"Building relationships to support our community with

collaboration, compassion and purpose."

Since 1993, the John F. Hall Catawba County United Way Cross Country Invitational has become one of the largest high school athletic competitions in Western North Carolina. This unique event unites high-level competition with a strong message of service to others for youth.

This year’s Invitational will be held on Oct. 8 at Southside Park in Newton, and the special guest will be Debra Shofstahl, who will share the story of Sue Thomas.

At 18 months old, Sue Thomas became profoundly deaf, but through the dedication of her parents and her own perseverance she would go on to meet every challenge she faced. Thomas learned to speak and read lips, became a champion skater, an accomplished pianist, college graduate and a special agent for the FBI.

Her time as a special agent was eventually turned into a successful television series now on Amazon, “Sue Thomas FBI-Eye”, where her lip-reading skills became a significant asset for solving crimes.

Thomas passed away in 2022, but Shofstahl continues to share her friend’s inspiring story, including the homeless outreach nonprofit Thomas started, Operation Silent Night, which works to feed, provide clothing and other resources to the unsheltered.

Along with being a competitive meet, teams at the United Way XC Invitational learn the value of service by completing community service projects. The requirement of a service project each year has produced some creative work that has touched the lives of thousands in local communities.

The Rotary Club of Hickory helps the teams provide even more impact by rewarding the top three projects with monetary prizes they can use to support a local non-profit of their choice.

The United Way would also like to share Sue Thomas’s autobiographical book, “Silent Night” as soon as teams confirm their plans to participate. Formal registration through Big Kahuna will open in September on NC Milesplit.

For questions or to confirm your team's intention to be at the Invitational, contact John Hall, john.hall1swg@gmail.com or John Bailey, jbailey@ccunitedway.com.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services recently announced the launch of a digital resource to help people with disabilities in the workforce. North Carolina DB101 was guided by beneficiaries and their experiences with the goal to simplify how to apply for, access and understand public benefits. This new resource will help North Carolinians navigate programs such as social security disability insurance, food and nutrition services and Medicaid. 

More details at - THIS LINK.

El Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos de Carolina del Norte anunció hoy el lanzamiento de un recurso digital para ayudar a las personas con discapacidades en la fuerza laboral. DB101 de Carolina del Norte se guio por los beneficiarios y sus experiencias con el objetivo de simplificar la forma de solicitar, acceder y comprender los beneficios públicos. Este nuevo recurso ayudará a los habitantes de Carolina del Norte a navegar por programas como el seguro de discapacidad del seguro social, los servicios de alimentación y nutrición, y Medicaid.

Más información aquí: ncdhhs.gov/press-releases

MyFriendBen Learning Sessions

UWNC is hosting a set of MyFriendBen learning sessions to explore this new benefits screener. Those interested will need to attend 1 out of the 3 time options below:

May 13 at 9:00 AM: Register Here

May 14 at 11:00 AM: Register Here

May 15 at 2:00 PM: Register Here

If you cannot attend, a recording will be made and uploaded to the Asset Library.

About MyFriendBen

Durham-based nonprofit Code the Dream, in partnership with national nonprofit MyFriendBen and NC 211, has launched a benefits screener in North Carolina. MyFriendBen is a one-stop online tool that helps North Carolinians find the benefits and tax credits they are likely eligible to receive. Programs include food assistance, health insurance, child care subsidies and more.

It takes about six minutes for MyFriendBen users to complete a short survey, available in 12 languages, that returns a personalized report. The report, which has an accuracy rate of over 90%, shows which programs users likely qualify for, as well as the dollar value and time required to apply. Users also have the option to remain anonymous.

NC Pre-K is a free pre-kindergarten program for eligible 4-year-old children. Applications are accepted all year; children are only age-eligible for 1 year prior to kindergarten. Transportation is not provided. Priority is given to children who aren’t currently enrolled in a high quality child care program. Catawba County has over 400 NC Pre-K slots in 26 different classrooms across the county.

Applications must be turned in to the Catawba County Partnership for Children at 738 4th Street SW in Hickory (dropbox is at our front door) or mailed to P.O. Box 3123, Hickory, NC 28603. You must submit income verification documents and a copy of the child’s birth certificate with your application. Please do not submit applications to any of our classroom locations.

Page 1 of the attached application packet includes additional information, including classroom location options. Call Leslie Ferrell, Grants & Contracts Manager, at 828-695-6506 with additional questions.

https://catawbakids.com/nc-pre-k/

Don't miss out on this opportunity to shine a light on local volunteers who help make life better for those in need every day. The Catawba County United Way is accepting nominations through May 16.

The Catawba County United Way will host a luncheon Meet and Greet with local public school teachers and social workers on June 5, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the CCUW office (2760 Tate Blvd SE in Hickory).

For those interested in being collection partners during the CCUW's annual County-wide School Supply Drive, this will be an opportunity to learn directly from local public school representatives from Catawba County, Hickory City and Newton-Conover districts about the needs and the impact of the drive on local families.

Register for the Luncheon through the Link Below.

And Thank You…Thank You for your support last year. We were able to collect more than 9,000 items for our three public school districts.

This year the drive will run July 1 to July 31. Collection bins and promotional materials are available.

Questions? Email John Bailey at the United Way - jbailey@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 non-profit 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.



The Catawba County United Way is a proud to help fund NC 211 locally.