Love Impact Week 2025 Honoring Women & Caregivers in Catawba County

Here's what breaks my heart: In Catawba County, 34% of households are ALICE families (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed). These are working families who earn too much to qualify for assistance but too little to afford basic necessities. The majority of these households are led by women.

WHAT WE'RE DOING

On Saturday, December 6, 2025, Dream Mentorship will host a brunch honoring 50 women caregivers in Catawba County. Each woman will receive:

A hot, nutritious meal (many will not have eaten all day)
A $50 grocery gift card (for a week of groceries)
Diapers and wipes for mothers (including teen moms through our partnership with YoungLives)
Words of encouragement (handwritten notes from community members)
Connections to ongoing support (food assistance programs, mentorship, community resources)

But this is about more than food. It's about HONOR.

For one brunch, these women, who give everything to everyone else, will be served. They'll sit at beautifully decorated tables. They'll be celebrated. They'll be reminded that their sacrifices haven't gone unnoticed.

They'll know they matter.

WHY THIS MATTERS: THE DATA

Right here in Catawba County, 1 in 3 households (34%) are working hard yet still can’t afford basic needs. These are the ALICE families, earning above the poverty line but below the cost of living.
68% of ALICE households in North Carolina are headed by women. 42% of single mothers live below the ALICE threshold.
Hunger is part of daily life for many: 14.2% of Catawba County residents are food insecure (Feeding America, 2023). That's 21,330 people who don't know where their next meal is coming from.
Caregivers and young mothers are especially at risk. 60% of family caregivers are women, many spending over $7,000/year out-of-pocket. 70% cut back on their own food to care for loved ones.
Only half of teen mothers earn a high school diploma by age 22, and 4 in 5 rely on public assistance within five years.

YOUR PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITY

Total Campaign Goal: $5,000

This will fund:

50 hot meals for women at the December 6th brunch ($800)
50 grocery gift cards at $50 each ($2,500)
Pantry essentials boxes for each woman (rice, pasta, canned goods, hygiene items) ($800)
Diapers and wipes for 20 mothers including teen moms through YoungLives partnership ($900)

EVERY GIFT MATTERS. $50 feeds a woman for a week. $100 provides a week of groceries plus diapers. Any amount creates dignity.

We provide long-term connection, not one-time relief. After December 6th, we connect women to:

Ongoing food assistance programs (Second Harvest, local food pantries)
Dream Mentorship programs (mentorship, business training, financial literacy)
Community resources (childcare assistance, job training, healthcare navigation)

We measure impact. You'll receive:

Photos from the event (with permission)
Thank-you notes from women served
Impact report showing exactly how your dollars were used
Stories of transformation

A PERSONAL NOTE FROM OUR FOUNDER

When I started Dream Mentorship, I had one belief: No woman should die with her dreams still inside her. But I quickly learned that before women can dream, they need to EAT. They need diapers for their babies. They need to know someone sees them.

I've sat with the grandmother choosing between her grandson's medication and groceries. I've cried with the teen mom who ran out of diapers and was too ashamed to ask for help. I've listened to the woman caring for her disabled daughter who hasn't bought herself a meal in weeks.

These women don't need pity. They need PARTNERSHIP.

They need people like you who say: "I see you. Your sacrifice matters. You are not invisible."

Love Impact Week is my love letter to the caregivers of Catawba County. The women who hold everything together while falling apart. The women who deserve to be CELEBRATED.

Will you join me in honoring them?

Mac-Jane Crayton, PhD

Founder, Dream Mentorship

LEARN MORE ABOUT DREAM MENTORSHIP

TAX INFORMATION

Dream Mentorship is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit

EIN: 85-0551247

All donations are 100% tax-deductible.