"Building relationships to support our community with

collaboration, compassion and purpose."

By John Bailey

Catawba County United Way

With the Catawba County Christmas Bureau distribution just a couple of weeks away, The Salvation Army of Greater Hickory needs additional help processing all The Angel Tree bags they’ve received.

This year nearly 1,000 families will receive help through this outreach - a hundred more than served in 2023.

The Christmas Bureau is a collaborative effort to provide toys, clothing, coats and a meal to families with children and teenagers in need of assistance during the holiday season.

Volunteers are needed next week, Monday – Friday, with morning and afternoon time slots available. This year’s “Toy Shop” is located at Design Foundry in Hickory.

Click on the button below to sign-up to help.

Major Karla Perez from The Salvation Army of Greater Hickory said her staff welcome the extra help as they also serve eight other counties through the Angel Tree program: Alexander, Ashe, Avery, Burke, Caldwell, McDowell, Watauga and Wilkes.

The Salvation Army will even be sitting up a miniature Toy Shop for the children of a community in Boone hit hard by Hurricane Helene.

“We found them when serving food during our relief efforts,” Perez said. “We just made a connection and once we understood the extent of the need, we decided to do this."

This is Maj. Perez’s first year in Catawba County, and she’s been impressed with the collaborative way the Christmas Bureau is handled. She and her husband transferred here from Durham.

“We haven’t had a team to work with like this in the past. This is different, and we appreciate that help,” Perez said.

Congratulations Carl Mascroft from Shurtape Technologies. Carl is this week's car drawing finalist in the 2024 Catawba County United Way Car Giveaway.

Carl is our 10th finalist which concludes this year’s drawings.

Thank you Paramount Automotive Group in Hickory for donating the vehicle, and thank you Martin Starnes & Associates, CPAs, P.A. for overseeing this year’s drawings.

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

Employees at local businesses running a United Way campaign who donated a minimum of $100 were eligible to enter each week's drawing.

Call 828-327-6851 or visit https://conta.cc/3C8UQO4 for more information about hosting a United Way campaign at your company.

Thank You to everyone who supports the CCUW every year.

Through the last year, nearly 14,000 calls were made to NC 211 (United Way of North Carolina's community information service) for help with food.

In response to this continued need, the Catawba County United Way worked with its community partners to create a list of local food resources.

The Catawba County United Way will continue to updated this list throughout the year. If you would like to add or update a resource call 828-327-6851 or email jbailey@ccunitedway.com.

Giving Tuesday - Make a donation and make a difference throughout the year.

This is how a donation to the Catawba County United Way impacts so many...

$2 a week provides a month of nutritious lunches to a senior through the DSS Senior Nutrition Services.

$10 a week will help Exodus Works buy a back brace for an Exodus Homes resident working in moving or donation pick up.

$48 feeds a family of 3 for 3 days through The Salvation Army’s Crisis Help Center.

NIGHT SHELTERS

THE SALVATION ARMY OF GREATER HICKORY

The Salvation Army will be operating their White Flag nights like previous years.

In weather 35 degrees or below, it will allow those on the outside to come into the Shelter of Hope at 7 p.m. (after staff is able to turn the Dining Room around for them to go in there). The shelter will take anyone in, as long as they have not been banned for physical violence and/or on the sexual predator list. This is on a night-by-night basis.

If they are wanting to eat, they may come in at regular dinner time at 5 p.m. but must leave and then return at 7 p.m.

For information call - 828-322-8061.

FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH OF NEWTON (300 N Main Ave, Newton, NC 28658)

Room in the Inn Emergency Shelter will open Dec. 6.

The Fellowship Hall, accessed on N. Ashe Ave, will open at 6 p.m. on nights Room In the Inn is operational. Coffee and snacks will be available when doors open. Dinner will be served at 7 p.m. Lights out at 11 p.m. Breakfast will be served at 7 a.m. and guests will be asked to head out by 8:30 a.m. If the shelter will be open the following night, belongings may be left in the Fellowship Hall.

Volunteers Needed: visit https://firstnewton.org/room-in-the-inn to sign up to help at Room in the Inn.

DAY SHELTERS

SAFE HARBOR – HICKORY - https://safeharbornc.org/

Safe Harbor is open M, T, W, and F 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. and Th 8 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. Any lady or lady with children experiencing homeless is welcome to come for a warm place, something to eat, laundry and service navigation. 

STRONG LIFE MINISTRIES – Conover - https://www.stronglifenc.org/

Strong Life will start opening as a daytime warming station starting the first Saturday in December as it is just Monday through Friday during non-winter months. 

• 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Monday – Saturday

Strong Life is also available any night for white flag under conditions but will function as a secondary plan in case there is an overflow or an issue with the Salvation Army having a hard time doing it. 

To help connect volunteers with local opportunities at a variety of non-profits, the Catawba County United Way would like to host a Volunteer Fair.

The event would be held in mid-February, but we wanted to see what the interest level was among the local pool of volunteers.

We will recruit a wide variety of non-profits and other public agencies to talk to those interested about the opportunities they have for volunteers.

An online digital information packet will be available after the event for those who weren’t able to make it or didn’t get to speak to all the agencies they wanted to during the event.

To gauge the interest in this kind of event let the CCUW know below.

Your Help Matters.

Donate to the Catawba County United Way Teen Christmas and help ensure this program reaches as many teens during the holidays as possible.

In 2023, the program served nearly 500 teens. This year, we hope to help nearly 600 teens. Teen Christmas is part of the annual Christmas Bureau outreach.

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.