June 21, 2024
BY JOHN BAILEY
From car seats to weekend feeding programs to helping students with significant disabilities, this year’s Catawba County Youth Council chose to support a wide variety of local nonprofit programs through its annual Community Grant Cycle.
This process is in partnership with the Catawba County United Way who provides a total of $10,000 to be distributed among the chosen programs based off the Youth Council’s recommendations.
For 2024-25, the Youth Council voted to help fund five nonprofit programs: The Corner Table – Backpack Program, Carolina Caring Foundation – Brighter Days grief program, Conover School – serving students with significant disabilities, Fostering Hope Catawba Valley – car seats program and South Newton Elementary – multilanguage resources.
Every year, the Catawba County Youth Council accepts Requests for Funding Proposals targeted to address the impact areas of health and education as they relate to the needs and wellbeing of children and youth in our community.
This was Youth Council vice president Makala Pittman’s fourth year being part of this process.
She didn’t realize the number and scope of the nonprofits in Catawba County until she joined the council.
“Over the years, I’ve been able to find my voice and have been able to advocate for what I care about, so this experience has allowed me to connect with my community more,” Pittman said.
This year’s Youth Council Community Grantees include:
The Corner Table - Backpack Program
The Backpack Program serves children in local schools who face hunger on the weekends.
Funds will be used to purchase food supplies to fill bags holding 6-10 items, averaging 7lbs in weight, that include small, child friendly meals for both Saturday and Sunday.
Carolina Caring Foundation – Brighter Days Grief Program
Brighter Days is a grief support program for children and teenagers who have experienced the loss of a loved one. It provides counseling, play therapy, equine therapy, music therapy, interactive support groups and day camps. Funds cover cost of day camp and ongoing supplies.
Conover School
The school works with students with significant disabilities or needs such as intellectual disabilities, cerebral palsy, seizure disorders, neurological disorders, genetic disorders, and autism. Funds will allow the purchase of adapted equipment, as well as switch mounts to allow students to efficiently access a means of participation.
Fostering Hope Catawba Valley
All Aboard Catawba provides new car seats for local children of caregivers unable to purchase them or who are fostering a child through the Department of Social Services. Funds will be used for additional cars seats for infants, toddler and booster seats.
South Newton Elementary
Funds help cover cost of 500 copies of a Spanish version of the District Family Resource Guide distributed throughout the school district. It provides valuable resource contacts to families that are not English Speaking.
The grant cycle will reopen in February of 2025.