CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The suit and tie may not be a dead giveaway, but Nick Wharton was once a leader on the basketball court.
“I had some success playing basketball in New York City," Wharton shared. "I was a point guard at Andrew Jackson High School,."
The New York City native said his ability to lead on the court helped lay the foundation for his future off of it.
“Our coach, who coached for 45 years, his name was Chuck Granby [and] he’d always tell us, he’d say 'Listen young people, if you don’t graduate from high school, you’re going to have an ugly life,'" Wharton recalled. "It was really a metaphor for life."
Since 2018, Wharton has been the president and CEO of Charlotte Area Fund.
The organization is dedicated to helping people in Mecklenburg County through some “ugly” situations.
“We provide direct services and help people living on the margins, 125% and below the poverty line, but we also help under resourced agencies that are also committed to poverty,” Wharton explained.
Charlotte Area Fund also provides career training and connects people with success coaches to help with things like childcare, food and utilities.
“As long as you’re here to work, the success coaches are here to back you up,” Ashley Williams-Hatcher mentioned.
Williams-Hatcher, the program director, said the clients the organization serves are the people who need the most help in our community.
“Just knowing that we are all putting our efforts in to make their lives just a little bit better, to help the statistics in Charlotte, is what gets me out of bed in the morning," she admitted. "I feel like I’m doing god’s work."
A recent Chetty study ranks Charlotte 38 out of 50 cities when it comes to economic mobility. That’s up from 50 out of 50 just a decade ago.
Wharton said, while he’s encouraged by progress, he said there’s more work to be done.
“The environment in North Carolina must improve, and, of course, Charlotte, we are not on an island,” Wharton said.
Soon, the nonprofit will move its headquarters from Uptown to east Charlotte, all while partnering with Habitat for Humanity in the process.
“We have a shared kindred spirit in terms of our mission," Wharton said. "They work with low-income folk around affordable housing and repairs. Here we are, we help low-income families."
Recently, Charlotte Area Fund became a part of the LISC financial opportunity center.
Wharton said it’s a good opportunity to broaden the nonprofit’s impact when it comes to financial literacy and education.
Contact Nick Sturdivant at nsturdiva1@wcnc.com and follow him on Facebook, X and Instagram.