John F. Kennedy said “One person can make a difference and every person should try.” That quote inspired Notary Kelly Charpenet to first reach out to help the homeless in her community of Santa Monica, California.
“I used to see these two homeless guys in the alley behind my work,” said Charpenet, one of the co-founders of Santa Monica Mobile Notary & Live Scan. “But I kept thinking of that quote and I told myself, ‘I can’t keep walking past these guys.’”
Charpenet reached out to the two homeless men, who turned out to be veterans who had fallen on hard times. She connected them with local charities that provide food, shelter and other assistance that helped get the two men off the street and into permanent housing.
Today, Charpenet and the other Notaries at her business regularly volunteer their services at the Ocean Park Community Center and other organizations when homeless individuals need documents notarized to obtain essential services. In addition to their work with the homeless, the team at Santa Monica Mobile Notary & Live Scan also volunteers each year to help clean up garbage along local beaches.
“We have a big tourist population, and there’s tons of trash sitting out on the beach. When we keep it clean for everyone, everyone benefits, particularly Santa Monica residents,” she said. “It makes me feel closer to my community.”
Giving back to the community is something that benefits everyone who lives there, Charpenet says, adding that all the Notaries at her business freely volunteer their time to help out their community. “It’s not mandatory — it’s a labor of love,” she said. “All of us live in Santa Monica, and it’s something we like to do together as a small business.”
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David Thun is the Assistant Managing Editor with the National Notary Association.