Loving your community can mean many different things and take many forms. For Bryce Johnson, a senior at Charlotte High School, creating the opportunity for his fellow community members to “Love Charlotte” is about putting the benefits of a life of service on display.
“Obviously you get that ‘feel good’ feeling after completing a service project,” Johnson said. “This is more than that. It’s an opportunity to learn what it looks like to be a servant as a lifestyle.”
Simply put, Love Charlotte is a day of community service. The inaugural event takes place Saturday, April 23 from 9 a.m. to noon. Participants will spend the morning completing service projects for local non-profits, the City of Charlotte and Charlotte Public Schools.
Johnson said he first heard about Love Lansing and thought the same philosophy could be replicated in his community. He was introduced this year to Ryan and Christy Lambright, who serve as the leaders of Charlotte’s Campus Life Ministry, which is part of the larger organization, Lansing Youth For Christ. Campus Life organized in Charlotte two years ago, creating a place teens can come together to talk about imporant aspects of their lives, including their faith.
Together with Campus Life mentor and Charlotte graduate, Bruce Baker, Johnson, Ryan and Christy Lambright helped organize the inaugural event, though Johnson said Love Charlotte is not about any one individual or organization.
“To me, this is about replicating what we read in the Gospel,” Johnson said. “Jesus is our main influence and we’re trying to be more like him. One way to do that is through social justice.”
Baker said Love Charlotte is open to everyone in the community.
“We’re hoping to do this on a monthly basis,” Baker said. “This is kind of our big kickoff.”
Johnson said he would realistically like to see coordinated service events at least every other month. It will depend on the turnout and commitment, he said.
So far, he’s received a lot of positive feedback from fellow CHS students.
“The students are excited because they need National Honor Society hours,” Baker said. “I’ve heard that community members are excited too, so it should be a good day in Charlotte.”
If you would like to participate in Love Charlotte, meet at the Charlotte High School lobby at 9 a.m. Johnson said one group will paint a SIREN/Eaton Shelter house; another group will landscape around Charlotte Public School grounds; and a third group will be cleaning up the downtown area.
April 23 is opportunity for community to ‘Love Charlotte’
