Common Heartbeat

Volunteers are the heroes of our organization and play an important role in the pantries, economic empowerment, fundraising and volunteer development. We have a special group of volunteer honorees that we would like to recognize for representing this small revolution of kindness. Bruce Gorrell is a long-time Common Heart volunteer […]

In just three months, 16-year-old Nitya Kapilavayi from Weddington volunteered 100 hours in our Indian Trail Common Cupboard. You read that correctly — 100 hours!!! This amazing accomplishment earned Nitya a Gold President’s Volunteer Service Award through AmeriCorps. During the summer months she was a fixture at our Indian Trail location doing everything […]

We’re thrilled to introduce you to one of our newest members of the Common Heart staff, Amanda Kurtz, Engagement Event Leader. During this Love in Action season, Amanda has been working hard behind-the-scenes to bring you an amazing experience at our Love in Action Gala fundraiser on Friday (Do you have […]

It’s Love in Action season! During some of her darkest days before Getting Ahead, Tacara Howard says she turned to drugs and alcohol to try to cope. She was homeless, living in her car and unemployed all while trying to care for her two sons, ages 9 & 14.  Her […]

Have you heard?? It’s Love in Action season! LoveInAction.CommonHeart.org We got a message on Facebook last week from “Sally” who heard that we might be able to help with groceries. She explained that she’s disabled and though her husband is working he’s also fighting cancer and the bills are piling […]

When Tacara Howard walked into her first Getting Ahead group session she was “heavy hearted.” Still grieving the loss of her Mom, she had just gotten out of a bad relationship, was homeless, unemployed and sleeping in her car. This single Mom of two boys, ages 9 & 14, was […]

We’re so excited to introduce you to our newest member of the team, Ayana Meacham, who is now our Indian Trail Pantry Manager. If you’ve volunteered with us in Marshville recently you’ll know Ayana as she started her time with us there. She’ll now be working with volunteers and our […]

We know there’s power in kindness … and flowers!! Thanks to our friends at Trader Joe’s-Charlotte, NC , we’ve recently been able to giveaway flower bouquets along with free groceries at some of our evening food pantries. The location of the flower power changes so as many people as possible […]

Many hands make light work…as the saying goes. That’s definitely been the case around Common Heart the last few weeks as we’ve welcomed groups from several churches including Amazing Grace Lutheran Church, Elevation Church, Sardis Baptist Church and Weddington United Methodist Church.  Thanks to these volunteers our conference room was repainted, ceiling tiles were replaced, […]

There are several recent Getting Ahead graduates and two current participants who are in need of diapers, especially sizes newborn, 5 & 6. We’ve added some to our Amazon Wish List if you’d like to purchase some. Our Wish List: https://a.co/6xFpukW Remember, when you shop off our wish list all […]

We’re so excited to introduce you to a new member of our team: Ryan Kolbe, Volunteer Engagement Leader (around the office we just call him Kolbe). He’s the guy you’ll talk to if you want to set up a group volunteer opportunity or have questions about signing up. You’ll see […]

We heard a VERY special story from one of the volunteers at our Union UMC food pantry last week. In his own words: “A car pulled up with a young man in the back seat that was 5 1/2 years old. He talked with me about the stages of the […]

Last week one of our Cupboard Ally volunteers, Kim, had to step down because with rising prices, she needed to pick up extra hours at work. That meant no free Saturdays for food delivery. Another Ally volunteer began visiting the neighbors Kim had served. When he visited David he gave him […]

“We are very grateful. There’s no way we could do this without you guys.” That was the response from one of our Getting Ahead graduates at last weekend’s free veterinary clinic with her 3 dogs who were there for treatment. Her daughter, a current GA participant, was also there with […]

We’re so thrilled to introduce you to another amazing addition to our team, Jeff Gardner, Partner Engagement Leader. Jeff is a retired pastor and former Common Heart board member who has been a fan, supporter, and donor throughout the past 16 years! He retired in 2021 from Threshold Church in […]

