Volunteer Leadership Lab

08/03/2026

✨ Sometimes the best conversations happen when you least expect them.

We ran into Belinda and asked her to share her experience with volunteering—and her answer was a beautiful reminder that giving your time doesn't just impact others. It changes you, too.

If you've ever wondered whether volunteering is worth it, we hope her story inspires you to take that first step. 💚

What has volunteering taught you? We'd love to hear your story in the comments.

Find out more about Cape Fear Literacy Council and their volunteer opportunities on the ILM Volunteer Hub through this link: https://www.ilmvolunteerhub.org/agency/detail/?agency_id=186260

08/03/2026

Welcome to our first volunteers on the VLL team!

This past week, we gathered our new team for our first official meeting and orientation session, and our hearts are full. These amazing five women have recently joined the VLL team as volunteers, each giving their time and talent with passion and purpose. Their work is focused on making the ILM Volunteer Hub a valuable tool for our community and providing the resources around volunteerism our area needs.

Agnes is lending her data science background to our Annual Volunteer Impact Report, set to release in April 2027. As our Data Analyst, she'll help us tell the real story of volunteerism in New Hanover County, one number and one narrative at a time.

The rest of our new team is volunteering their time to help grow the ILM Volunteer Hub, our free platform connecting volunteers and nonprofits across the county.

Meghan is working behind the scenes to keep the platform's content thorough, accurate, and up to date.

Caroline and Sandy are spreading the word on social media, making sure our neighbors know how easy it is to get connected and start serving.

Sandy is also building bridges with the community, connecting people directly to opportunities that matter to them.

Suzy is capturing it all behind the lens as our photographer, while also helping link New Hanover County residents and nonprofits to the ILM Volunteer Hub.

Welcome, Agnes, Caroline, Meghan, Sandy, and Suzy! We are so thankful you have chosen to volunteer with us. 💛

07/30/2026

Have you signed up? Two weeks ago, the ILM Volunteer Hub went live. Since then, people across New Hanover County have started signing up, organizations have posted new opportunities, and volunteers are already tracking their impact.

If you've been meaning to create a profile, today's the day. Here's why it matters:

> Find your fit. Browse opportunities that match what you actually care about and when you actually have time.
> Stay connected. Follow the nonprofits and causes you love. Get alerts when they need you.
> See your impact. Track your hours and watch your contribution add up.
> Bring your people. Sign up as a team with coworkers, friends, or your faith community.

Creating a profile takes just a few minutes. Head over to www.ilmvolunteerhub.org and get started.

Then come back here and tell us: What opportunity are you most excited to explore?

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07/27/2026

✏️Back to School Season Is Here — And Our Students Need Us!

As families across the Cape Fear region get ready for a new school year, there are two wonderful ways you can help make sure every student walks into the classroom prepared and confident. Both opportunities are listed on the ILM Volunteer Hub, where you can find more info and sign up:

🎒13th Annual Back 2 School Bash — Warner Temple AME Zion Church
Volunteers are needed to pack book bags, set up, pass out supplies, serve food, and greet families the week of July 30 – August 1. Whether you can give a few hours or a full day, your hands make a difference for students in grades K–12.
👉 Sign up: https://www.ilmvolunteerhub.org/need/detail/?need_id=1290606

🚌Stuff the Bus School Supply Drive — Communities In Schools of Cape Fear
Become a collection site! Host a Stuff the Bus bin at your business, church, clubhouse, or civic organization and gather new school supplies for students across New Hanover and Pender counties. The drive runs from July through mid-August, and CIS will provide a toolkit with signage and best practices to help your campaign shine.
👉 Sign up: https://www.ilmvolunteerhub.org/need/detail/?need_id=1273502

Every backpack packed and every bin filled sends a clear message to a child: our community believes in you. Let's show up for our students this season! 💚

📣Nonprofit organizations with back-to-school drives of your own — you can post your volunteer needs on the ILM Volunteer Hub, too! Contact Rose at [email protected] for more info.

07/23/2026

Have you signed up yet?

