“A hundred years from now, it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove. But the world may be different because I was important in the life of a child.” — Forest E. Witcraft
“Children are great imitators. So give them something great to imitate!”
Founded in 2013, the Catawba Valley Guardian ad Litem Association equips community volunteers to serve abused and neglected children by advocating for their best interests in court.
CVGAL is run entirely by volunteers who believe strongly in the mission of enriching the lives of local children in foster care, and 100% of all monies raised for this outstanding endeavor go towards supporting the group’s mission.
Co-chair Wendy Stroud shares details of the group’s Third Annual Casino Night fundraiser coming up next month — always a fun night and an excellent way to continue the support of abused and neglected children.
“CVGAL will be holding its 3rd Annual Casino Night on September 20, 2023, at Novel Taproom, 12 N. Ashe Avenue, Newton, NC,” says Wendy. “As before, the event is hosted by Novel Taproom and Catawba First Insurance, with all the evening’s proceeds benefiting the CVGAL child assistance fund.”
Please consider how you can become involved!
“We are in need of monetary table sponsors (a $500 donation) or contributions for our raffle baskets for this event,” says Wendy. “Individual tickets are $100 each, or $175 for two, and tickets will include a catered meal (BBQ, slaw, baked beans, bread, chips, dessert), drink tickets, $5,000 Playing Chip, and raffle tickets. We look forward to raising funds for our foster children of Catawba, Burke and Caldwell counties, and could not do this without community support.”
The Catawba Valley Guardian ad Litem Association (CVGAL) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provides local abused and neglected children with educational experiences that include summer camp, technology, and tutoring to help them be more successful in school. The group also offers these children life-changing opportunities to participate in sports and extracurricular activities such as art, music, and band, and in 2017 began offering college scholarships to foster youth enrolled in a trade school, community college, or university.
Thanks to incredible donor generosity, CVGAL has been able to assist children in our community with over $6,000 in aid since the beginning of 2023. Their assistance has provided tutoring, camps, athletic and music equipment, field trips, laptops, adulting needs, and much more!
“We also assist the NC Guardian ad Litem program in Judicial District 25 with recruiting and retaining volunteers to advocate for these children in court,” explains Wendy. “Our program desperately needs these trained volunteers to be a voice for children in the court system, and to be that one person who will help them navigate within the legal system.”
For more information on sponsorships or tickets to the September 20th event, please email Wendy Stroud at [email protected]. Learn more about the Catawba Valley Guardian ad Litem Association or donate online at cvgal.org, and reach their office at P.O. Box 9060, Hickory, NC 28603, or email [email protected].
