down and clean-up.) Sign up for a volunteer shift and then participate in one of the offered art classes, performances, or other activities during the other half of the event--it's a win-win!

HandsOn will be there, partnering with Trellis Supportive Care, to encourage attendees to assemble Memory Kits that will be distributed to Trellis' clients. We encourage you to come by and participate!

Sign-Up to Volunteer Here!

Be a Part of Winston-Salem's Juneteenth Festival on June 20th!

Summertime means cultural festivals, and that includes Winston-Salem! Triad Cultural Arts, Inc. (TCA) was founded in 2007 as a nonprofit, community based, multi-disciplinary cultural arts organization. This year, they are excited to host Winston-Salem's 27th Annual Juneteenth Festival, a multi-day celebration honoring African American freedom, history, and cultural expression. Building on more than two decades of impact, this year’s festival will be the culmination of two months of intergenerational programming, artistic collaboration, and community-centered events culminating in a full-scale festival experience at both Bailey Park and BioTech Place on June 20th—in honor of America 250 and the 161st anniversary of Juneteenth.

Numerous volunteer roles are required on both June 19th and June 20th to ensure a successful, meaningful event. Volunteers must work a minimum of two hours shifts unless otherwise noted; remember that the festival goes on, no matter rain or shine or very hot weather! They are hosting a volunteer orientation on Wednesday, June 10th for those interested to learn more and get their questions answered. Please view the volunteer page on their website to learn more!

Sign-Up to Volunteer Here!

Spend Time in a Community Garden This Summer!

Fresh, locally-grown produce is one of the joys of the summer season, but it's often a rare-find on the shelves of our local food pantries. Our community is lucky that there are many ways you can help share the bounty of the harvest with our neighbors! Our friends at Forsyth County Cooperative Extension support over 90 different community gardens! While we are highlighting just one option here, you can fill out an interest form to volunteer at any of them.

The Betty and Jim Holmes Food Bank Garden is an all-volunteer organization working to increase food security by growing fresh produce on two acres of land on the campus of Crossnore Communities for Children in Winston-Salem. Volunteers come together to grow and share fresh produce for the clients of Second Harvest Food Bank of NWNC (which serves all the counties of the central Piedmont "from Boone to Burlington") as well as Samaritan Ministries in Winston-Salem.

Volunteer hours are:

Saturdays, 10:00 am to Noon

AND

Wednesdays, 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm

Please sign-up so they'll know you're coming and can contact you in case of inclement weather. Looking to get a group involved? Please email them directly.

Sign-Up to Volunteer Here!



Hunger doesn't take time off for the holiday weekend, and that's why Samaritan Ministries in Winston-Salem keeps serving welcoming meals to our neighbors twice a day, EVERY DAY. Since their founding in 1981, their Soup Kitchen, the only one in the city, serves 300-400 guests daily. Summer and holiday weekends can be especially tough, as volunteers go on our vacation and other summer plans seem to take priority.

We want to encourage you to sign up to volunteer TODAY to help make sure these meals happen! There's no need to make a long-term commitment (although it is always welcome!) so if you find yourself having some availability this summer, please help them fill these crucial roles. You can view their day-by-day shift availability calendar on their website. Best of all? The facility is fully air-conditioned, although it might get a little steamy in the kitchen!

Sign-Up to Volunteer Today!

We all know that learning doesn't stop over the summer just because schools are out! Operation Xcel offers academic and enrichment programs for youth in kindergarten through 8th grade, as well as empowerment and literacy services in specific areas to adults. Through their academic and enrichment programs throughout Guilford County, they are committed to providing equal access to quality educational resources, supporting diversity of thought, and creating a strong foundation for the development of long-term career goals and civic participation. But they need YOU to help make that happen!

They are currently recruiting volunteers for two of their summer programs--one at Jackson Middle School in Greensboro and the other at various locations in High Point. All of these opportunities provide volunteers with a chance to work one-on-one with students in educational and other enrichment activities.

Interested in supporting students but want something a little more behind the scenes, or want to volunteer together with a group of friends or colleagues? They are also looking for volunteers to help them with moving and organizing some of their summer sites during the last week of July and first week of August. This role can be a great way to support student success over the summer without making a long-term commitment!

Learn More and Sign-Up for These Opportunities Today!

New Arrivals Institute (NAI)

High school-aged volunteers are needed for the Summer Literacy Art Music and Movement Program (SLAMM) at the New Arrivals Institute. These volunteers will have an opportunity to be mentored by college interns while modeling positive leadership and service excellence. SLAMM offers refugee and immigrant youth from numerous countries, including Afghanistan, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and other countries, opportunities to improve their literacy in a fun, inclusive environment. SLAMM takes place Monday through Friday, and intern hours are 9:00 am to 1:30 pm. The program includes literacy activities, science, technology, soccer, art, crafts, financial literacy, dance, drama, music, Legos, and more

To learn more, visit their website or contact Lynn Thompson, NAI Community Engagement Director to receive more information and an application.

View all of NAI's Current Volunteer Opportunities Here!

Civic engagement and volunteering by everyday people has been a part of America's "special sauce" since our country's founding 250 years ago, and HandsOn is proud to be a part of continuing that legacy. As we head towards the mid-point of our NINETEENTH year of facilitating service for our neighbors in 2026, we want to make sure that we bring our partners and volunteers along with us--because we can't do the work of mobilizing people and organizations that inspire community change without YOU!

We encourage you to make a gift in honor of your favorite volunteer (we'll send a letter to them!) or provide a year of Supporting Partnership to another nonprofit. We've continue to grow our impact over the past year and your support will help keep that success on track.

There are so many ways in which a single gift to HandsOn, no matter how small, is leveraged multiple times over the course of a single year! Your gift can help HandsOn keep harnessing the power of volunteer efforts and providing support to hundreds of other nonprofits and causes across our community! Got questions? Don't hesitate to reach out to Amy Lytle, Executive Director.

For all of our local volunteer opportunities across Forsyth, Surry, Stokes, Davie, Davidson, Yadkin, and Guilford Counties, please visit GetConnected.

And be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn for timely opportunities and other information!

HandsOnNWNC.org

Info@HandsOnNWNC.org

phone: 336.724.2866