826michigan has fantastic volunteers. We are lucky to work with so many generous, kind, brilliant members of our community, and every month it’s hard to pick just ONE person (or group of people) to nominate as Volunteer of the Month.
Because there are so many great volunteers, it’s rare for us to nominate someone more than once. When it happens, it’s usually because that volunteer was so sensational, so exceptional, so monumental and motivational and memorable, that we had no other choice but to nominate them a second time. This is the case with our June 2021 Volunteer of the Month, Charlotte Moore!
Charlotte began volunteering with 826 back in 2017, and since then, she’s worn many hats. From supporting various writing workshops, Young Authors Book Projects, and tutoring sessions, to serving on the Outreach Cohort, to attending dozens of optional training sessions and dialogues, Charlotte has participated in most of the volunteer opportunities that 826michigan has to offer. She is one of the most reliable, consistently joyful, eternally organized 826michigan volunteers in our organization’s history.
What distinguishes Charlotte as a two-time Volunteer of the Month is her incomparable work on our field trips program. Charlotte has been a field trips star since before the pandemic; by our count, she attended an impressive total of 43 in-person field trips, all the way through March 2020. But friends, she did not stop there. Once our virtual field trips were up and running, Charlotte stepped up to the plate. Over the past year, Charlotte has supported an incredible 41 virtual field trips. Let’s repeat that: FORTY ONE VIRTUAL FIELD TRIPS! I know! I counted twice!
From “Storytelling & Bookmaking” to “If I Were You” to “New Monuments” to “Choose Your Own Adventure,” Charlotte has brought absolutely unparalleled engagement, warmth, and clarity to every single virtual field trip. She always logs on with high energy and deep thoughtfulness, serving alternately as a typist/screen sharer, illustrator, small group facilitator, and reviser. Since January 2021, Charlotte has been a virtual field trip “co-pilot,” taking the lead on teaching at least one virtual field trip each week. Her attentive eye, consistent facilitation, and frequent visits from her cat have guided our virtual field trips to flourish.
Students, teachers, and 826michigan volunteers alike remark on Charlotte’s positivity and encouragement, and her wittiness and humor make every type of writing feel full of discovery. After one virtual field trip this April, a teacher wrote to 826 to let us know that a student who had never read aloud in front of the class before chose to do so during the field trip due to Charlotte’s inclusive and supportive facilitation.
This year has been hard for so many reasons, but working with Charlotte has made the lives of 826michigan’s staff members, fellow volunteers, and students so much better. As June marks the end of school-based programming, and an end to our virtual field trips (for now), we wanted to make sure Charlotte’s work is uplifted so that everyone can see its shine.
We are thrilled to be able to honor this deeply deserving second-time Volunteer of the Month, and will be cheering for her as she embarks on a new adventure at the University of Manitoba, pursuing her PhD in Education!