It’s World Bicycle Day! What a perfect time to highlight a local resource you may not know about where you can donate used adult sized bicycles for a great cause … helping our neighbors! This guest blog is from Tom Williamson of Ride Again Bicycle Ministry. My name is Tom […]

Common Heart volunteers file 515 tax returns … with kindness! When Wendy arrived for her tax appointment at Common Heart she was distraught and almost in tears. The 78-year-old grandmother did her own taxes last year (incorrectly) and she didn’t know how to fix the problem let alone how to […]

We’re racing towards Saturday (May 21) and our 1980s-themed Retro Run 5K fundraiser and really need your help in several ways!! Register to run OR Walk! Join us at Chestnut Square Park in Indian Trail on Saturday OR run (or walk) wherever you want and upload your results for the […]

We’re having another pop-up shop!! No bidding wars, just shopping! This event will be held from 3-8 p.m. this Saturday (May 21) at Chestnut Square Park in Indian Trail where we’ll be hosting our Retro Run 5K. Come for the shopping…stick around for other vendors, food trucks & a totally […]

We’re so thrilled to introduce you to another amazing addition to our team, Michael Hayes, Indian Trail Pantry Manager.  Michael loves serving others and that’s what attracted him to apply at Common Heart. He also serves as a part-time coordinator with our friends at the Community Shelter of Union County in […]

Join us for Common Heart’s first ever DIY (Do It Yourself) event!!FREE Hot Dog Lunch & Giveaways! Need to know about …Basic Car Maintenance?Small Engine Repair?Sewing?Food Preservation?Tire Repair? Bring the Family & Join Us for How-To Demonstrations on Basic Maintenance & Repairs. Kids welcome! Location: East Union Empowerment Center, 6022 […]

Applications being accepted for next sessions James Levee heard about Common Heart’s Getting Ahead focus/empowerment group at a mobile food pantry when he was there getting food for his family. They’re “facing some issues right now” and needed the food to be able to make ends meet, he said.  He […]

Tax service success story!!!! The coordinator of our free income tax service just came bouncing into my office to tell me the GREAT news… They just got a single Mom of 3 who’s going to school to become a nurse, an $8K tax return! Talk about some happy tears! This […]

A letter from Keith Adams, our Executive Director, about Kickstart Kindness, our month-long fundraising campaign that includes a matching opportunity!! During these past couple years your kindness and generosity have helped  thousands of our neighbors. Because of you thousands of children and families did not go to bed hungry! They […]

The results are in! Common Heart’s 5th annual Hunger Walk fundraiser drew 263 participants and raised $40,000. That’s enough to provide a week’s worth of groceries to 1,600 local hungry families! To put that in perspective, Common Heart food pantries are currently serving an average of 1,230 families each month.  […]

Our friend Kat Miller, a Re-Max Realtor, is partnering with a few other local businesses to host a food drive for Common Heart as well as a pet food drive for the Union County Humane Society. The food drive is 9:30-11:30 a.m. Saturday, March 12 at Chestnut Square Park, 320 […]

We’re so excited to introduce another new member to the Common Heart team … Ginger Tucker, Empowerment Center Manager.  A native of Marshville, Ginger has spent her first weeks on the job here meeting new people and making connections in the area to spread the word about our new East […]

Free community service accepting new students & volunteer tutors Our adult literacy program is on the move – to South Piedmont Community College! The college, which has supported the program since its launch in late 2019, will now house this free community service in the School of College & Career […]

Take steps to end local hunger by registering now for the Common Heart Hunger Walk!  Like so many of her neighbors, especially during this pandemic, “Anna” had never been to a food pantry before when she messaged us this week to ask how she could get food for her children. […]

“I’m so relieved.” That was the response from one of our Getting Ahead participants as she left last week’s free veterinary clinic with her dog, Sampson. Thanks to our new friends at The Street Dog Coalition, Sampson and about 30 other pets got free medical care including any necessary shots, […]

