Hospitality House of Charlotte

It Started with a Handshake

It Started with a Handshake

New to Sentinel, a global work place solutions firm, Chuck attended the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance’s fall event and shook hands with Angie Bush. In that brief moment, he and colleague Dana heard a quick synopsis of what Hospitality House of Charlotte does and moved on to shake the next hand. As Sentinel was looking to give back, Chuck and Dana remembered their conversation with Angie. They reached out to see what the greatest need was, and as always, the answer was “volunteers!” They cooked a meal for guests and promised to volunteer again soon. Chuck and his co-workers walked away having enjoyed the day together and thinking that HHOC was a nice resource.

Before Sentinel made it back to volunteer again, Chuck got an urgent call; a family member was suddenly sick and needed unexpected brain surgery. Despite living in Charlotte, he was no stranger to the exhaustion that can come from caring for a family member with a serious health issue. Driving to the hospital on familiar roads, having a likely discharge date, and being surrounded by family and friends, Chuck
could still feel the weight of an unexpected diagnosis and hospitalization of a loved one.

“It made it real; it made it personal. When I walked in to volunteer this morning,
I met ladies from New Bern and Burlington, and I immediately thought they just can’t pop home at night like I could. I could go home, sleep in my bed, take care of my dogs, see my kids. What if I couldn’t have?” – Chuck

His family member is now fully recovered, but Chuck’s next time walking into Hospitality House felt very different. It was a full-circle moment. He could see the day-to-day impact. Volunteering felt like more than a feel-good moment, and it felt like time spent changing the lives of guests.