Charlotte, N.C. (November 17, 2007) – Socialserve.com employees joined hundreds of Charlotte residents in a walk for homeless awareness on Saturday, November 17. Socialserve.com Chief Communications Officer Nina Fedele was part of a group of local agency representatives who organized the 3rd Annual Charlotte Homeless Awareness Walk. This year’s walk in Charlotte gathered national attention from Fannie Mae. “Our employees work tirelessly to house people across the country, but activism starts at home. We’re proud to be a part of this local awareness effort,” said Fedele.

Charlotte has prospered as the nation’s largest financial center after New York City, but that doesn’t mean the city is immune to homelessness. In fact, 5,000 Charlotte-area residents may be considered homeless any given day. The Charlotte Homeless Awareness Walk brought together people experiencing homelessness with those showing their support. Starting outside the Crisis Assistance Ministry facility, a five-kilometer walk-route passed through areas of Charlotte with high rates of homelessness, as well as a thriving neighborhood of revitalized workforce housing near the city center. The Salvation Army served soup and food, and 30 local agencies set up a campus of booths educate the general public and people in need about available services in the region to offer services ranging from haircuts to dental care for people experiencing homelessness. Volunteers at the Socialserve.com booth shared printed lists of available housing in the Charlotte area.

Socialserve.com employees volunteered their free time to help with many aspects of the event. Call center representative Aernest awoke at dawn to spend much of Saturday driving a parking shuttle to and from lots donated by local businesses. When asked about giving so much of his time, Aernest replied, “It doesn’t matter how early I have to get up. I like people to know there are people out there who care about them and want to help,” echoing the Socialserve.com philosophy. “Anything I can do to help somebody, to better their life and see a smile on their face,” said Aernest.

Socialserve.com was also proud to come away with an award as an outstanding local agency for being a comprehensive resource to help with issues of homelessness.

For more information, contact Nina Fedele at 1-877-428-8844 or by email at nina@socialserve.com.