"Building relationships to support our community with

collaboration, compassion and purpose."

It’s been another record year for the Catawba County United Way, with more than 2,900 car giveaway cards entered for the chance to win a new car from Paramount Automotive.

This year's winner will be announced Dec. 14, during a special presentation at Paramount.

The names of the CCUW Car Giveaway finalists were picked during weekly drawings that started in September by RLI-CPA Certified Public Accountants.

Thank you to everyone who donated to the CCUW campaign this year or helped in any way to support local non-profits meet the needs of families and individuals facing a crisis.

Learn more about the United Way's impact - call 828-327-6851 or visit THIS LINK.

Past Car Giveaway winners:

• 2012 – Richard Jennings – Century
• 2013 – Barbara Cromer – The Salvation Army
• 2014 – Cody Myers – HSM
• 2015 – Marcie Boughman – DSS
• 2016 – Deborah Morel – DSS
• 2017 – Fred Roseberry – Century
• 2018 – Susan Estes – Conover School
• 2019 – Danny Miller – Shurtape
• 2020 – Amy Hedrick – Publix Lake Hickory Crossing
• 2021 – Meghan Stripling – Conover School
• 2022 – Margaret Bush – Conover School

The Catawba County United Way staff want to say Thank You Thank You to Corning employees for again adopting Angel Tree families to help with this year’s Christmas Bureau.

Distribution of gifts to all Christmas Bureau families will be next week - Dec. 12 and 13 at the Hickory Furniture Mart.

The annual Christmas Bureau is a collaborative effort by local agencies and organizations to provide toys, food, clothing and coats to children and teenagers in need of assistance during the Christmas season. 

Thank You to everyone involved with making this event a success every year.

Ensure local public school students continue to have the classroom supplies they need through Christmas and into the new year by dropping off donations at The Green Room Community Theater during all December shows.

Opening today is the Hickory Ballet & Performing Arts' production of

The Nutcracker.

You can also drop off donations at the Green Room Theater

office during the week Tues-Fri (9 a.m. – 5 p.m.) as well.

Ticket information:

THIS LINK.

Thank you to everyone who supports this annual United Way outreach.

This past Tuesday Exodus Homes (a United Way partner) and Exodus Works received the City of Hickory Business Well Crafted Award for 2023 as the Non Profit of the Year.

This award was given based on sales, profit margins, business growth and diversified services.

Exodus Homes Assistant Executive Director Susan Smith said it was an honor to receive the award in an email to the Catawba County United Way.

"Thank you all for your support that helped reach this level of success and give so many good men and women another chance to learn a new way to live and be part of our local workforce," Smith said.

See the WHKY broadcast at THIS LINK.

Thank You Design Foundry. The company recently made a $1,819.20 donation to the Catawba County United Way. We appreciate your support of the work the United Way and its community partners do for those in need.

In the picture (from left): Cassia Dowdy - Design Foundry Director of HR; Kelle Love - CCUW Dir. Operations; Shanna Clark - CCUW Dir. Finance; Sylvia Long - CCUW Dir. Resource Development; Mark Bumgarner - CCUW Executive Dir.

Learn more about the Catawba County United Way's impact at ccunitedway.com.

Learn more at the United Way's outreach at ccunitedway.com.

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.

From food resources, emergency financial assistance, housing, healthcare, transportation - NC 211 can help you find out which services are available in your community. Call 2-1-1 or 1-888-892-1162 or visit nc211.org.

Catawba County United Way is one of several community partners who help fund

this program every year.