Lamell Anderson retired from UPS two and a half years ago. He had worked at UPS for twenty-one years, and after, he’d earned time to rest. The first six months, he would get up every morning, read a devotional, and exercise. Then, one morning, his devotionals asked him: “Are you volunteering to help anyone else, or are you just concentrating on yourself?” That reading pushed Lamell to start volunteering with Roof Above, at the North Tryon Shelter. His perch is the front desk.
He is the first face you see when you walk through the front door, greeting everyone with a broad smile and answering all sorts of questions. After two years of volunteering, Lamell saw a need and stepped up for the Roof Above community, making the transition from volunteer to staff member. He now serves as the newest Shelter Specialist on the Roof Above team.
Lamell cherishes the routine things, that everyday kind of help. On a normal workday, he directed a new guest to the nurse to get help with his insulin, and then walked him around the shelter, while making sure the front desk was running smoothly. Entering a new environment, especially a shelter as physically large and resource rich as North Tryon, can be overwhelming. Lamell’s guidance gives shelter guests the tools they need to navigate the shelter and some time to breathe.
Lamell likes serving his community. He is understanding, with empathy aided by life experience. Lamell shares he had been through a “period in my life, with alcohol and drugs and homelessness and all that. So it’s just a good feeling to be able to give back in some kind of way.” Lamell has an eye for need and kindhearted understanding. Thank you, Lamell, for all the work you do, and welcome to our team!