News
July 14, 2025
The Catawba County Youth Council, in partnership with the Catawba County United Way recently announced this year’s Community Impact Grant recipients.
The Youth Council’s grant process addresses the impact areas of health and education as they relate to the needs and wellbeing of children and youth in our community.
Agencies receiving grants must either be incorporated as a not-for-profit, tax-exempt entity or who have a 501-C3…
July 11, 2025
BY JOHN BAILEY
jbailey@ccunitedway.com
A seven-pound bag of food may not sound like a lot to most people but for children in The Corner Table’s Backpack Program, it means a weekend of food they might not otherwise have.
According to the 2023 Catawba County Community Health Assessment by Catawba County Public Health, poverty impacted children the hardest, with 18.8% of all children experiencing poverty, including 19.7% of young…
July 7, 2025
The Catawba County United Way School Supply Drive is underway and will run through the month of July.
This annual School Supply Drive is about meeting immediate and future needs of local public-school students (Catawba County, Hickory City and Newton-Conover school districts). Last year nearly 9,000 items were collected by 30 community partners.
The CCUW office (2760 Tate Blvd SE in Hickory) is the primary public donation drop…
June 30, 2025
The Catawba County United Way is excited to welcome New Directions Chiropractic in Hickory (1333 2nd Street NE, Ste 312) to the CCUW’s Small Businesses Love Big initiative.
This is an opportunity for small companies in Catawba County (50 employees or less) to invest back into their communities by supporting local non-profit programs.
Each participating SBLB company contributes $365 a year, which will be used to fund this new…
June 12, 2025
BY JOHN BAILEY
jbailey@ccunitedway.com
On Wednesday, the Catawba County United Way (CCUW) hosted the annual Giving From the Heart (GFH) Volunteer Awards at Conover Station to recognize and thank some of the most invaluable members of every nonprofit in the county.
This year’s group of 28 nominees was equally amazing as in the past with individuals who have donated their time for decades, to groups who never say no when…
June 6, 2025
BY JOHN BAILEY
jbailey@ccunitedway.com
John Lookadoo’s addiction to drugs and alcohol started when he was fifteen and after a lifetime of struggling, he ended up at Strong Life Ministries in Conover. At that moment he was just looking for a bus pass. What he got was a chance to change his life forever.
More than 11,600 individuals were homeless last year in North Carolina, according to data from the 2024 HUD Continuum of Care…
May 23, 2025
BY JOHN BAILEY
jbailey@ccunitedway.com
For those struggling financially in Catawba County, access to local food pantries is one way to help make ends meet and ensure access to healthy food.
However, the Catawba County United Way learned last week that U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) funding cuts are changing what that access looks like for many families.
Last year, Ashure Ministry’s Charlie Bunn Food Pantry in Newton…
May 19, 2025
The North Carolina Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service has presented the 2025 Governor’s Volunteer Service Award to 10 recipients from Catawba County.
Their selection for the Governor’s award was based off their 2024 nomination for the Catawba County Giving From the Heart (GFH) Awards.
NC State Award recipients include:
Jason Keating – Walk With Me Equine Therapy,
Dana and Josia Florez – NC Cooperative Extension…
May 6, 2025
The Catawba County United Way will host a luncheon Meet and Greet with local public school teachers and social workers on June 5, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the CCUW office (2760 Tate Blvd SE in Hickory).
For those interested in being collection partners during the CCUW's annual County-wide School Supply Drive, this will be an opportunity to learn directly from local public school representatives from Catawba County, Hickory City…
April 28, 2025
BY JOHN BAILEY
jbailey@ccunitedway.com
The North Carolina Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service recently announced the 2025 recipients of the Governor's Medallion Award for Volunteer Service and Darlene Sanders, Exodus Homes volunteer, was chosen from Catawba County.
The award ceremony will be held May 12 at the North Carolina State Capitol building in Raleigh.
The Governor's Medallion Award for Volunteer Service …