NHC Residents: Head to www.ilmvolunteerhub.org and click Volunteer Now to find local opportunities that fit your schedule and your passions.

NHC Nonprofits: Click "Click here to register your organization" to start recruiting volunteers, tracking hours, and managing your team — at no cost.

📅 New Hanover County nonprofits: The Volunteer Leadership Lab is hosting a virtual onboarding session on July 29 at 9:00 AM. We'll walk through everything you need to get started. Sign up here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSevuHTh2zl7X1yOxsHUdcsvGgEvZ_7Ncc7Q3_xFopNJ6KaO2w/viewform?usp=header

07/21/2026

Join us on the ILM Volunteer Hub today! 🙌

07/16/2026

Do you know what The Harrelson Center is? 🤔

Better question: did you know you can tour it?

The Harrelson Center is a humanitarian nonprofit campus in the heart of downtown Wilmington. When someone walks through their doors seeking help, the team works to identify all of their needs, then connects them with the organizations across the campus ecosystem that can meet each one. It’s a holistic approach to community healing, and you have to see it to fully appreciate it.

That’s why I’m inviting you to join a tour! And while you’re there, stop by and see me at the ILM Volunteer Hub table. 👋

🗓️ Tours happen the 1st Tuesday & 3rd Thursday of every month

🕛 12-1PM

✍️ Sign up at harrelsoncenter.org

Come prepared to be moved by the incredible work their partners are doing every single day.

07/13/2026

Big News Today > The ILM Volunteer Hub is live!

The ILM Volunteer Hub exists for one purpose: to make it easy for everyone in New Hanover County (and eventually the broader region) to serve. One free platform where our whole community can connect around doing good.

For volunteers, it's a home base. Find opportunities that match your interests and schedule, follow the agencies you care about, and watch your impact add up over time.

For nonprofits, it's a recruitment and management tool. Share your needs, reach new volunteers, and build lasting relationships with the people who show up for your mission.

For companies, faith communities, and friend groups, it's a way to serve together. The team feature makes group volunteering simple to organize.

And the why behind all of it: connection. When we serve side by side, labels fall away and we become neighbors, teammates, changemakers. Volunteering builds trust in our nonprofits, strengthens the social bonds that hold a community together, and gives people purpose and belonging. When it's easy, more people do it. And when more people serve, our nonprofits expand their capacity, our most vulnerable neighbors get better care, and Wilmington moves closer to what I believe it can be: a national model for a connected, engaged, empowered city.

Building this alongside The Harrelson Center has been a privilege, and this is only the beginning. Expect the ILM Volunteer Hub to continuously improve and grow.

Local to New Hanover County? Create your profile at www.ilmvolunteerhub.org, and if you know someone who's been looking for their way to give back, please send this their way.

07/07/2026

Volunteering is the way forward. 🙌 David Vandenberg from Volunteer | Bénévoles Canada speaking at Points of Light 2026 conference about civil dialogue & healing the divide.

#250

07/03/2026

Patriotism isn't only something we feel. It's something we do. And I truly feel pride in our country is pride in our community.

As our country celebrates its 250th anniversary, I've been reflecting on what it really means to care for our nation. Long before formal nonprofits and volunteer coordinators existed, there were barn raisings, church suppers, and porches where someone always had a little extra to share. That spirit didn't disappear, but in some ways, it has changed shape. I see it every day here in Wilmington, in the people sorting donations, mentoring young people, and showing up for their neighbors.

The Harrelson Center published my reflections on volunteerism, civic engagement, and America's semiquincentennial in The Undercurrent. In it, I share an invitation to my Wilmington community: Join the 250 Hours of Service Challenge.

Together, our community is aiming to give 250 hours of service through the end of the year, and the new ILM Volunteer Hub makes it easy to find an opportunity that fits your schedule, skills, and interests, and to log your hours toward our shared goal. Keep an eye out for the official launch on July 13!

Read the full article: https://harrelsoncenter.org/2026/06/celebrating-250-years-by-lifting-up-our-community/

Because caring for our country starts right here, with each other.