“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” – Anne Frank
Ashley Nieves doesn’t just quote this line; she lives it every single day.
Ashley started with Alexander Youth Network back in 2014 as a Customer Care Specialist in the Access to Services department. At the time, she had just moved to Charlotte from Texas, looking for something new and a bit more grounded after years of working in children’s behavioral health. She came in wanting a 9-to-5. A place where she could do meaningful work and leave it at the door at the end of the day. But what she found was something deeper.
Very quickly, she realized something was missing, not in the work, but in her day-to-day experience. She missed being close to the kids. So she leaned back into what mattered most. Ashley became a buddy for one of the girls in our PRTF. Once a week, she would sit with her over lunch, play UNO, paint nails, color, or swing while listening to Taylor Swift. Nothing complicated, just consistent time and a real connection. That experience changed her.
When the Volunteer Engagement Officer role opened, Ashley stepped into it with confidence. She didn’t come from a traditional volunteer background, but she understood something just as important. What it means to sit with a child and make that time matter. She saw how small moments can turn into lasting impact. And that’s exactly what she brings to Alexander Youth Network every day. Ashley’s work is grounded in one simple truth. Many of the kids we serve haven’t had consistency, steady role models, or adults who show up and stay.
Volunteers change that. They show up again and again. They build trust. They create safety and give children something many of them experience for the first time. They also create meaningful childhood moments. Easter egg hunts. Meeting Santa. Trick or treating. Learning to ride a bike. Simple experiences that carry deep meaning for our kids. Ashley doesn’t just coordinate volunteers. She carries stories.
One that stays with her is a 12-year-old boy celebrating his very first birthday party. After everyone sang happy birthday, he said, “Nobody has ever sung happy birthday to me.”
That moment stays with you. It’s a reminder that connection is not just important, it’s life-changing.
Ashley also continues to advocate for more male volunteers, especially for our older boys. The need is real, and she sees it every day. One boy asks her almost daily if she has found a male lunch buddy who likes to build LEGOs. He knows what he’s looking for. A connection. Someone who will show up and share time with him.
That is the impact Ashley is working toward. Real, meaningful connection. Her work is not about filling volunteer spots. It’s about building relationships that shape how children see themselves and the world around them. Ashley’s impact lives in the consistency, the laughter, and the quiet moments that matter most and at the center of it all is the belief that you do not have to wait to make a difference. Ashley proves that every single day.
Written by Shay Woodard
