Giving Back: CAGC Young Leaders “Spread the Joy”
As part of their annual Spreading the Joy Initiative, the Carolinas Associated General Contractors (CAGC) Young Leaders adopted more than a dozen families residing at Catherine’s House, a non-profit organization that provides transitional housing to women and mothers with children who are homeless. Located in Belmont, North Carolina, near Charlotte, Catherine’s House is a sponsored ministry and subsidiary corporation of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, South Central Community.
GroundBreak Carolinas spoke with Kristen Harwood, Chair of the CAGC Young Leaders (YL) Action Team, to get some background on the group’s Spreading the Joy Initiative. Harwood is a project engineer with Rodgers Builders. “In 2015, CAGC Young Leaders (YLs) began its annual Spreading the Joy Initiative by seeking out families, whether individual or a part of an organization, to give to in some way that would be most beneficial to those families. This is one of many efforts of giving back to the community for our group. The people we seek out can be anywhere in North or South Carolina; this location just happened to be local to Charlotte. The YLs have a colleague who recently began working at Catherine’s House, so when we first learned about it last fall we didn’t hesitate to adopt the home for our 2017 Spreading the Joy Initiative.”
Chelsea Andujar, CAGC’s Director of Meetings and Events – and staff liaison for the YL program, organized the effort between Catherine’s House and the Young Leaders.
Industry professionals age 40 and under who are employed by CAGC member firms are eligible to participate in the YL program.
Countless numbers of Young Leaders participated by spreading the word and collecting and delivering gifts. CAGC member firms represented included C.T. Wilson Construction, Rodgers Builders, WB Moore, State Utility Contractors, Inc., and Eldeco, Inc. Items collected from a wish list included gift cards to grocery stores, Target, Walmart, Lowe’s, Home Depot and more; toys for children of all ages; and household supplies like pillows, pots and pans, utensil sets and paper products.
“Six of us were fortunate enough to deliver the gifts to Catherine’s House,” Harwood continued. “As we arrived at Catherine’s House, we carried items in by the armfuls in multiple trips. Once all the items made it to one room, I was overwhelmed with the generosity that I saw through the types of items and amount given. It was heartwarming and humbling to be there. The people who receive our gifts are always extremely grateful.”
The Carolinas Associated General Contractors (CAGC) Young Leaders exists to ensure the construction industry’s successful future by developing the next generation of leaders through a focus on professional development, networking and community involvement. The CAGC Young Leaders has grown to 100-plus professionals –company owners, managers, supervisors, administrators, and more.
Want to help Catherine’s House? Catherine’s House benefits from gift cards, toys and household items all throughout the year. Please contact Ed Paat, Catherine’s House President and CEO.
History | Catherine’s House
Located in Belmont, North Carolina, Catherine’s House opened in November 1992 on the grounds of the former Sacred Heart College. Inspired by the foundress of the Sisters of Mercy, Catherine McAuley of Dublin, Ireland, this program seeks to empower disadvantaged families so that they may return to a self-sufficient lifestyle in the community. For the past 25 years, Catherine’s House has provided residential care and services to over 2,200 women and children. To learn about Catherine’s House, visit www.catherineshouseinc.org.
