Categories: News Archive

United Way of Caldwell County celebrating its 75th year…Look for 75 on Hibriten Mountain

LENOIR, NC (September 8, 2017)…The United Way of Caldwell County had it’s first meeting on December 16th, 1942, presided by Mayor Earl Tate. That year, they decided to fund 8 agencies in Caldwell County. 75 years later, funding local non-profit agencies is still at the core of the United Way of Caldwell County, but that’s not all we do. We are no longer just fundraisers. We now measure our results in community impact. We are planning a Born Learning Trail that will be built along the Greenway for everyone to enjoy. This trail is created to engage parents/grandparents/caregivers and their children in interactive outdoor activities and nurture a love for reading at an early age. We administer the backpack program for Gamewell Middle School. We are in the process of researching what issue is most daunting in Caldwell County and are taking steps to help eradicate it. We are using data from our United Way 211 Hotline, a community survey, and the 2017 Community Health Assessment. Based on our current research, Child Neglect, Drug Abuse, and Mental Illness are the top three issues. We are awaiting the results from the community health assessment before we decide what our community impact issue will be. We are here to fight for the Health, Education, and Financial Stability for every person in Caldwell County because these are the building blocks for a good life and strong community.

Dick Gardner (caretaker of the Star/Cross structure on Hibriten Mountain), Rebecca Hall (United Way of Caldwell County Finance/Marketing Director), and Jamie Willis (United Way of Caldwell County Executive Director) went up to Hibriten Mountain on the morning of September 8, 2017 and changed the lights to display 75 for the United Way of Caldwell County’s 75th anniversary this year. United Way of Caldwell County is partnering with Dick Gardner and the Moose Lodge (Loyal Order of Moose #385) in Lenoir to illuminate this sign until November 1st.

These are the agencies that we currently fund:

ALFA-Aids Leadership Foothills Area Alliance

American Red Cross – Catawba Valley Chapter

Caldwell Committee for Healthy Families

Caldwell Council on Adolescent Health

Caldwell County 4-H

Caldwell County DSS – Emergency Assistance

Caldwell County Yokefellow

Caldwell Friends

Caldwell People

Caldwell Senior Center

Communities in Schools