Acts of Service

ORANGE SLICES

Carolina Community Garden

By Laurie Paolicelli
Guest Columnist

Service is love in action, and even the smallest act of service has the power to change a life.

It’s called giving back. Giving back is not a performative. It isn’t a duty or a box to check. It’s a way of living emotionally — of keeping the gifts of life by sharing them with others, quietly and consistently, in all the daily, ordinary moments. The smallest gesture can rock someone’s world.

As the holidays approach, it’s a good time to remember that giving doesn’t have to be grand to have a grand impact. Sometimes it’s buying someone a cup of coffee on a cold morning. Sometimes it’s reaching out to a widow who may be spending her first season alone. Sometimes it’s an hour at a food pantry, sorting donations with neighbors. And sometimes it’s simply listening — being present in a world that often rushes past those who need to be heard most.

In Orange County, we’re fortunate to live in a community rich not just in resources, but in spirit. Helping people out? That’s just who we are. It’s been part of our DNA from day one. So here’s a list of ways to engage with your community and share, this and every season.

Join Orange County DSS in spreading holiday cheer! The Toy Chest needs community support to bring joy to local children this season.

Buy a local product.

We hear this message often, because it’s true: supporting a local, independently-owned shop or restaurant is important. Whether it’s a cup of coffee from a neighborhood café, a handmade gift from a small boutique, or dinner at a family-owned restaurant, your dollars stay here. Trees get planted, schools are paid for, people get raises — all because we buy local.

This includes books. Buy a book by someone who lives here. There are more published writers in Chapel Hill, Carrboro, and Hillsborough than there are anywhere outside of Brooklyn. Better yet: buy one and get them to sign it. No charge.

Bible Belt Blues by Hillsborough resident Hal Crowther.

Take a walk.

Giving back isn’t just something we do for others — it’s something we do for ourselves, too. When you step away from the noise, clear your head, and reconnect with nature, you recharge your spirit and show gratitude for the place you call home. Orange County offers some of the most beautiful, restorative walks in North Carolina: the Eno River trails in Hillsborough, the shady stretches of Bolin Creek in Chapel Hill, and the quiet beauty of Morgan Creek. A short walk can be an act of self-care that helps you return to your community with more to give.

Write a positive review of a local business.

‍A positive review can mean a lot to a small business, especially during uncertain economic times. If you have something good to say, go to the trouble of saying it. Recommend the business to friends and on your socials. It only takes a moment and it means a lot.

Smile. Holi, also known as the festival of colors, is a Hindu tradition that celebrates love, community and the arrival of spring.

Spread joy in every way you can.

The world can feel like it’s pulling apart at the seams, and we’re powerless to do anything about it. But that’s not true: we each have our own secret powers, and one of them is hope, and another is joy. Share that joy. Say something nice to a coworker, drop an encouraging comment on someone’s social media, or keep some sticky notes handy and leave sweet little messages around — at work, in your neighborhood, wherever. Those small moments of kindness really add up. If you make just one person’s day a better one, that’s a win.

Smile

Seriously, that’s it. Just smile.

United Church of Chapel Hill performance.

Catch a show

There’s something about live art — it opens our minds and hearts to the possibility of beauty and meaning in all of our lives. Check out what’s happening at the ArtsCenter in Carrboro, Memorial Hall, Playmakers, or browse the Orange County Arts Commission’s calendar to see what’s coming up. Answer: a lot.

The ArtsCenter, Carrboro

Show up.

One of the simplest, most powerful ways to give back is simply to be present. Get out of the house and attend a community performance, a student recital, a local theater show, or a holiday market. Many volunteers work behind the scenes for months to bring these events to life, and your attendance might be the difference that encourages them to keep going. That’s right: you can make all the difference.

So let’s show up, for each other and for ourselves. And let’s keep at it, not just during the holidays, but all year round. Service to others makes us healthier and happier people. What’s not to like about that?

Transplanting Traditions Community Farm helps provide for Burmese and Karen refugee adults.

Share your thoughts with me here,

Laurie Paolicelli

Disclaimer: Published by Orange County’s Tourism Department through its Public Relations team, this story includes interviews and repurposed content from websites and partner press releases. For more, visit www.visitchapelhill.org or contact Laurie Paolicelli.

Laurie Paolicelli is executive director for the Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau, a position she has held since 2005. Laurie has worked in tourism and marketing for twenty-five years, having served in leadership roles in Houston and California convention and visitor bureaus. She is a native of the Twin Ports of Duluth, MN/Superior Wisconsin. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business and Communications from the University Wisconsin-Superior and graduate certification in Technology In Marketing from the UNC-Chapel Hill’s Hussman School of Journalism and Media. This reporter can be reached at Information@TheLocalReporter.press