Volunteer Spotlight: Charlotte Fong

By Alexa Sinatra

Phipps is well-known for our beautiful gardens, seasonal flower shows, pioneering sustainability initiatives, informative educational programs and community outreach. None of our work, however, would be possible without the knowledge and dedication of our volunteers. In this series of profiles, we meet some of the people who give their time to make Phipps possible.

For Charlotte Fong, finding volunteer opportunities in Pittsburgh was the obvious step after retirement. Charlotte taught middle school students at Pittsburgh Public Schools for 35 years! Once she retired, she began looking for volunteer areas that focused on her background in education, though she was open to any opportunity that came her way. 13 years ago, she decided to lend her helping hand to Phipps.

Charlotte says, “I have been visiting Phipps for many years and absolutely love all the seasonal shows. The environment is beautiful not to mention the aroma of the flowers that surround each room.” This made the decision to volunteer here quite simple! Though her gardening skills may be limited due to the deer population in her area, she enjoys growing sustainably as much as she can.

A typical day of volunteering for Charlotte involves helping out with children’s programming, assisting with prep work for various flower shows, and recently, aiding adults and children while they cook in Botany Hall Kitchen! Her favorite part of volunteering at Phipps is, “meeting the many amazing people and kids who cross my path. Their stories are interesting as they share and ask questions about each room.”

In addition to Phipps, you can find her volunteering at the Carnegie Science Center, Education Partnership, Reading Ready, Meal on Wheels, and Beverly’s Birthdays. Charlotte is eager to be here to help you out on your next visit!