In 2008, HCWF distributed over $80,000 to help women working toward self sufficiency. Many families were served by our fund, touching an estimated 500 lives in Avery and Watauga counties.
We are pleased to partner with these agencies to ensure that we affect the positive change for women and their families. The frontline workers in these agencies are skilled at recognizing women with true needs and matching them with appropriate community resources. By partnering with existing agencies, we are able to distribute funds more effectively to those that need it most.
It's what we're all about!
Partner Organizations:
Family Solutions
An innovative substance abuse treatment program concentrating on the recovery needs of families. The Supportive Housing Program works to meet the needs of single mothers and their children. HCWF subsidized rent for the women living in the Family Solutions House. This subsidy was an incentive to help keep the women in the program and, therefore, sober. The grant also provided a discretionary fund for the residents to use for items to enhance communal living (crock pot, swing set, answering machine, and group activities).
Caldwell Community College & Technical Institute
The financial aid counselor identifies the needs of women enrolled in classes who are trying to make ends meet while they are committed to further education. HCWF helped with rent, gas, insurance, utilities, clothing for children, childcare, medical bills, summer classes not included in scholarships.
Volunteer Avery
Volunteer Avery recruits and matches volunteers with service opportunities focusing on the needy, and responds to unmet community needs. HCWF responded to the summer gas price crisis by partnering with Volunteer Avery and allocating $5,000 to be distributed as gas vouchers to women in Avery County.
Hospitality House
Assists adults and families in homeless situations.
They offer food, shelter, counseling, and social work coordination to help folks get back on their feet. HCWF helped with phone & internet for online classes, day camp for children, transportation needs and responds to unmet community needs. HCWF is also assisting with funding a family suite in the new facility scheduled to be opening in 2010.
WeCAN
Watauga Crisis Assistance Network coordinates resources of service agencies & the local
faith community to respond to needs to prevent homelessness. HCWF helped with car repairs, car insurance, car payments, fuel for transportation and heating, school supplies for nursing students, gym membership for woman with diabetes, internet for online classes, utility and housing deposits.
OASIS
Opposing Abuse with Service, Information, and Shelter – works to end domestic violence by providing emergency services, transitional support, education, counseling, case management, legal and medical advocacy, and referrals. HCWF helped with transitional housing, moving expenses, computer, car repairs, and transportation needs.
WAMY
Promotes individual and family self-sufficiency in order to alleviate poverty at the root level. We work with the Total Family Development program to help with childcare, education, job training, and transportation. HCWF helped with childcare expenses, internet service, car repairs, eye-glasses, gas, dresses for graduation, job training, and CNA classes.
List of programs we fund:
Mountain Alliance- LIFT
LIFT: Leadership Initiatives for Female Teens is a year long program for eligible high school girls. Weekly meetings provided opportunities to explore careers and interests to increase self-esteem and hope for the future. HCWF provided 100% of the funds needed for the last three years for this program.
Watauga Cooperative Extension - LEAD
LEAD: Leadership, Environment & Agricultural Discoveries is a science camp and year-long follow up/mentoring program for 7th & 8th grade girls interested in science who cannot pay for such an experience. HCWF provided funding towards the week-long camp and the year-long monthly follow up mentoring program.
The Children’s Council
Children’s Council works to promote the future health and success of children and their parents in the first five years of life. HCWF pays for childcare to increase frequency of the GED program for teenage moms.
Believing is Seeing
Empowerment Workshop Series
Teri Wiggans of Heartfelt Healing Center facilitated Believing is Seeing , a 4 week empowerment training for women we serve through our partner agencies. HCWF volunteers provided meals and childcare for the women each week.
Karma Krew of Boone
This program utilizes physical postures, breathing, relaxation, meditation, and other mind-body wellness techniques to instill confidence, cultivate calm, and build self esteem. HCWF provided yoga mats and a travel stipend for volunteer yoga teachers to provide yoga-based empowerment programs to girls at Crossnore School.
Sugar Grove Developmental Day School
SGDDS is the only sliding scale daycare in the area. Many students come without any meals or snacks. HCWF provided funds to purchase a self-cleaning range, steel shelving to store food, and software to document meals served. This documentation will allow them to apply for other financial assistance.
Appalachian District Health Department
Maternal Health social workers identify and meet the needs of pregnant women and new mothers in need. HCWF provided funds to purchase items for a loaner program such as cribs, high chairs, pack & plays. Items for individual mothers in need of diapers, warm baby clothes, and car repairs were also included.
Service Projects 2008/2009:
Reaching out to connect with those in need, these are a few examples of how we are in the community helping women:
Baskets of Love
Our Director’s Circle members gathered goodies such as candy, coffee, tea, snacks, office supplies, and baked goods for the hard working service providers of our partner agencies. We delivered these baskets filled with love and appreciation on Valentines Day.
Baby Goodies
Guests at a POP Party in April donated baby necessities and goodies to guest speaker Trish Lanier, maternity coordinator of the Appalachian District Health Department. These items helped to fill her closet for pregnant women in need.
Books for Children
Guests at a POP Party in March brought new and gently loved books to donate to the Children’s Council. These books were given to families they serve to encourage early reading to children.
Graduating to the Next Step
Guests at another POP Party in April helped a recent graduate of the Family Solutions program for drug rehabilitation. This woman completed the rigorous requirements of the year long program while working and taking care of her family. Guests donated items to stock her kitchen in her new apartment. The gifts were given as a kitchen shower at her graduation party, hosted by HCWF. The Director’s Circle also voted to give her two boxes of food from the Angel Ministry Food Bank.
POP Shoppe
HCWF celebrated Mother’s Day at the Unique Boutique, a thrift store benefiting WAMY Community Action. Inventory was boosted with a clothing drive; the public and women served by our agencies were invited to come for a day of discounted or free shopping. Children were entertained by volunteers and Myrtle the Turtle with games, snacks and the opportunity to make a card and pick out a gift for their mothers. Unique Boutique also reported record sales over the weekend.
POP 4 the PUMP
In June 2008, the Director’s Circle voted to release $10,000 into the community in response to the high gas price crisis. We challenged women throughout the summer to further contribute to POP 4 the PUMP at speaking engagements, service projects, and POP parties.
Early Readers
HCWF donated 100 books to the Family Resource Center during their grand opening celebration to start a children’s library for clients and their children to enjoy.
Grand Opening Boone’s Family Resource Center
HCWF was proud to help host the grand opening of Boone’s Family Resource Center. This facility is home to The Children’s Council, OASIS, and WAMY. It is a model for agencies working together under one roof to make services more convenient and available for clients.
Summer Fun
Guests at the POP Party at the Banner Elk Winery in June brought educational and entertaining items to fill Summer Fun bags for women who could not afford summer childcare.
Sweet Dreams Bags
In November, HCWF teamed up with the ASU Women’s Club for a service project and awareness raising event at the Children’s Council. Members brought items to create positive nightly rituals for teenage moms and their babies. They assembled these bags while learning more about HCWF and the Children’s Council.
Happy Holidays -2008
HCWF distributed over 170 gifts to families in need by partnering with the High Country United Way, Blowing Rock Stage Company and the Josephine S. Leiser Foundation. Circle of Friends members dressed up as elves to distribute gifts at the Children’s Council’s annual Holiday party.
Professional Women's Closet
HCWF volunteers sponsored the "open your hearts, open your closet" at the Hunger and Health Coalition. 15 local women attended and were outfitted with clothing for school, work and interviews. Childcare was provided and door prizes were awarded.
HCWF is always searching for new service projects and ideas for improving our community. If you have any suggestions, please email info@highcountrywomensfund.org
