Updated on 10/1/20

As discussed at the most recent WF:FW event, we’ve developed a special challenge to live alongside Wells Fargo’s “Month of Action” in September.

Working as a team, your challenge is to accomplish as many of the Acts of Kindness as possible on the checklist below by the end of September.

Each time a team member sends us a short story about how they completed a challenge, the entire team gets a point. As we go, we’ll update the list below. Each week, we’ll send a report of how the cohort is doing along with the stories of exactly how the challenges were addressed.

And, we’ll reward you … by rewarding others!

For each act checked off, Wells Fargo will donate a $250 HUG Grant to a local individual or organization working on a creative project right here in Charlotte!

And if, as a group, you successfully do ALL of the Acts of Kindness on the list, Tim will SHAVE. HIS. HEAD. (Yes … you read that right. His wife isn’t thrilled.)

We hope you work together and have fun with this challenge as you spread kindness throughout Charlotte during this Month of Action.

Aaaaaaaaaand…GO!

Best,
Matt & Tim

To get credit for the WF:FW team when you complete one of the challenges, you must click the button below and tell the story of what you did. You can share photos, too. As tasks are completed, we’ll update the list here and share the stories. Now … get cracking! Download a PDF of the checklist.

COMPLETED CHALLENGE COUNT AS OF 10/1/20: EIGHTEEEN!

1. COMPLETED by Lillian Elhani! Learn how you say “Have a nice day” in a new language … and use it in real life.

STORY: I have family and friends who speak Arabic. This is a very difficult language and I have tried to learn it but have only been able to pick up on a few words here and there. Today I learned how to say “Have a nice day” — Yawmun Said. The “i” in Said has an long “E” sound.

2. COMPLETED by Jolee Wortham! Organize a Zoom to check in and thank someone who helped you become who you are … someone you haven’t talked to in a long time.

STORY: It was awesome, we were able to catch up and it was better than going to get coffee!

3. COMPLETED by Lillian Elhani and Julie Davenport! Hold the door for someone.

STORY (from Julie): The guy in front of me was so surprised that I held the door for him. I think that in the world of being 6 feet apart, these small things have gone by the wayside.

4. COMPLETED by Jolee Wortham! Send a handwritten note to a teammate to tell them they’re doing a great job.

STORY: I felt that my team members were getting stressed and overwhelmed so I sent several of them a Shared Success Card to tell them that I appreciate their team work and leadership (we are all in different LOBs but work on similar projects).

5. COMPLETED by Lillian Elhani!  Write an encouraging “thank you” note to a teacher.

STORY: The principal of Harrisburg Elementary sends our a monthly newsletter. Yesterday, I received the newsletter and there was a section where you can click to give a shout out to a teacher. I clicked on the button and sent a shout out to “2” individuals; my kid’s teacher and the principal. I basically thanked them for coming together and organizing the online learning. I gave a special thanks to the principal because she always ends her communication with a “please, please call me on my cell with any questions. Not many principals give out their cell numbers. Can you imagine having hundreds of students and parents have access to your cell phone?

6. COMPLETED by Jean Turlington! Do yardwork for a neighbor who needs a hand.

STORY: Have an elderly neighbor who has a relatively new young dog. We love seeing the dog when it stops by; however, it poops a lot in the neighbor’s yard. The neighbor also isn’t able to get up/down the hill in his yard to clean everything up so yesterday did a little bit of extra clean-up for the neighbor. It was great!

7. COMPLETED by Wendy Diggs! Do something creative to thank the delivery people who visit your home.

STORY: We tracked when our Amazon delivery was supposed to arrive and left a gift bag for the delivery person that had bottled water, wrapped mask and individual hand sanitizer. I hope it was appreciated.

8. COMPLETED by Julie Allen! Wear a t-shirt of a Charlotte nonprofit you support on a Zoom call.

STORY: I’ve made it a point to wear an HRC Charlotte and Ronald McDonald House of Charlotte t-shirt on several video calls over the past week or so.

9. COMPLETED by Wendy Diggs! Give up your place in line to someone.

STORY: I was at Aldi and they only had one register open for some reason…2 ladies behind me only had handfuls of items, so I told them to go before me. They were both appreciative!

10. COMPLETED by Melissa Sparks! Do something innovative to support a local nonprofit.

STORY: Leveraged an Amazon link to donate 4 hygiene kits to be donated here locally in Charlotte.

11. COMPLETED by Wendy Diggs! Keep a 15-Day Kindness Journal. Write at least two sentences every day in September about something nice that was done for you that day … and something kind you did for someone else, big or small.

STORY: I kept a Kindness Journal for 16 days and wrote 2 lines of what I did for someone or something someone did for me. I made people that I love smile, I helped people I didn’t even know and my family made me feel like a queen all the time. This challenge made me reflect on how blessed I am.

