FUNDRAISERS & EVENTS
Upcoming Fundraisers & Events
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INSPIRING WOMEN'S LUNCHEON
Come Join us for our next Inspiring Women's Lunch and hear Gaye's inspiring story!!!
WHEN: Tuesday, June 6, 2023 from Noon to 1 pm
WHERE: Women's Resource Center, 125 3rd St NE, Hickory, NC 28601
Cost is Free - Box Lunch is provided - Donations are welcome
Space is limited, so call the Center today to reserve your spot!! 828-322-6333
~Gaye said~
"WRC’s advocacy and encouragement got me where I am today and without their support I don’t know where I would be."
Gaye Bridges was born and raised in Hickory, NC. She is 64 years old and has one daughter, four grandchildren, and a son that went home to the Lord in 2016. She married when she was 17 and found herself in an abusive relationship with an alcoholic husband for 19 years. After ending the marriage, her life started on a downhill spiral of drug abuse. She ended up in prison for 9 months where she recognized the need to change her life! She stayed clean after that for 14 years until her 13-year-old daughter became defiant and rebellious to the point that she was removed from Gaye’s home and placed in a facility for delinquent children. Once again, Gaye went back to the darkness of drug abuse to end the pain.
In 2022 Gaye was admitted to the hospital with sepsis due to her bad choices. She recognized the need, again, to do something different. She went to a substance abuse facility in Tennessee where she found herself drawn to pursue a Christian Program. She entered Bethel Colony of Mercy in November of 2021; then continued on at Vessels of Mercy Ministry in Morganton, North Carolina. Gaye has worked as a landscaper, CNA, and caregiver for her biological parents and paraplegic son until their deaths. Her life journey has been a challenging one with many traumatic events to overcome. She has persevered through them all, not willing ever to give up.
Gaye currently lives in Morganton, NC, working as the House Manager/Mom for the “Vessels of Mercy” Ministry. In that capacity, she is now supporting other ladies afflicted with substance abuse issues through their journey to overcome the trauma of their circumstances through Christianity.
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CHECK BACK OFTEN FOR UPDATES!
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Past Fundraiser Events
3rd Annual "Art in the Park" Fundraiser Event was held on 4/29/2023
A great big Thank You to our Art in the Park Sponsors!!!
Check back for event photos to be uploaded!
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Charity Chase was held at the Geitner-Rotary Park of Hickory on Sat. 04/22/2023
WRC's awesome Charity Chase Cheering Team's gave colorful support to the runners with an Aloha themed Tiki (water) bar!!
Charity Chase Half Marathon is a non-profit whose goal is to support local organizations and other nonprofits who work to make our community a better place. Proceeds from the race are divided among participating organizations based on the number of volunteers they bring to cheer on the runners on race day.
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EMPOWERED POSTPARTUM PLANNING was held at Women's Resource Center on Tue 4/11/2023
"A postpartum planning workshop for those expecting"
This free event was led by Sarah Herbein of Small Things, Great Love Birth Services. She talks about available options to self-empower and make the best decision for the family - complete with examples of cloth diapers, bottles, baby carriers & more!
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HIV Health & Wellness Workshop & Raffle hosted by ALFA & WRC was held on March 21, 2023 at WRC
This was a free event
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Women's History Month Celebration was held on March 9, 2023 at the Ridgeview Library in Hickory, NC
This was a free event and light refreshments were served.
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SELF DEFENSE CLASS FOR WOMEN was held at the Women's Resource Center on Sat., 2/25/2023
This free event was hosted by Diane Christensen
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EMPOWERED POSTPARTUM PLANNING was held at Women's Resource Center on Sat 2/18/2023
"A postpartum planning workshop for those expecting"
This free event was led by Sarah Herbein of Small Things, Great Love Birth Services. She talks about available options to self-empower and make the best decision for the family (complete with examples of cloth diapers, bottles, baby carriers & more!).
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GALENTINE'S DAY EVENT was held on February 13, 2023
This was a fun girl's night out benefitting Women's Resource Center!!!!
Thank you our awesome host "3 Little Birds Corks & More" located at 19 College Avenue, Newton, NC 28658
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GIVING TUESDAY 2022
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BREAKING UP AND MOVING ON - Legal Aspects of Separation & Divorce Workshop was held on Nov. 15, 2022
Check back often for future scheduled dates
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BREAKING UP AND MOVING ON - Legal Aspects of Separation & Divorce Workshop was held on September 20, 2022
Check back often for future scheduled dates
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This JOB SKILLS WORKSHOP event had to be cancelled due to a low registration response.
