"Building relationships to support our community with

collaboration, compassion and purpose."

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 CCUW will introduce the 2024 funded programs working in this impact area, highlighting how education is more than just grades and attendance.

By Samantha Gambill

Catawba County United Way

This week – The Salvation Army of Greater Hickory Boys and Girls Club.

Imagine you are a young child who has just gotten on the bus at the end of the school day.

Once you arrive at your afterschool program, you get started on your homework. When you’re finished, you talk with your friends until its snack time and then you head outside or to the gym to play. Before you know it, hours have passed, and your parents are there to pick you up and take you home.

This is a typical afternoon at the Hickory Boys and Girls Club for Ka’mara Shuford.

“It wouldn’t be as much fun in life without the Boys and Girls Club,” Ka’mara said, and as far as her mentors there go. “They’re the greatest thing to happen to me.”

The Salvation Army’s Boys and Girls Club is a nonprofit organization that provides all children, regardless of their background, a place to go after school.

“I think the biggest vision we have is just to get them to see their worth,” the director of the Boys and Girls Club Clifton Bennett said.

The Boys and Girls Club gives children the opportunity to do things they’ve never been able to do before. They offer everything from ballet lessons to music lessons, to field trips, to organized sports. 

Read More at THIS LINK.

After more than a year of gathering and analyzing community feedback and available statistical data for our county, Catawba County Public Health and its community partners have decided on three health priorities to focus on for the next several years.

Access to healthy foods; brain health; and ensuring safe, engaging and active spaces emerged as priority areas in the newly-released 2023 Catawba County Community Health Assessment (CHA). All three priorities were chosen because they are inclusive and cross-cutting, which means improvements in these areas can have a positive impact on multiple health issues in our community. These priorities will shape health initiatives for Public Health and other community partners for the next several years as part of the Community Health Improvement Plan for 2024-2027.

“Identifying key health priorities helps drive the work we do at Public Health and around our community to help focus our efforts toward improving the most prevalent health concerns in the county,” Catawba County’s Public Health Director Jennifer McCracken said. 

Read More at THIS LINK.

Are you a small business looking to make a big difference in our community?

Join the Catawba County United Way’s Small Businesses Love Big initiative.

This is an opportunity for small companies in Catawba County (50 employees or less) to contribute $365 each as an investment back into the community, supporting local non-profit programs.

2023 SBLB funded Agencies:

• The Corner Table,
• Catawba County Council on Aging, Family Care Center,
• Hart Square Foundation Inc.,
• Catawba County Juntos 4-H,
• Neigbors Network Inc.,
• OUTright Youth,
• Rising Hope Farms Inc.,
• Serving Our Seniors,
• Volunteer Outreach in Community Efforts.



The CCUW is currently recruiting more small business partners to help with this year’s grant cycle, which runs from August through September.

Learn how your company can be part of this initiative at https://www.ccunitedway.com/small-businesses-love-big or call 828-327-6851.

In total, 28 local small businesses joined SBLB in its first year:

MyFreeTaxes helps individuals file their federal and state taxes for free, and it’s brought to you by United Way.

The Catawba County United Way’s Large RFP Grant cycle recently opened.

These grants are for Catawba County non-profits or not for profit agencies focused on helping individuals and families in the areas of health, education and income stability.

Applications due by midnight March 25.

Basic requirements for a grant:



• Requesting at least $10,000,
• Have a volunteer board of directors who meet at least quarterly,
• Focus on health, income stability or education,
• Agree to provide mid-year/end of year reports,
• Provide demographic information,
• Provide outcome measurements,
• Copy of 501 C-3,
• Copy of Most recent 990,
• Copy of Most recent audit,
• Copy of Current solicitation license.

 Apply online at - THS LINK.

We've all heard the phrase - "It takes a village," and in the non-profit world it's true. The Catawba County United Way enjoys building relationships with its community partners and sees how much greater our impact is because of our collective efforts every day.

Below are some upcoming programs and events from just a few of those partners...please share, and if you're interested, the Catawba County Interagency Council meets the second Thursday every month at the United Way office - 2760 Tate Blvd SE in Hickory.

Call 828-327-6851 for more information or email jbailey@ccunitedway.com.

NC 211 is the United Way of North Carolina's health and human services information line.

For help - Call NC 211 by dialing 2-1-1 or (888) 892 1162 or visit THIS LINK.

Open 24/7, 365 days a year.

Catawba County United Way is one of several community partners who help fund this program every year.