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“Anything more than essentials are hard to come by and a lot of times essentials are hard to come by so without the pharmacy here, there’s no way I’d be getting my meds."

- Mandi Lovings

Every year, United Way Catawba County looks to partner with local nonprofits who focus on improving the health of those in crisis.

For 2025, those partnerships included helping to fund Greater Hickory Cooperative Christian Ministry’s pharmacy. The program offers qualified patients access to no or low-cost medications.



GHCCM patient Mandi Lovings talks about the impact of the program on her life.

Learn more at ccmhickory.org or visit ccunitedway.com to learn about other United Way partners.

Video edited by John Bailey/United Way Catawba County

Criteria for Applying for a Grant:

• Grant request cannot exceed $2,500.

• The nonprofit and its program being funded is focused on helping Catawba County residents (individuals/families) in one or more of the following impact areas: health, education or income stability.

• Provide proof of 501c3 status.

• Provide impact report after use of funds, including demographics.

• The program seeking funding has not been approved for funds (for 2026/27) from either the CCUW’s Catawba County Youth Council community grant cycle or the CCUW’s Main RFP grant cycle.

The Catawba County United Way recently finalized its list of nonprofits receiving 2027 grants through the agency’s main Request for Funding cycle.

The process started in February and recently wrapped up with the CCUW’s board voting to accept the recommendation from the Community Investment committee to fund $223,000 distributed to 15 programs from 13 agencies. Collectively, these programs provide various assistance to individuals and families facing a crisis in Catawba County.

Agencies/Programs receiving funding include:

Great Hickory Cooperative Christian Ministry – Pharmacy program,

Great Hickory Cooperative Christian Ministry – Medical Clinic,

Exodus Homes – Supportive Housing,

American Red Cross – Disaster Cycle Services,

Catawba County Partnership for Children – Parents as Teachers,

The Salvation Army of Greater Hickory – Shelter of Hope,

Patrick Beaver Learning Center – Augustine Literacy Tutoring,

Adult Life Programs – Adult Day Programing,

Shelter Home of the Foothills – Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault support services,

Catawba Valley Healthcare – Primary Care Services

Sipe’s Orchard Home – Teen transitional living,

Catawba County DSS – Senior Nutrition Services,

Habitat for Humanity – Home Repairs,

Council on Adolescents of Catawba County – Lunch Buddy Mentoring,

Council on Adolescents of Catawba County – Healthy Youth Education.

Applying organizations must either be incorporated as a not-for-profit, tax-exempt entity or have a 501-C3 legal status within Catawba County, who comply with applicable legal, federal state and local operating and reporting requirements (e.g. government approved accounting practices, annual audit, 990, nondiscrimination policy).

This allocation process is for grant requests of at least $10,000.

Also, those being considered must be operated by an active, responsible and voluntary governing body and adhere to a locally developed and adopted code of ethics for volunteers and staff, which include provisions for ethical management, publicity, fundraising practices and full and fair disclosure.



To learn more about the United Way’s community impact and its funded partners,

visit - THIS LINK.

Mark Bumgarner - Executive Director of United Way Catawba County

Hello friends,

Recently, someone made a comment along the lines of “United Way only helps government agencies”. Now, it’s is hard to leave me speechless, but this did for a hot minute. It would be easy to dismiss this comment as ignorant, but it did make me realize that many don’t understand our funding model or that of well-functioning nonprofits. It is incumbent on us to ensure people have the knowledge they need to understand what we do.  

So, I’m thankful that this comment gave me the realization I shouldn’t expect everyone to know what I know about how we fund agencies. So, if you know this, pardon me. If you don’t, welcome. If you think you do, just keep reading anyway!

First, we fund programs, not agencies. That’s an important distinction because it means we invest dollars into specific things an agency does, not into general funding. 

Second, it is true that these agencies have other funding sources to support their programs. They must have. We do not fully support a program’s budget, we simply can’t. We expect them to have multiple sources of funding. A well run and managed agency should have diversified sources of revenue. An agency with a single source of funding will not survive long. 

Thirdly, many times supplemental funds do flow through government sources. This is not unusual or improper. Most agencies you work with or are familiar with are likely to have some source of governmental funding. It may be Medicaid reimbursable grants for services, block grant funding, funding through FEMA or others. 

And lastly, perhaps a good reflection of all of us to stop before we reach conclusions or speak (especially speak!) is to ask ourselves “Do we really know what we think we know? How could we learn more before forming an opinion?”.   