Introducing our new Cupboard Ally Manager We’re excited to introduce one of our newest staff members, Riane Brownlee, who joins us in the newly created position of Cupboard Ally Manager. With the growth of this monthly food delivery program, we needed someone to focus on our Ally volunteers and the […]

Proof of Covid-19 vaccine required for in-person preparation Beginning Tuesday, Jan. 25, volunteers Common Heart volunteers will once again offer free income tax service to local residents. In-person preparation will return this year with proof of Covid-19 vaccination to provide the best protection for volunteers and our neighbors. Masks will […]

Registration now open! 5th annual event! Choose in-person or virtual option We got a Facebook message recently from “Susan,” saying she had “fallen on hard times” and wanted to know how to receive groceries from the Thursday evening pantry at Union United Methodist Church in Waxhaw. She lives close by […]

Dollar General grant gives boost to adult literacy program Eriberta Gonzalez of Monroe is working toward a big goal as she learns English through Common Heart’s adult literacy program: becoming an electrician.  Thanks to an $8,000 grant from the Dollar General Literacy Foundation, Eriberta and other Union County adults are […]

Hard to believe… but tax season is approaching! That means we’re looking for volunteers to help with our FREE income tax season to help our neighbors file their taxes. Training sessions will be held online via Zoom January 8th and 15th from 8:30 to 4:00. Interested? Email Shaleel.Johnson@CommonHeart.org or call […]

A letter from our Executive Director, Keith Adams. As I think about what you and this community have done, I can say that the dream of a small revolution of kindness is happening. And Our Christmas Wish this year is to see this revolution grow exponentially in the hearts of […]

Applications being accepted for next sessions Our Getting Ahead empowerment focus groups meet people where they are — among all types of situations. For Angie Merritt, Getting Ahead was a “safe place” to be and meet new friends as she recovers from a drug addiction.  “It was a comfortable place […]

Adult literacy volunteer John Pinnix & Yahya Hamdouni, are more than just tutor & student — they’re friends. Yaya recently invited John to attend his U.S. citizenship ceremony and John presented him with a U.S. flag for his home. The moment marked a huge accomplishment for Yahya and the completion […]

The neighbors who regularly attend our evening food pantries often become friends, as Pastor Brad Cunningham of Union United Methodist Church can attest. He reflects on this relationship after one of these neighbors died unexpectedly. In his own words … A week ago today I received a phone call. One […]

Did you hear?! Common Heart is ‘hamming it up’ this year due to turkey shortages and will be giving away hams instead of turkeys with Thanksgiving baskets. Due to the shortages and rising grocery costs this year we’ve also had to increase to a $40 donation providing the whole Thanksgiving […]

Did you hear about the Cash Calendar??? It’s an awesome fundraiser with our friends at Rotary Club of Matthews where you have the chance to WIN cash all year long! Common Heart is just one of the many local nonprofits who will benefit from this fundraiser. Every Monday, Wednesday & […]

Common Heart welcomes new Operations Director We’re so excited to introduce you to our new Operations Director, Nelson Hardin! To say Nelson has a passion for helping people is an understatement. In high school, he helped run a food pantry in the D.C.-area feeding the homeless every afternoon after he […]

Howard Williams is only in his third month as a Cupboard Ally volunteer and already sees some friendships blossoming with the neighbors he’s delivering groceries to. He’s serving two widowed women, both elderly — one just celebrated her 90th Birthday! “The day we first met she was sharing about her […]

Hey November is almost here and you know what that means?? It’s time to rustle up some turkeys! It is time for ….The …. Great …. Turkey …. Countdown!!  2021 GOAL: 1,500 Turkeys for 1,500 Families! Can we do it again this year??? 1,500 families blessed by the generosity of this […]

This year’s Love In Action was a shining example of how our community has pulled together to meet the needs of our neighbors who are struggling to put food on their tables. But, we are not done yet….. So far, we have raised $41,843 towards our $60,000 goal. There is still time […]

