We Asked Several Charlotteans: What Gives You Hope?

I end difficult interviews by asking that question. Let’s do the same after a difficult year.

“What gives you hope?”

This is how I end a difficult interview. Some conversations with sources get heavy, especially because I write so often about health and social equity. I talk with people dying of terminal illnesses who want others to know more about their diseases. I talk with those who work to make Charlotte more fair for more people, knowing they’ll never have the resources to meet the need. Each time, I’m humbled, grateful, and (honestly) surprised that they spend 15, 30, or 60 minutes talking with me, a stranger. I never want them to walk away from the interview feeling overwhelmed, so I end it with hope. And wow, their answers blow me away. Their hope is never, ever for themselves. It’s for someone else.

It’s been a difficult year, so let’s end this year’s columns the same way: with hope. I checked with people who’ve been featured on this page, people who devote their careers to our city’s most challenging issues: hunger, immigration, underserved communities, disability equity, animal rescue. What happened in 2024 that gives them hope for 2025? 

They all used their answers to point to other people: generous volunteers, selfless leaders, residents on the cusp of opportunity. (Answers have been slightly edited for space.)

Lisa Mathews, The Bulb

“What gives me hope is the community that The Bulb is building. As a small nonprofit, it is our dedicated volunteers and donors who show up week after week, who know the ins and outs of our operations, who have learned the names of market guests’ families, who grow food for us in their backyard or church garden, that make all the difference.” 

Danae Byler, OurBridge for Kids

“The launch of the Charlotte is Home Center gives me so much hope. As more newly arrived families come to Charlotte, co-locating services are crucial for improving access. It’s inspiring to see three organizations, led by four incredible women, come together to make this vision a reality. They’ve each worked for years to make Charlotte a better home for everyone, and now they’re doing it together.” (Note: Charlotte is Home Center is a collaboration between OurBridge for Kids, Charlotte Community Health Clinic, and Carolina Migrant Network.)

Amanda Forsythe, Pits & Giggles Maternity Rescue

“The community support we’ve experienced with our puppy yoga events has been amazing. The outpouring of love our mamas and babies have received has been incredibly heartwarming. Rescue is hard, but the support and encouragement we’ve received gives us hope. We love what we do, and we are making a difference, one little family at a time.”

Greg Asciutto, CharlotteEAST

“We have the final green light: The Eastland Sports Complex is on schedule to open, in part, by 2026. This project gives me hope that, for the first time in decades, East Charlotteans will have access to quality jobs and upward mobility in our own backyard. We can finally see the rising sun on our immediate horizon and, with it, hope for a new generation of economic prosperity.” 

Renee Ratcliffe, Cakeable

“I watch adults who live with intellectual disabilities enter the experience of belonging through employment. This year, I have seen Charlotte businesses enthusiastically offer a seat at the table to those who are often overlooked vocationally. Our purpose is not as much what we do individually as it is the transformational hope that rises within a community that works together.”

As I write this, it’s mid-October, weeks before the election. A couple of hours west, people grieve for loved ones, homes, businesses, and entire towns claimed by Hurricane Helene. Political leaders sow conspiracy theories about rescue efforts that may gain them a few votes, even if they cost more lives. Rough times.

What gives me hope, even now (especially now): Every week, my interviews remind me how many people look out for others, who find hope in helping. They constantly interrupt my cynicism and doomscrolling to remind me how generous many people are. They remind me not to look down on the awful people but to keep up with the good ones.

It’s not just what we look at but what we see, to paraphrase Henry David Thoreau. We still must look at injustice and acknowledge those who do harm. But we can’t lose sight of the good people who are too busy helping to make a fuss about themselves. Shifting my focus to see them gives me hope.