May 10, 2024
BY SAMANTHA GAMBILL
Catawba County United Way
What is a nonprofit? To some it is a lifeline. Something they can count on in their time of need. To others it is just something that exists. Most people have heard of nonprofits, but they don’t really know what goes on behind the scenes. They have never seen the work they do.
I was the later. I was born and raised in Catawba County and still never knew about all the good that is being done by local nonprofits.
But I have found that to truly understand the nonprofit world, one must experience it first-hand. They must not only see the struggles individuals in their own community face daily, but also the help they receive.
During my time as an intern at the Catawba County United Way, I was able to deliver food with Meals on Wheels. I had never heard of this program, nor did I know what to expect from this experience. I remember being both nervous and curious as I walked up to the first door on our route.
“What would the person look like?”
“Would they be happy to see us?”
“What would their home look like?”
All these questions were running through my mind.
But as we opened the door all my questions were answered.
I saw someone who was is need. Not just of food, but also of human interaction. Most of these individuals were alone and had no one to talk to.
We were not only delivering food to them but also hope.
We were able to brighten their day by giving them food and a smile.
In Catawba County there are many nonprofit organizations like Meals on Wheels that are helping those in need. During my internship, I was able to learn more about them.
The Council on Adolescents provides children with an education and a mentor.
The Salvation Army’s Boys and Girls Club provides children with opportunities to do things they otherwise would not have been able to do.
Sipes’s Orchard Home provides housing for at risk teens.
The Patrick Beaver Learning Resource Center teaches young children to read.
The Corner Table’s Backpack Program provides children with food over the weekends.
Even though all these programs focus on different ways to help the community, they still work with one another and need one another.
An example of this collaboration are the Catawba County Interagency meetings. Once a month a representative from the various nonprofit organizations meet at the United Way to directly communicate with one another. They can partner with each other to plan fundraisers for the community, share information about any upcoming events or even receive guidance about an issue they may have.
Four months ago, I never knew about Sipe’s Orchard Home, The Patrick Beaver Learning Resource Center or even Interagency. I never knew how many resources were available to individuals in our community. Or the effect they can have.
But I was fortunate enough to sit in on interviews with the educational partners of the Catawba County United Way, and was able to see first-hand the services and help provided by them to the community.
I have learned that even though I do not work for a nonprofit, I can still help my community.
I can volunteer to deliver Meals on Wheels, donate food to the Backpack Program, or even spend my time volunteering at any local nonprofit.
But above all I have learned that all these nonprofit organizations have one goal, and that is to provide aid to those in need. They are working to make the lives of everyone in the community better.
In the Photo, from left: The Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club Director Clifton Bennett and CCUW intern Samantha Gambill