"Building relationships to support our community with

collaboration, compassion and purpose."

For the last two weeks, the Catawba County United Way has helped spearhead collections of much needed emergency items for those impacted by Hurricane Helene.

Due to this incredible response, the CCUW is no longer able to accept donations other than monetary funds for Hurricane Helene relief.

As this outreach moves toward longer-term recovery for the region, material distribution to those in need in Western NC will be increasingly handled by state and federal resources.

Individuals and groups wanting to help are encouraged to consider donating financially toward these efforts locally at Catawba County United Way and statewide at the North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund.

For more information call 828-327-6851.

With Hurricane Helene still fresh in everyone’s thoughts, 23 high school teams with more than 350 athletes from across the region, including areas affected by Helene, made their way to Southside Park in Newton on Oct. 9 to compete in the 31st annual John F. Hall Catawba County United Way Cross Country Invitational.

The founder and United Way Volunteer Coordinator of the event, John Hall, hoped the meet would be a bright spot in a dark time.

Along with providing an opportunity for local athletes to compete in a first-class meet, they also give back to their communities through service projects. 

It was fitting that this year’s special guest was, Martin Parnell. He has run in more than 300 marathons and raised over $1,000,000 for children in need. Parnell also ran a special marathon in Afghanistan to raise awareness of women’s rights and gender equality. That event became the subject of a book by Parnell, "The Secret Marathon," and a documentary film.

"For me it's all about sharing," Parnell said to the teams after the meet. "You are all on the path of some type of running goal today, but it's worth thinking about how you can give back, how you can share what you know and help tomorrow."

Catawba County United Way thanks those who have dropped off donations and donated their time as volunteers at any of the local collection sites in the county.

Every little bit makes a great difference overall for those impacted by Hurricane Helene.

The CCUW would like to share just a few photos from this week's collection efforts at our office.

Congratulations Jackie Anderson at Century Furniture.

Jackie is this week's car drawing finalist in the 2024 Catawba County United Way Campaign Car Giveaway, donated by Paramount Auto Group in Hickory.

And thank you to Martin Starnes & Associates, CPAs, P.A. for overseeing this year’s drawings.

Want to be part of the United Way campaign? Call 828-327-6851.

The Car Giveaway winner will be chosen on Dec. 12.

Thank You to everyone who supports the CCUW every year.

HELP WITH EMOTIONAL TRAUMA BECAUSE OF HURRICANE - There is no right or wrong way to feel in response to the trauma of a hurricane. If you have been impacted by the storm and need someone to talk to, call or text the Disaster Distress Helpline at 1-800-985-5990. Help is also available to anyone, anytime in English or Spanish through a call, text or chat to 988. Learn more at 988Lifeline.org.

If you would like general information, access to resources, or answers to frequently asked questions, please visit ncdps.gov/helene and ncdhhs.gov/helene.

If you are seeking information on resources for recovery help for a resident impacted from the storm, please email IArecovery@ncdps.gov.

----------

No hay una manera correcta o incorrecta de sentirse en respuesta al trauma de un huracán. Si la tormenta le ha afectado y necesita a alguien con quien hablar, llame o envíe un mensaje de texto a la Línea de Ayuda en Caso de Catástrofe al 1-800-985-5990. La ayuda también está disponible para cualquier persona, en cualquier momento en inglés o español a través de una llamada, mensaje de texto o chat al 988. Más información en linea988.org

Si desea información general, acceso a recursos o respuestas a preguntas frecuentes, visite el sitio web: ncdps.gov/helene y ncdhhs.gov/helene.

Si necesita información sobre recursos de ayuda para la recuperación para un residente afectado por la tormenta, envíe un correo electrónico a IArecovery@ncdps.gov.

HUNGER WALK - Ashure Ministry (formerly ECCCM) and The Corner Table recently announced that the Hickory Soup Kitchen will be joining the 2024 Catawba County Hunger Walk.

Proceeds from this year's walk will benefit all three organizations. The purpose of the walk is to raise funds for hunger relief efforts in Eastern Catawba County, and to heighten awareness of the hunger issue within our community.

The event still needs sponsors. To sign up as a sponsor, visit cchungerwalk.com and click on sponsorship opportunities.

NIGHT OF COMPASSION RESCHEDULED - Due to weather we are rescheduling the Night of Compassion featuring Lauren Daigle and special guests from Saturday, Sept. 28 at 7 p.m. to Saturday, Oct. 26 at 6 p.m. at the Crawdads’ Stadium.

Lauren Daigle will remain our headlining artist. Due to scheduling conflicts, Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors will no longer be opening the show. Our team is working hard to find a replacement. Updates will be announced in the coming weeks.

Fans should hold on to their tickets as they will be valid for the rescheduled performance date. Tickets to this event are non-refundable as the performance is a fundraiser for local non-profits.

For tickets purchased through the Crawdads’ box office, transferring tickets to a friend can be done by logging into your account via the mlb.tickets website, app, or by phone. Our team can only assist with tickets bought directly from our box office or via mlb.tickets.

If you have any further questions, please send us an email at info@theartofcompassion.net

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 nonprofit 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 (10:30 a.m.) 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.

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