Fourth graders Amisha & Ronak Ghelani know what it means to put #loveinaction. The 9-year-old twins from South Charlotte collected more than 500 boxes of cereal for Common Heart’s food pantries after seeing the cereal shelf was almost empty when they were volunteering recently at our Marshville location.  The idea […]

This year we are investing in people – people not only impacted by this pandemic, but the circumstances and barriers of life in poverty. Here’s a letter from our Executive Director, Keith Adams. Thank you for being a big part of this small revolution of kindness! Thousands of our neighbors have […]

Summer’s winding down and we hope you’re enjoying these last days of vacation. As high school and college students head back to school (good luck!!) we’ve got weekday gaps to fill in our volunteer family.The opportunities include sorting incoming donations, packing food for our neighbors, working at our mobile pantries […]

We’re sad to report that due to the recent uptick in the number of COVID cases our Poverty Simulation on Aug. 21 has been cancelled. Stay tuned for a rescheduled date! If your church, school or business would like to host a Poverty Simulation led by our Advocates for Change group […]

After seeing what his daughter-in-law Deb had started and watching his son Keith get involved too, it didn’t take Frank Adams too long to start helping to feed his neighbors. When he started volunteering, Common Heart had just become an official nonprofit and was renting a small storage room in […]

Did you see us on TV??? Huge thank you to WSOC-TV for coming out today to cover our ribbon cutting and grand opening last week at our new East Union Empowerment Center in Marshville. This new space includes a food pantry warehouse to better serve our neighbors and classroom space […]

It’s our Birthday month!! July 2021 marks 15 years of serving together at Common Heart! We’ve got a lot of fun things planned to celebrate this month and we’re so excited to share some stories as we take a peek at what Common Heart has looked like through the years. […]

All are invited to the grand opening of Common Heart’s new East Union Empowerment Center, 6022 Marshville Boulevard, in Marshville from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursday, July 15.  The Union County Chamber of Commerce will host a ribbon cutting at 11 a.m. and Common Heart will provide a […]

Common Heart has the chance to WIN $20,000 thanks to a pledge from one of our own volunteers who is participating in an online fitness contest. Long-time volunteer and personal trainer, Emmett Ballard, is competing to be named Mr. Fitness in Muscle & Fitness magazine. The grand prize is $20,000 […]

Our free income tax service volunteers filed 282 income tax returns this year despite challenges from the pandemic. The free service assisted residents in receiving $463,432 in total refunds and saved them an estimated total of $42,300 in tax return fees.  This was the 10th year Common Heart has offered […]

Have you heard??? Some friends have created the Kickstart Kindness match, and through April 30 your special gift will be matched dollar for dollar, and new monthly recurring donations will be TRIPLE matched! WOW!!! As of Friday, April 23 we have just 7 DAYS LEFT and $9,684 to go in […]

1980s-themed 5K to be held in-person with virtual option Registration is open for the 2nd annual Common Heart Retro Run 5K fundraiser.  This 1980s-themed run/walk event will be held in-person Saturday, May 29 at Chestnut Square Park in Indian Trail with COVID safety precautions in place. A virtual option is […]

EXCITING NEWS!!! We’re adding another traditional food pantry! Starting today (Monday, April 5), every Monday from 7-8 p.m. our friends at Benton Heights Presbyterian Church (2701 Concord Hwy.) in Monroe will be hosting a drive-thru food pantry! That means we’ll have two pantries operating at the same time on Mondays […]

When Common Heart volunteer Brian Cross started delivering groceries last year to “Brenda,” each month as part of our Cupboard Allies program he wasn’t sure what to expect. But it didn’t take long before they were sharing laughs and photos of their kids. This unique program is creating supportive friendships […]

“Seeing all of the teachers, assistants, and support staff come through the line reminded me that we always have an opportunity to make people feel appreciated. No act of kindness is too small. Everyone deserves to feel like what they do and who they are matters, especially during challenging times.”  […]