News

By John Bailey jbailey@ccunitedway.com    Preparing to take on the challenges of a new year, the Catawba County United Way welcomed five new faces on its Board of Directors in December. They included Bradley Fowler from Catawba County Government, Honey Estrada from Catawba County Health, Kenneth Temple from Corning, Andrea Thompson from Catawba County Schools and Kimberly Whitley from Patrick Harper & Dixon, LLP.  “It’s an outstanding group…
The Catawba County United Way (CCUW) is currently accepting Notices of Intent to apply for funding for 2022.  This Notice of Intent is due on Feb. 26 by 6 p.m. and can be found on the CCUW website at - https://www.ccunitedway.com/form/notice-of-intent. Those submitting a Notice of Intent will be asked to attend training to prepare them to fill out a pre-Request for Funding Proposal (pre-RFP) on March 2, held as a Zoom meeting. Pre-Requests for…
By John Bailey jbailey@ccunitedway.com   After 20 years of serving those in need, the Catawba County United Way Executive Director Jennie Connor announced her retirement during the CCUW’s December board meeting. Her last day with the United Way will be March 31 of this year. “My heart is full. I retire to spend time loving on my family and laughing with friends, having complete conviction that there are caring people who will carry on…creating…
By John Bailey jbailey@ccunitedway.com  Considering the challenges our community faced last year, the Catawba County United Way reached out to its 2020 funded partners to get their thoughts on the year that was and the year ahead. Together, these agencies and their programs served thousands of individuals and families in need. Below are thoughts from eight of the CCUW’s 14 funded partners. Mark Bumgarner – Adult Life Programs We’ve charted a…
By John Bailey jbailey@ccunitedway.com HICKORY – Because of the pandemic, it may have looked a little different, and it may have run a little different, but the Catawba County Christmas Bureau continued its mission in 2020 of helping families in need during the holidays.  Distribution at this year’s Catawba County Christmas Bureau was done as a drive thru service to insure social distancing at the Hickory Metro Convention Center. This year…
If you ever wondered what Santa's workshop must be like before Christmas, all you need to do is look at all the work that went into this year’s Teen Christmas and their efforts to help 398 teens.  2020 Teen Christmas volunteers The Catawba County United Way program is part of the annual Catawba County Christmas Bureau (Dec. 14-15), which is a collaborative effort by dozens of local organizations to provide clothing, coats, food cards and toys…
By John Bailey jbailey@ccunitedway.com HICKORY – This year’s Catawba County United Way Fair Share Donor Car Giveaway winner was decided with the turn of a key. Amy Hedrick is this year’s winner of the Catawba County United Way’s Fair Share Donor Car Giveaway. She gets to pick from either a Kia Forte, Hyundai Elantra or Volkswagen Jetta donated by Paramount Automotive Group in Hickory.  In fact, it was the only key turned at this year’s event…
The Catawba County United Way recently helped D&L Parts Company adopt two families from Hickory Public Schools, for Thanksgiving.  The company's Hickory employees wanted to once again pool their resources and provide a complete Thanksgiving meal for the families. This has become an annual event for the company and a way for them to give back to their community. Thank You to D&L Parts and their Hickory employees. Pictured: D&L…
By John Bailey jbailey@ccunitedway.com  They log in hundreds of work hours every week. They help save hundreds of thousands of dollars every year. They are the backbone of every local non-profit agency. The Catawba County United Way Volunteer Center recently celebrated these heroes during the annual Giving From the Heart Volunteer Awards. Click on image above to Watch the event recorded on the Catawba County United Way's Facebook Page.…
By John Bailey jbailey@ccunitedway.com While the numbers were down, the spirit of giving was still strong from those involved in this year’s Catawba County United Way’s annual Stuff the Bus School Supply Drive. The Catawba County United Way (CCUW) works every year to ensure every child has the tools they need to succeed, and the highlight of this effort is the annual Stuff the Bus Schools Supply Drive.  Nicola Hershberger and Margarete Bush,…