CEENTACares Holiday 2011 Charities

Holiday 2011

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Over the past few years, CEENTACares has worked with many great charities, including most recently Habitat for Humanity, Camp CARE and Second Harvest Food Bank.

This year, however, we’re taking a different approach. Rather than ask all of our locations to support the same charity, we have allowed our offices to choose their own charities this year. Not only does this allow us to reach a larger part of the community, but it also encourages our employees to give to those charities they feel most passionately about. Most locations are accepting donations at the actual locations.

Belmont: Our Belmont location is collecting food, clothing and gifts for Mt. Holly Community Relief Organization.

Blakeney: Our Blakeney location is holding a food drive for Crisis Assistance Ministry.

Concord – Eye and Concord – ENT: Our Concord Eye and ENT offices are raising funds to provide dinner for the Cabarrus Victims Assistance Network (CVAN). They hope to raise $500. Until Dec. 16, these offices will accept money to purchase spaghetti, salad, drinks and desserts. Leftover money will be used to purchase gift cards for the shelter. In addition to monetary donations, these offices are also accepting the following donations: gently-used clothing (children, women and men’s), shoes, jewelry, accessories, housewares, small electronics, books, DVDs and CDs. These items items will be resold at CVAN’s store to raise more funds.

Eastover: Our Eastover location is holding a food drive.

Huntersville: Our Huntersville location is holding a food drive and adopting a family from the Ada Jenkins Center in Davidson.

Lincolnton: Our Lincolnton office is raising funds for Christian Ministries, which will use the funds to purchase holiday gifts for children in the Lincolnton area.

Matthews: Our Matthews location will be working with Garden of Hope to adopt a local family. They are accepting monetary donations as well as food, clothing and other needs.

Monroe: From Nov. 1 to Dec. 16, our Monroe location will be collecting items for Turning Point, which provides safe shelter to victims of domestic violence and their children. They are collecting items of immediate need, which include the following: canned vegetables, SpaghettiOs, Chef Boyardee canned foods, diapers (size 4, 5 and 6), paper towels, toilet tissue, napkins, plates, 12 and 16 oz. cups, laundry detergent, dish detergent, liquid soap, cleaning supplies, disinfectant spray, plastic food gloves, pillows, deodorant, sheets and blankets for twin beds, wash cloths, bath towels, school uniforms, gas gift cards or checks (made payable to Turning Point).

Update: As of Dec. 5, our Monroe location has collected $54.56 in cash and the following items: 11 canned vegetables, 11 boxes of macaroni and cheese, a three-pack of paper towels, two packs of napkins, two bottles of dish detergent, five sticks of deodorant, two twin-sized blankets, a six-pack of shaving cream, a can of chicken noodle soup and a can of sardines.

Items may be brought to the Monroe location’s front desk staff. They will be distributed to Turning Point on Monday, Dec. 19.

Pineville: From Nov. 8 to Dec. 15, our Pineville location will collect items for United Family Services, a shelter for those affected by domestic violence. The United Family Services Shelter for Battered Women is the only emergency domestic violence shelter in Mecklenburg County. The 29-bed facility offers women and children 30 days of emergency shelter during which they can plan a future free of violence.

Our Pineville location is collecting winter clothing — including coats, hats, mittens, gloves and scarves — for adults and children. The clothing can be used but not soiled or damaged in any way (no broken zippers, tears or missing buttons, etc.). United Family Services is also in need of cell phones, which will be programmed so that battered women and children can call 911. Recycled, working cell phones made within the last five years are appreciated.

Rock Hill: Our Rock Hill location is accepting monetary donations for the Empty Stocking Fund, which provides gifts to “parents and guardians of children living at or below the poverty level.”

SouthPark: The SouthPark location is collecting gift cards, which will be used to purchase food, clothing and other needed items for six adopted families. Our Eye and ENT departments will be competing to see who can collect the most gift card amounts.

Statesville: Our Statesville office is collecting items for My Sister’s House, a local women’s shelter. You can bring items to this office until Dec. 16. The following items are needed: alarm clocks, twin and full mattress covers, twin sheets, brooms, mops, shampoo and conditioner, razors, feminine products, storage bins, small trash cans, canned foods, fresh foods (vegetables, milk, eggs, bread, etc.), children’s Tylenol, cold medicine, size 4-6 diapers, wipes, towels, washcloths, Ibuprofen and Tylenol for adults and children, ladies’ underwear (sizes 5, 6 and 7), pajamas and gowns for women and children.

Steele Creek: Steele Creek will be partnering with our Pineville location to collect items for United Family Services, a shelter for those affected by domestic violence.

University: Until Dec. 9, our University location is collecting items for A Child’s Place, which works to erase the impact of homelessness on children and their education. Homeless children are living in unstable living conditions that include shelters, motels, doubled-up with others and cars. The national graduation rate for homeless children is below 25 percent, and these children are twice as likely to repeat a grade. Homeless children are also sick four times as often and hungry twice as often as other children. A Child’s Place provides educational and emotional support services as well as medical referrals to keep children healthy and in the classroom.

The University location is accepting the following (brand new) items at their front desk:

Hygiene items: toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, lotion and razors.
School supplies: rulers, pencils (lead and mechanical), pens, loose-leaf paper, spiral notebooks, composition books, erasers, glue, markers, crayons, colored pencils, highlighters, scissors, protractors, calculators, folders, binders, combination locks, hand sanitizer, hand soap and facial tissues.
Snacks: individually pre-packaged non-perishable items such as juice boxes, fruit snacks or cups, raisins, breakfast bars, crackers, pretzels, cookies, granola bars, yogurt snacks, crackers or individual cereal boxes.
Underwear, socks and bras (all sizes).
Gift cards for Walmart, Target or grocery stores.
New winter coats (from children’s size 5 to adult sizes).
Small items for special gifts throughout the year, such as journals, action figures, movie passes, etc. (suggested value $10 or less).
Uniform clothing for boys and girls (sizes 4T to adult): white button-up shirts and blue or khaki pants, skirts and shorts.

So far, the University locations have collected the following items:

Applesauce—3 packs of 6
Cups of fruit—6 packs of 4
Raisins—3 packs of 6
Apple juice—pack of 36
Boys socks—2
Girl socks—10
Boy’s hat—2
Girl’s hat—1
Boy’s gloves—1
Girl’s gloves—2
Highlighters—11
Pencils—pack of 16
Ruler—2
Scissors—7
Erasers—6
Colored Pencils—pack of 10 and pack of 24
Markers—8
Combination locks—2
Pens—pack of 10
Glue sticks—8
Dry eraser markers—3
Crayons—2 boxes of 48 and 1 box of 16
Washable markers—pack of 16 and pack of 8
Kid markers—2 packs of 10
Waterproof marker pad—1
Do a dot art—1
Glitter glue pens—pack of 10
Shower sponge—1
Large lotion—3
Body lotion–1
Body spray—1
Deodorant—6
Razors—pack of 10
Lip balm–4
Comb–1
Shower cap—2
Moisture masks—3
Bubble bath—2
Toothbrush—18
Small toothbrushes—-55
Toothpaste—9