12. COMPLETED by Misty Richie! Join a Wells Fargo Team Member Network or Volunteer Chapter.

STORY: I joined the Black / African American Team Member network as an Ally and I have attended 3 presentations. During one of the presentations on taking ownership for your career, I offered to review resumes and mock interviews for anyone who wanted some help and had one person reach out already. I was also inspired to host a discussion in our all-hands meeting to have a conversation about phrases we use in our daily speech and how we can be more reflective about how we speak to each other more respectfully by avoiding phrases like ‘crack the whip’ or ‘man-up’. We learned so much about phrases that have racist histories and how we can speak more effectively and respectfully. I am happy to serve as an ally.

13. COMPLETED by Kristi Thomas! Read a book about social justice.

I just completed “Color & Character” by Pamela Grundy. It tells the story of West Charlotte High School and its path from segregation to desegregation and now re-segregation. It includes interviews with prominent Charlotteans and great photos from yearbooks. Highly recommend if you are interested in school reform and/or the impact of community on education.

14. COMPLETED by Wendy Diggs! Drive in a Charlotte neighborhood never seen.

STORY: We went on an outing starting in Mooresville and came across The Point – we just drove through the neighborhood and then I mentioned to my husband that I heard of revitalization in Plaza Midwood area -so we drive down 77 went over to get a mini Acai Bowl at Rico’s off of Pecan and then drove around, up and down and looked at all the new construction – I didn’t know that so much was being revitalized and built up.

15. COMPLETED by Rod Banks! Offer to help or advocate for Charlotte students through www.qcedconnect.com.

STORY: I signed on to advocate and petition for digital access for students thru QCEDconnect.com. Easy process. While there I also made donation to Change.org.

16. COMPLETED by Wendy Diggs! Schedule Zoom call with old colleague.

STORY: I didn’t get the idea until I saw this option on the list. I have a great friend that I worked with and we normally met up every several months for breakfast or appetizers and drinks. We have been texting back and forth saying how much we missed one another and can’t wait to get together- so I set up a Zoom call (took me a few tries to get it right). When we finally connected we had a great time chatting – we had a glass of wine together and laughed and chatted for about 30 minutes.

17. COMPLETED by Wendy Diggs! Slip notes of kindness into the mailboxes or front door of your neighbors.

STORY: I put 2 notes out – one was to my neighbor down the street that beautified his lawn and flower bed – vibrant purples, red and yellow and the other was to my neighbor across the street when I thanked him to sweeping the cut grass from the street after mowing. – wihich he normally doesn’t.. I have NO clue how this affected anyone – although I felt like a cat burglar going up to and placing notes into my neighbor’s mailboxes.

18) COMPLETED by April Whitfield! Start volunteering at a Charlotte nonprofit virtually. We suggest checking out SHARE Charlotte.
STORY: I signed up to be a volunteer for An Image of Me and Center for Community Transitions.

What’s Left on the List?

1) For a personal Zoom call, change your background to promote a Charlotte nonprofit you love.

2) Take a week and share 1 item of content from a local nonprofit every day on your social media accounts.

3) Attend an online event for a Charlotte nonprofit you’re curious about.

4) Write a handwritten note to a Charlotte nonprofit to encourage them.

5) Offer to teach a free online class in a business skill you know well — accounting, marketing, planning, strategy, etc.

6) Schedule a Zoom meeting with an old colleague you haven’t seen in a long time.

7) Follow a different local creative’s (visual artist, musician, writer, dancer, actor, graphic designer, etc.) social media page every day for a week & share them with your followers.

8) Organize neighbors to help you pick up the streets around your neighborhood.

We had a fun online gathering on August 14. Below are ways to learn more about our special guests:

Our Speakers

• Joan Higginbotham, an astronaut who was on a mission to the International Space Station and now lives in Charlotte, married to City Council Member James Mitchell.
• Stacy Cassio, founder of Pink Mentor Network, a collection of Charlotte executives & organizations dedicated to developing this city’s future female leaders through mentorship.

Our Musical Guests

• We enjoyed a performance from Charlotte musical royalty Maria Howell and Noel Freidline.

Charlotte is Creative is a nonprofit dedicated to bringing the Queen City creative community and the business community together. We do this by helping you explore your own city, with humor, playfulness and excitement.

Last year, we created Wells Fargo Forward in partnership with the Wells Community Relations team. Our goal was to help WF:FW participants meet the creative individuals, organizations, places and nonprofits that make Charlotte a vibrant, exciting place to live. Members of the program get to meet other Wells employees and opportunities to get involved in community activities inside and out of the bank.

The first cohort of WF:FW has met four times, thus far. At each meeting — in person or online — we’ve introduced them to Charlotte leaders and creatives at work right now. Each meeting has featured music, games and a few laughs as we get to know our city and each other.

Get a Glimpse of Past WF:FW Events

August 2019 at Camp North End

January 2020 at Community Matters Cafe