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By John Bailey jbailey@ccunitedway.com   You can never have too many crayons, according to Webb A. Murray Elementary School Guidance Counselor Pa Lusk. While this seems like a small thing to worry about, it’s part of the bigger issue of making ends meet for families with limited financial resources, of choosing what to buy or not to buy on yearly classroom supply lists.  Webb A. Murray Elementary School Guidance Counselor Pa Lusk and…

By John Bailey jbailey@ccunitedway.com   Darlene Schronce knows better than most the value of non-profit partnerships. “Places like Adult Life Programs help people like me, with mental and physical disabilities, teaching them how to get along in the world and how to have responsibilities in their life,” she said.  Schronce is a participant at Adult Life’s Conover center and experiences the power of non-profit collaboration every day. “The…

Every day someone in North Carolina needs help.  They need help finding shelter, finding a meal, finding access to healthcare, finding a job or just finding someone who cares. Every day the community specialists at NC 211 are ready to answer those calls.  NC 211 is the health and human services information line provided by United Way of North Carolina. Those looking for help simply dial 2-1-1. In May one of those calls came from Pearl. Pearl is…

By John Bailey jbailey@ccunitedway.com   The comfort of a meal is something no one should have to do without. And in June, the Catawba County United Way’s (CCUW) annual food drive collected nearly 2 tons, more than 4,000 items, of non-perishable food. This year the CCUW collected more than 900 personal hygiene items as well.   “For the folks we serve it is the difference between having food for their family or not, so a food drive like this is…

By John Bailey jbailey@ccunitedway.com   Every bit helps. Last year, despite limitations related to the pandemic, the Catawba County United Way (CCUW) was able to collect more than 4,400 items and raised $1,080 during its annual Stuff the Bus school supply drive. These resources went to students in need from all three local public school districts – Catawba County Schools, Hickory Public Schools and Newton-Conover City Schools.  Conover School…

By John Bailey jbailey@ccunitedway.com Sometimes, we all just need a little help.  In 2020, 8,261 households in Catawba County received food benefits through the Catawba County Social Services. That number nearly doubled this year to 15,698 households. To help meet the issue of food insecurity in our community, the Catawba County United Way (CCUW) is hosting its annual food drive, June 14-18. The drive will support local non-profits who also…

By John Bailey jbailey@ccunitedway.com Is the internet connection going to work? Are students going to remember to unmute their mics? Are they going to get the link they need? These were some of the challenges The Council on Adolescents (COA) faced with its Lunch Buddy Mentoring program when the COVID-19 pandemic first hit and forced schools to move to remote learning last March. With more than a year of COVID-19 behind us, the Catawba County…

By John Bailey jbailey@ccunitedwway.com Last March in reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic, facemasks, virtual meetings, social distancing, sheltering in place, temporary shutdowns, all became part of a new reality. Like so many other organizations at that point, the Catawba County United Way (CCUW) braced itself for the operational changes it would be making. The CCUW also reached out to its funded partners to gauge the challenges they were facing…

By John Bailey jbailey@ccunitedway.com Thank You…Thank You – the community in Catawba County got a chance to honor Jennie Connor with a surprise retirement luncheon Wednesday. It was an opportunity to share stories about Jennie’s impact through the last 20 years as the Catawba County United Way’s Executive Director. She spent the two decades helping to connect needs with resources and bringing hope to thousands and thousands of local lives. To…

By John Bailey jbailey@ccunitedway.com The Catawba County United Way’s Board of Directors recently announced Mark Bumgarner as the agency’s new Executive Director (ED).  Mark Bumgarner Bumgarner, who will be stepping down as the ED at Adult Life Programs, is following Jennie Connor as the CCUW’s leader. Connor is retiring at the end of March, after 20 years as the Catawba County United Way’s Executive Director. “I understand many great…