Charlotte Chinese Story Time Celebrates 2026 Volunteer Service Award Ceremony and Family Potluck

On Saturday, June 6, 2026, Charlotte Chinese Story Time (CCST) hosted its 2026 Volunteer Service Award Ceremony and Family Potluck at South County Regional Library. The gathering brought together student volunteers, parents, long-time supporters, and families interested in joining CCST’s volunteer community for the 2026–2027 program year.

The event began with a 2026–2027 Volunteer Training session led by CCST Volunteer Coordinator Meiyi Lin. During the training, Meiyi introduced CCST’s volunteer philosophy and guidelines for the coming year. She emphasized that volunteers are not simply “helpers,” but vital members of the community, partners in sharing Chinese language and culture, and future long-term supporters of CCST.

The training also reviewed important volunteer expectations, including arriving on time, communicating schedule changes in advance, respecting children, parents, and fellow volunteers, following on-site arrangements, and participating with an open, friendly, and culturally respectful attitude. Families also learned more about volunteer roles, service hour tracking, long-term volunteer development, and how students can continue growing through community service.

Following the training, CCST President Jenny shared additional reflections on the deeper purpose of volunteer service at CCST. She spoke to many of the questions parents often have: When should children begin volunteering? How can families get involved? How can community service become more than a requirement for school, and instead become a meaningful part of a child’s growth?

Jenny noted that many families begin looking for volunteer opportunities only when their children enter high school and face annual community service requirements. Yet many nonprofit organizations require volunteers to be at least 13 years old. CCST takes a different approach. As a family-centered organization, CCST welcomes children as young as 5 to begin participating in volunteer service alongside their parents.

For younger children ages 5 to 10, parents are required to accompany them throughout the activity. In the beginning, parents may do most of the work while children observe, imitate, and slowly learn. But this is exactly where the seed of service begins. Children grow by watching the adults around them. When they see their parents show up, help others, and serve the community with patience and care, they begin to understand that giving back is not just something we talk about — it is something we live out together as a family.

Jenny also emphasized that CCST values depth over breadth. Rather than encouraging children to jump from one short-term opportunity to another simply to collect service hours, CCST hopes to provide a familiar and supportive environment where young volunteers can grow over time. Younger children are given space to try, adapt, and learn. As they mature, they become more confident in helping with activities, guiding younger participants, and eventually developing their own ideas for community service.

For older students, CCST provides a structured and meaningful pathway for faster growth. Through training, hands-on experience, and repeated reflection, older student volunteers can quickly become familiar with CCST programs, take on real responsibilities, and grow into confident leaders who understand what it means to serve with commitment.

As Jenny shared, CCST volunteer service is not a short-term project for “collecting hours.” It is a long-term journey of companionship, growth, and community-building. CCST hopes that parents and children can serve together, allowing service to become a natural part of family life and allowing cultural heritage to flow gently between generations.

After the training and sharing session, families participated in a Q&A, where volunteers and parents had the opportunity to ask questions, exchange experiences, and learn more about how to support CCST programs in the new service year.

The gathering continued with a warm family potluck. Volunteer families shared food, conversations, and community connections, creating a relaxed and joyful space for both returning and new families to get to know one another.

The event concluded with the 2026 Volunteer Service Award Ceremony. This year, CCST proudly recognized 10 student volunteers who received National Service honors for their dedication and service. After receiving their awards, each student volunteer shared a brief reflection about their volunteer experience. Across different ages and backgrounds, their reflections highlighted several common themes: volunteering with CCST gave them meaningful opportunities to communicate in both English and Chinese, helped them build confidence in public speaking, and strengthened their ability to express themselves across cultures. Many students also shared how happy and fulfilled they felt when they were able to help others. For older student volunteers in particular, CCST provided opportunities to practice leadership by guiding younger children, supporting activity stations, and helping small groups complete tasks. These experiences gave them a sense of pride, responsibility, and confidence.

A special highlight of the ceremony was the recognition of Nina Chen for her extraordinary dedication to community service. With 20 years of service to the community and a long-standing commitment to volunteerism, Nina received CCST’s lifetime volunteer service recognition. Her dedication reflects the spirit of generosity, leadership, and service that continues to inspire CCST and the broader community.

CCST is deeply grateful to every student volunteer, parent, educator, and community member who has supported our mission. Every hour of service, every act of kindness, and every moment of participation helps us continue building free and accessible Chinese language and cultural programs for children and families in the Charlotte community.

Thank you to all of our volunteers for making CCST a stronger, warmer, and more connected community.