Check back often for future schedulings.
Thanks to Hickory Public Library for partnering with us to provide this event to our community!
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INSPIRING WOMEN'S LUNCHEON was held on Tues, July 12, 2022
This was a free luncheon hosted by WRC. Professor Michele Hewitt (Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor at Crossroads Counseling Center and an adjunct professor of Psychology at Lenoir-Rhyne University) uses her personal experiences as a young, single mother and widow to inspire others to honor the sacred space that is their own while using adversity as fuel for growth. In between providing therapy services and teaching, Michele serves Women’s Resource Center as the facilitator of their emotional support group.
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ORIGAMI BOOK MAKING CLASSES were held in June and July.
Check back often for future events
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BREAKING UP AND MOVING ON - Legal Aspects of Separation and Divorce Workshop originally scheduled for Tues June 28, 2022 was cancelled.
Check back often for reschedule date(s)
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2nd ANNUAL ART IN THE PARK FUNDRAISER EVENT WAS HELD ON SAT, APRIL 30, 2022
On Saturday, April 30, 2022 Women’s Resource Center hosted its 2nd Annual Art in the Park fundraiser event. This annual event was held in the Ivey Arboretum/Sally Fox Park in Hickory- where the Women’s Resource Center House is located - and guests enjoyed a variety of local art, a silent auction, food trucks, live music and more!
This event was once again a great success and we look forward to next year's event to be held on Sat, April 29, 2023.
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FREE HIV TESTING WAS HELD ON-SITE BY ALFA ON TUES, MARCH 1, 2022
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INSPIRING WOMEN'S LUNCHEON WAS HELD ON TUES, MARCH 1, 2022
Our Inspiring Women's Lunch is back in partnership with the Western Piedmont Symphony!
This was a FREE event with lunch provided by the United Arts Council. Dr. Elizabeth Keathley (Professor of Historical Musicology and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, University of North Carolina, Greensboro), spoke about composer Amy Beach and the "Gaelic Symphony" which was the first symphony composed and published (1896) by an American woman!
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HAPPY 35TH BIRTHDAY WRC!!! - 2022 was WRC's 35th year of serving the community ... listening, helping, guiding, advocating, empowering, enriching, educating, caring, and lifting up women in our community.
To help kick-off our 35th year, we posted a challenge for 35 people to show their support with a Birthday Pledge of just $35 per month .. and many accepted our challenge! If you would like to participate CLICK HERE TO DONATE VIA PAYPAL, enter $35 as your donation amount, check the box beside "make this a monthly donation", type Happy Birthday WRC in the memo section.
“Words cannot express my appreciation for your heart of compassion and willingness to provide direction and assistance during my time of need." ~ Liz B.
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CLICK HERE TO DONATE VIA PAYPAL If you would like to participate in WRC's 35th Birthday Challenge Pledge, enter $35 as your donation amount, check the box beside "make this a monthly donation", type Happy Birthday WRC in the memo section.
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FREE! CARDMAKING EVENT - EVENT WAS CANCELLED
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"Keeping Safe and Starting Over" Workshop was held at WRC on Tues, Nov. 9, 2021
This was the first in a five-session series workshop presented by First Citizens Bank over the next few months.
The workshops are open for anyone who wants to learn more about financial abuse, what they can do to protect themselves, and how to budget for self-sufficiency. All attendees are kept confidential.
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WINE TO WOMENADE - WAS HELD ON THURSDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2021
~A girls night for a good cause~
This event was held at Cafe Rule & Wine Bar in Hickory. All proceeds went directly into WRC's Womenade fund, which assists women experiencing temperory setbacks or unexpected hardships.
Click here for details on our Womenade Financial Assistance program.
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ART IN THE PARK - WAS HELD ON SATURDAY, MAY 22, 2021
On Saturday, May 22, 2021, Women’s Resource Center hosted Art in the Park. This inaugural event was held in the Ivey Arboretum/Sally Fox Park in Hickory- where the Women’s Resource Center House is located.
Guests enjoyed a variety of local art, a silent auction, food trucks, live music and more!
This event was originally set for May 30, 2020 but had to be postponed twice due to the pandemic. In spite of all this, this event was a great success and will serve as our signature fundraising event in upcoming years.
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GIVING TUESDAY - December 1, 2020
(This section for additional past events is under construction )