News

March 18, 2023   BY SAMANTHA GAMBILL  Catawba County United Way   How does one define the word community?  Is it the people you work with, the people you live close to, the people you relate to? Or is it the people who help you in your time of need? According to Dictionary.com a community is, “a group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common,” or is, “a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of…
March 15, 2024   What is the best thing about Sipe’s Orchard Home? Learning that your opinion and needs matter. How would life be different without Sipe’s Orchard Home? Living in a group home until 18 and then leaving, not sure about your future.   Every year, the Catawba County United Way (CCUW) partners with local non-profits who are champions of improving the lives of youth and teens. In a new weekly series, the CCUW will introduce the 2024…
March 11, 2024   What is the best part of The Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club?  Field trips, the gym, summer camp, seeing friends. How would life be different without the Boys and Girls Club? Not seeing the outside world as much. Not as much help with homework. No friends. Every year, the Catawba County United Way (CCUW) partners with local non-profits who are champions of improving the lives of youth and teens. In a new weekly series, the…
  March 1, 2024   BY JOHN BAILEY jbailey@ccunitedway.com   Imagine having the opportunity to have a conversation with John Lewis a former member of the U.S. House of Representatives and an original member of the Freedom Riders in 1961. What would it be like to meet Rosa Parks and hear her story about standing up to racial injustice and becoming one of the sparks to a key event in the Civil Rights movement in the 1950s, the Montgomery Bus Boycott…
Feb. 22, 2023   The Catawba County United Way requires all agencies who receive a grant to provide End of Year (EOY) Reports to show how the funds were used by their program and what its impact on the community was in the past year.  Here are some highlights from the 2023 (EOY) reports from program directors. Look for more details from the report next week.   Habitat for Humanity of Catawba Valley – Home Repairs 31 served The Repairs…
Feb. 9, 2024   BY SAMANTHA GAMBILL Catawba County United Way Nearly one out of five children do not have access to clean, healthy food, according to Feeding America.  But The Corner Table and their Backpack Program are working to fix this locally. They are a volunteer based, non-profit organization in Catawba and Alexander County. They are also a funded partner of the Catawba County United Way through the Youth Council community grant program…
Feb. 2, 2024   BY JOHN BAILEY jbailey@ccuitedway.com   For Catawba County United Way (CCUW) Executive Director Mark Bumgarner, Tuesday night was all about building a community.  Local non-profits, local businesses and public agencies were invited by the CCUW to meet with families impacted by the Jan. 9 tornado during a dinner hosted at Bethlehem United Methodist Church in Claremont. The CCUW recently became the lead agency helping to coordinate…
Jan. 25, 2024   The Catawba County Youth Council is accepting Requests for Funding Proposals (RFPs) targeted to address the impact areas of health and education as they relate to the needs and wellbeing of children and youth in our community. The applications will open online Feb. 2 at https://www.ccunitedway.com/form/2024-youth-council-funding-appli. The Youth Council partners with the Catawba County United Way in this annual community…
Jan. 18, 2024   BY JOHN BAILEY jbailey@ccunitedway.com From addressing issues like poverty, child literacy, hunger relief and healthcare, the Catawba County United Way is excited about the work it’ll accomplish in 2024 in partnership with this year’s funded partners. At the end of the 2023 Request for Funding Proposal (RFP) grant cycle, the Catawba County United Way board approved $550,000 in grants to help support 18 programs from 14 local non-…
Jan. 17, 2024   The Catawba County United Way (CCUW) is partnering with the Blue Ridge Piedmont Chapter of the American Red Cross to help families in the Claremont area affected by Tuesday’s storm which spawned a tornado.  Approximately 13 homes were destroyed. To help families as they recover, the CCUW will act as a drop-off location for donations to help those devastated by the storm. Items being collected include, paper towels, toilet paper…