This isn’t your typical Toms One-for-One campaign. Two Charlotte locals are giving back by giving in to their love for local business and conscious consumerism.

Conscious consumerism is all about making purchases with a purpose — to better the community, and even world, we live in.

Karlie Winchell and Kayte Foras started the Queen City Conscious Market, coming Feb. 7 to Heist Brewery, to “inspire those in our community to make an impact with their day-to-day purchases,” says Winchell, “and to entrust their money with businesses who care enough to invest it back to make a difference.”

How many of your Twitter followers have you ever met in person? Have you met even half of your Facebook friends? No? Joshua Lineberger has a problem with that. The 28-year-old founder of Socialtopias, a mobile app that launched in Charlotte on New Year’s Eve, wants to get you off your device and hanging out with people IRL.

“Old social media draws people into created online personas,” Lineberger says. “Face-to-face interaction builds courage to call that girl.”

The company just released a beta version for Android users, as well as the desktop site. (The iPhone app is coming soon.) They're targeting about 2,500 Charlotteans they call “Socialtopians” to give feedback and uncover any technical glitches before a national launch.

“The Android app gives us instant access to user feedback, and then we can spin around subsequent updates loaded to Google Play,” Lineberger says. Some of the tweaks loaded to the latest Android app version are multiple chats with multiple sets of friends and improved zooming and scrolling on the central Charlotte map.

Socialtopias has two main functions: social planning and to serve as a destination site for businesses. Its social functions include suggesting destinations based on previous searches, enabling chats with sets of friends and an interactive map of Charlotte’s nightlife that shows which spots are jumping based on the number of Socialtopias check-ins. Businesses can promote exclusive deals and flash offers; they are projecting a daily average of 75 businesses to sign up.

To help build buzz, the company is hosting six Hornets Night Out giveaways before March 31.

“So much of social media isn’t truly social,” Lineberger says. “The digital world was created to enhance our lives, but we’re really more disconnected. So you have 2,000 friends on social media and nothing to do tonight.”

If getting in shape is on your list of resolutions for 2015, go big or go home. Here's a list of upcoming races in Charlotte, from 5Ks to obstacle courses, to get your blood pumping. Register as soon as possible to set those goals into motion.

First Footin' 5 Miler Trail Race at Historic Rural Hill The term "First Footin'" comes from Scottish tradition, where it represented festivities associated with New Year. Rural Hill presents its own celebration, also dubbed as Hogmanay, and it all kicks off with a 5-mile race. It's a terrain-style course, so come prepared for a woodsy experience. Stick around afterward for some stone soup by the camp fire. To register, visit here. Jan. 1, 10 a.m. Historic Rural Hill Farm, 4431 Neck Road, Huntersville. 704-875-3113. www.ruralhill.net.

Resolution Race Series at Fort Mill Branch YMCA The purpose of this series is to get folks to jumpstart the new year with a 5K and work their way up to a half-marathon over the course of 13 weeks (and other scheduled races). For more information, visit www.resolutionraceseries.racesonline.com. Jan. 10, 9 a.m. Fort Mill Branch YMCA, 857 Promenade Walk, Fort Mill.

On Monday evening, Creative Loafing partnered with the Levine Museum of the New South to host Blackish: The Social Event and Conversation. We wanted to give folks the opportunity to respond to the story we ran last month, in which we looked at what's holding the African-American cultural scene back from thriving in Charlotte.

About 75 to 100 people attended the event. Panelists included Kennedy Howard, co-owner of Sydney’s Martini and Wine Bar; Larken Egleston, brand ambassador for Republic National Distributing Company; Jasiatic, founder of Su Casa; and Michael Kitchen, founder of The Sol Kitchen. On Q Performing Arts' Quentin Talley and Power 98's Yasmin Young also chimed in on a discussion that ranged from the importance of supporting black-owned businesses and defining what culture really means to defining the differences between "young professional" and "non professional."

After more than a quarter of a century, people are saying it’s the end of an era. Not a ton of people, but definitely some. And it said so on Facebook too, so it must be true.

Warren Stiles has been the bar manager and bartender at Elizabeth Billiards on Central Avenue for more than 27 years. On early Saturday morning, he will clock out for the last time, leaving his position at one of Charlotte’s most eclectic, and least exclusive, private clubs and going into business for himself just down the road.

Editor’s note: We recognize how quickly Charlotte has changed over the years, so here’s us trying to preserve its story. In this series, local author David Aaron Moore answers reader-submitted questions about unusual, noteworthy or historic people, places and things in Charlotte and the surrounding metro area. Submit inquires to davidaaronmoore@gmail.com.

Back in the ‘70s and ‘80s there was a singer and piano player that I used to catch at a few bars and restaurants around town. I think her name was Chris Kelly. Do you know what became of her? — William Dukes, Charlotte

• Kelly performing at the Charlotte Country Club in the '70s

UPDATE: I spoke with Daniel Levine this morning, and he confirmed his plans to restore the home, turning it into a restaurant, and turn the surrounding parking lot into a park. He says he plans on breaking ground in the next 30 days. He also says the nearby building that once housed Dixie's Tavern will not, contrary to previous reports, be demolished.

Editor’s note: We recognize how quickly Charlotte has changed over the years, so here’s us trying to preserve its story. In this series, local author David Aaron Moore answers reader-submitted questions about unusual, noteworthy or historic people, places and things in Charlotte and the surrounding metro area. Submit inquires to davidaaronmoore@gmail.com.

There’s a rather sizable and very old building sitting at the corner of 7th and Brevard streets in uptown. It looks like it might have been a house, although old letters on the front door indicate it was a bail bondsman office at one point. It’s been empty as long as I’ve lived here. Do you know any details? — Mac McLamb, Charlotte.

• David Aaron Moore

Editor’s note: We recognize how quickly Charlotte has changed over the years, so here’s us trying to preserve its story. In this series, local author David Aaron Moore answers reader-submitted questions about unusual, noteworthy or historic people, places and things in Charlotte and the surrounding metro area. Submit inquires to davidaaronmoore@gmail.com.

Do you remember the disappearance of a young Charlotte woman named Denise Porch? I think it happened in the 1970s, and she was never found. Has there ever been any hint as to what happened to her? — Abby Sensing, Birmingham, Alabama

Editor’s note: We recognize how quickly Charlotte has changed over the years, so here’s us trying to preserve its story. In this series, local author David Aaron Moore answers reader-submitted questions about unusual, noteworthy or historic people, places and things in Charlotte and the surrounding metro area. Submit inquires to davidaaronmoore@gmail.com.

My grandmother worked at the old Belk Department Store that used to be in Uptown near the corner of Trade and Tryon streets. She talks about that period of her life with great fondness, but there’s one topic she’s mentioned several times that left all of the store employees deathly frightened: a major robbery by what police described as a “gang.” Do you know any of the details? — Lucia Daniels, Norfolk, Virginia

• Carolina Room, Charlotte- Mecklenburg Public Library
• The old downtown Belk.