"Building relationships to support our community with

collaboration, compassion and purpose."

BY JOHN BAILEY

jbailey@ccunitedway.com

The annual Catawba County United Way School Supply Drive is about meeting immediate and future needs of local public-school students.

This year nearly 9,000 items were collected by 30 community partners.

Whether it’s helping a homeless family get a backpack for their child for the first day of school, or it’s making sure classroom supplies like glue sticks and composition books are still available for students after the first month of school, every donation matters today and tomorrow.

Vicki Toepper, Catawba County Schools social worker for the Maiden feeder area said she gets many more requests for classroom supplies from families after Christmas break.

“That’s when the money is the tightest. That’s when the power bills are the highest and that’s where the supplies from this drive will have the greatest impact,” Toepper said. 

The Catawba County United Way's Small Businesses Love Big grant cycle is now open.

Applications are due - Sept. 6.

This is an opportunity for small companies in Catawba County (50 employees or less) to invest back into their communities by supporting local non-profit programs.

A night of Free championship racing at Hickory Motor Speedway.

A night of Fireworks...of celebrating nonprofit resources...of collecting food for local food pantries and soup kitchens.

Sept. 14 - Race United - hosted by the Catawba County United Way.



You don't want to miss it.

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 (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.