I think that’s always a great way to expand our contextual understanding. United we learn and grow!

Got questions for Mark. Email him at mbumgarner@ccunitedway.com.

The United Way of Catawba County is hosting the Ready to Race United Nonprofit Resource Fair on Sept. 19 at the Hickory Motor Speedway's Championship night.

This is a great opportunity to share information about your nonprofit and the programs you offer to the community, so let us know if you’d like to participate. 

• Information gathered from public social media posts and press releases. To submit a non-profit/public agency brief email the United Way's John Bailey at THIS LINK.

Urgent Repair Loans - Catawba County is receiving applications Owner Occupied Homes for Urgent Repair loan funds. These funds could replace a roof, HVAC system or a house that does not have any heating source or porch repair/replacement. This program is sponsored by the NC Housing Finance Agency. Get more info at THIS LINK.

Council on Adolescents Smart Moms and Dads Program is currently in need of baby wipes donations. Every little bit helps support families in our community. Any brand will work.

If you'd like to contribute or drop off supplies, please reach out to us or stop by! You may also mail them to our office 1120 Fairgrove Church RD SE, Suite 22 Hickory, NC 28602 or cll 828-322-4591. Learn more about the program at THIS LINK.

Hunger Walk Registration is open - It's time to lace up your shoes and make a difference.

Join Ashure Ministry, Hickory Soup Kitchen, and The Corner Table for the 2026 Catawba County Hunger Walk on Sunday, Oct. 4, as we come together with Three Organizations.

One Mission.—fighting hunger in Catawba County.

Whether you walk as an individual, with your family, church, business, or community group, every step and every dollar raised helps provide food and hope to local individuals and families.

Bonus: Raise $25 by August 30 and earn this year's exclusive Magic T-shirt.

Help us spread the word by sharing this post and inviting others to join you.

Register today at THIS LINK.

Join Integrated Care of Greater Hickory and our community partners on Monday, Aug. 31, from 6 – 7 p.m. at Downtown Union Square in Hickory as we come together to honor lives lost, celebrate recovery, and raise awareness about overdose prevention.

The evening will include:

• Community speakers,
• A remembrance banner where you can write the name of a loved one,
• FREE naloxone available—no questions asked,
• Recovery partners and community resources,
• An opportunity to connect, remember, and stand together as a community.

Whether you've been personally impacted by substance use, work in the recovery field, or simply want to show your support, we invite you to join us for this meaningful evening.

Together, we can reduce stigma, save lives, and remind those struggling that recovery is possible.

From helping collect food, to sorting and preparing donated clothing, to manning an information desk, to showing up at a disaster ready to help, to sharing a smile with someone facing a crisis, Catawba County nonprofits would struggle to help others without their volunteers.  

Would you like to be part of this growing movement? See the link below for ongoing opportunities.

United Way School Supply Drive - volunteers needed to help unpack, sort and count this year's donations. This drive helps keep supplies flowing to all public school students in Catawba County. Donations go directly to Student Services in each district and then to families as need arises. Last year, the impacted thousands of students, collecting more than 15,000 items.

Volunteers needed: Aug. 10, 11 and 12 with AM and PM shifts.

More details at - https://www.ccunitedway.com/form/united-way-school-supply-volunte

In the last 30 days, finding shelters and paying an electric bill were the two biggest requests for help NC 211 received from Catawba County.

Requests by the numbers:

-Shelters – 40

-Rent assistance – 53

-Low-cost housing – 28

-Electric bills – 32

-Healthcare – 17

-Food – 18

NC 211 is the United Way of North Carolina's health and human services information line, open 24/7.

The Catawba County United Way is proud to help fund NC 211 locally, ensuring the ability to connect those in crisis with the resources they need.



For help - Call NC 211 by dialing 2-1-1 or (888) 892 1162 or visit https://nc211.org/.

We've all heard the phrase - "It takes a village," and in the nonprofit 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 non-profit events from just a few of those partners...please share. Want to submit a nonprofit flyer? Email John at jbailey@ccunitedway.com.

• To submit a non-profit/public agency flier email John Bailey at THIS LINK.

Since 1944, the Catawba County United Way has been dedicated to increasing the capacity of people to help others. To learn more about the CCUW's mission contact us at 828-327-6851 or visit ccunitedway.com.

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