Turning Passion Into Purpose

By Dr. Scott Gartlan, CRC Member

Neighborhood Leader Spotlight: Kurtis Andree
In the Neighborhood Leader spotlight, the CRC newsletter features individuals supporting our community through efforts that align with the work and mission of the CRC.

For more than eight years, Kurtis Andree, current president of the Country Club Heights Neighborhood Association, has been giving back to the community through donation drives and events that encourage conversation and inclusion. Andree recognized an opportunity to meet a need and turned his passion for helping others into purposeful impact across his neighborhood.

It was around the holidays one year that an idea clicked for Andree. While he was faced with uncertain times, he was aware that the season might also be hard for some of his neighbors as well. Although the specific challenges may be different, as neighbors, it is important to know that you are a part of a community that stands with you.

“I was looking out the window feeling sorry for myself,” said Andree as he reflected on his experience of being laid off in 2014. “Then I noticed parents picking up their children from our local school — Shamrock Gardens Elementary — and realized something. How could I be feeling so sorry for myself when I knew that so many families were going to have a very difficult holiday this season?”

Andree set out on a mission to bring joy and comfort to the lives of families for the holidays. He started a Facebook group, invited friends and neighbors to join the group, and the gift drive was born!

The gift drive started when Kurtis filled the hatchback of his Ford Focus with games, basketballs, footballs, soccer balls, clothes, baby dolls and so much more. Now, with the help of others, the drive has grown to more than 50 donors each year with donations coming from not only Charlotte, but from California, Arizona, Texas, Florida, New York, and Connecticut.

“Kurtis has tirelessly and graciously committed to coordinating gifts every year,” said Lisa Carter, Youth Development Coordinator at Communities In Schools of Charlotte-Mecklenburg, Inc. “He opens up his home and allows his space to be used as a storage space until the big day. The love, unwavering support, and willingness to serve in this capacity has helped bring smiles to our families.”

Over the eight years the drive has been running, more than $50,000 in gifts, gift cards, pajamas, school uniforms, and yearbooks have been donated by community members. Andree sees this as a way to not just support families during the holidays, but to bring the community closer together.

“The real payoff for me is bringing people together,” Andree shared. “I so much value our community and the city of Charlotte that I am driven by ways to make things better. For me, things get better when people spend time together, when they give to each other, and in doing so, recognize how similar we all really are.”

Andree hopes this long-term vision of community engagement is something that will catch on in other neighborhoods. He believes whether you collect toys for kids around the holidays, or check in on elderly neighbors, or volunteer in your community, just start small. His small drive has blossomed into using every room in his house to store the donated toys and gifts during the holidays. This year, working with the school’s Community in Schools liaison, he hopes to find a secure spot on school grounds to house these gifts.

In addition to his gift drive, Andree has found ways to get involved with another passion of his: supporting the local LGBTQ+ community. Building on a concept that current president of Windsor Park Neighborhood Association, Jason Boone developed 12 years ago, Andree has hosted Mimosa Parties since 2020.

“I invite neighbors and friends to my house for a drink and to learn more about the amazing organizations supporting LGBTQ+ issues in Charlotte,” said Andree.

Guests learn more about the work going on and ways they can support it. To date, organizations such as Time Out Youth, The Plus Collective, Charlotte Pride Band, and One Voice Chorus have received $300,000 in contributions, $180,000 of that coming in the past three years. In addition, a new nonprofit was formed called Hydration Station Foundation to focus on LGBTQ+ efforts.

As Andree reflects on the greater value, he remains committed to community development.

“It’s easy to get down on the future of things these days,” said Andree. “But I am uplifted by the spirit of others to want to help each other and make everyone in our community feel welcomed, loved, and part of something larger.”