North Carolina Retiree Helps Residents Stay in Their Family Homes

Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Skip Hudspeth. Read his story, and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light. 

Skip Hudspeth likes to roll up his sleeves and get involved. After a lengthy career in aviation, the climate activist and retiree found himself eager to directly make a difference in his North Carolina community. In 2019, he came across representatives from Rebuilding Together of Greater Charlotte, the local chapter of a national organization that goes into area neighborhoods and provides critical home repairs to residents’ properties. Soon, he realized he could put his experience with construction and home remodeling to great use for the organization’s Building a Healthy Neighborhood program, which advances health equity by improving health and housing outcomes for members of the community. 

Skip has dedicated endless hours to tackling projects ranging from swinging a hammer to performing complex electrical work.  

Known for his cheerful energy and frequent laughter, Skip also uses his knowledge to educate others. He frequently teaches other volunteers while on the job and is eager to see how the organization can blossom further. A resident of Huntersville, which is north of Charlotte, Skip is working with Rebuilding Together to connect the organization with residents there. But it’s all part of a larger picture, says Skip, who is dedicated to his mission to build climate resilience.  

Read on to find out more about how Skip is helping Charlotte residents stay in their homes.  

Tell us about your volunteer role with Rebuilding Together Greater Charlotte. 

Rebuilding Together Greater Charlotte is part of a nationwide network whose mission is to help people in vulnerable neighborhoods stay in their homes, which they do by making critical repairs. They take care of things that the residents might not be able to afford because of their bills from everyday living.  What I do is kind of just show up. What I enjoy most is when we really get into something like plumbing, wiring, electrical work or structural work, or something where there’s some challenge to it.

What inspired you to get started with this initiative?  

I wanted to find something I could do where I can see I’m making a difference locally. I went to a house in a neighborhood in Charlotte and we rebuilt a deck and a ramp for a person to get into their house. I loved it, and so then I just started going back. Each time we go, we get to meet the homeowners and connect with the people who live there. That’s a big part of what I enjoy.  

What’s been the most rewarding part of your work? 

I think the most rewarding thing is just to meet with the homeowners and see in a short period of time how much we can change things that they were really struggling with, and turn it into a new kitchen, new bathroom or new floor. We were working in this older house in Charlotte, and this gentleman who lived there – I think it was his parents’ house before his – was struggling to keep it up because it had so many problems and leaks. I was working on pull-down attic stairs, and all the other people in the crew went outside. He just looked at me and said, “you know, after you leave I’m going to cry.” 

What have you learned through your experiences as a volunteer? 

I’ve learned what’s possible when people come together and organize to help others. This group was kind of just starting out when I started, and I’m seeing now how much they grew just by their intention of doing this work and sticking with it. I’ve learned how to work with other people. I’m learning a lot about how to collaborate, how to sometimes slow down, take a breath, talk to others and get their points of view. I’m learning to get the bigger picture and see what the next step is to go forward. 

Tell us about future partnerships, programs or events that you are excited about. 

They’re planning to work in an older, Black neighborhood in Huntersville originally called Pottstown. It’s really got a lot of energy around that community. They’ve got a wonderful old school they turned into a recreation center. There’s just so much going on there. So I think to show up and help people in a lot of older hubs with their needs there is really good. 

Why is it important for others to get involved with causes they care about? 

I think there’s going to be more and more need. But the other reason for people to do it is I think it’s really good for their hearts. It’s going to feel really good.  

Any advice for people who want to start volunteering? 

I think the first step is to look and see what their gifts are – what they’re just naturally good at, and also what they love. And then look at how that connects with the deep needs in the community. If you can bring those things together, I think that that’s the magic. Be willing to try something new, and just be willing to show up. Maybe realize you’re not going to know how to do it at first, but you’re going to learn.  

What do you want people to learn from your story? 

There are opportunities where you can show up and in a very short amount of time, you can help someone in a large way and have a lot of fun doing it. 

Do you want to make a difference in your community like Skip? Find local volunteer opportunities.