Ever wondered which charitable cause to support? Visit Lake Norman and its Lake Norman hotel partners have created a ‘Voluntourism’ initiative to give back to the Lake Norman community and make an impact. So what does ‘Voluntourism’ mean exactly? Well, the idea originated from VLN’s most recent Hotel Power Hour meeting where John Lynch, GM for the Hampton Inn & Suites Huntersville told the story of Angels & Sparrows Soup Kitchen’s need for bottled water for their bagged lunch program.  At the conclusion of the meeting, the initiative was born and area hotels were leading the charge to collect cases of bottled water for the lunch program.

So what has been the result of the initiative? To date, 70+ cases of bottled water have been donated collectively by area Lake Norman hotels to Angels & Sparrows Soup Kitchen. Donations were made by the Comfort Suites Huntersville, Country Suites Huntersville, Courtyard Huntersville, Hampton Inn Cornelius, Hampton Inn & Suites Huntersville, Homewood Suites Davidson and VLN.  Even though hotels propelled the initiative, you can also help! VLN offers anyone a free Lake Norman coffee mug for every case of water dropped off at the Visitor Center in Cornelius. By the end of July, the program had delivered 8,701 lunches to seven Lake Norman communities, where families benefit from free and reduce priced lunches at school.

The Voluntourism initiative has also spun off another charitable one.  The Comfort Suites Huntersville is collecting school supplies for a local elementary school! Feel free to contact Candice Karriker, Front Desk Manager for pick-ups, drop-offs or any questions at 704-875-6220 or candice007@yahoo.com

So who’s ready to give back? Start spreading the word on these rewarding initiatives for Lake Norman communities that help spread light and love in our area.