For the Children of Cape Fear

This season of giving, here’s how you can support three local groups transforming children’s lives

By Vera Wilson

According to Cause IQ, a nonprofit data company, there are almost 2,000 nonprofit organizations in Wilmington alone. We’re fortunate that some of them make children their priority, whether by providing for their safety and well-being or enhancing their educational experience. Profiled here are three local nonprofits doing just that.

Cape Fear Kids Get Books

Kids Get Books’ purpose is simple: Recognizing that access to books is critical to literacy development, the group aims to get as many books as possible into the hands of children.

And they’ve done a bang-up job: Since 2006, they’ve distributed more than 100,000 books to nearly 50,000 children. In the 2024-25 school year, they gave 11,194 books to 4,995 students.

“Our mission is to give every child the opportunity to read and own new books,” said Diane Blaschak, board president.

Their focus is on Title I elementary schools, income-eligible pre-K programs, and agencies like Nourish NC. They work directly with schools that choose and order the books.

“This helps ensure that there is a range of titles and languages,” Blaschak said.

Distribution is set up like a book fair, and each child can choose two books. There is no cost to the school or the child.

“These books are theirs to take home,” Blaschak said.

Affiliated with United Way of the Cape Fear Area, Kids Get Books raises money through grants and donations from individuals and community-minded organizations. They rely completely on volunteers to operate, and because books are shipped directly to schools, there’s no need for storage, ensuring that every dollar collected goes toward buying books.

You can donate or learn about volunteering through their Facebook page, Kids Get Books.

Foster Pantry

According to its website, Foster Pantry’s mission is “to ease the transition of children in foster care by cultivating community support and equipping families and children with essential needs and resources.”

“We provide a sense of community to a community that doesn’t have a ton of support,” said board chair Lee Rochelle.

The nonprofit serves foster care families in a variety of ways. They provide essentials such as clothes, diapers, toiletries and furniture, as well as toys, books and even birthday presents. Families fill out an online request form to ensure they get exactly what they need. In 2024, the group filled 598 requests. Families can also pick up items at the pantry. The majority of the items are new.

Their Fostering Connections program hosts foster parent support groups and provides training. It also connects families with organizations that offer financial, medical and legal assistance.

They coordinate family outings and playdates between separated siblings and regularly hold events such as their holiday party each December, complete with Santa and an opportunity for parents to “shop” for their children’s gifts.

Rochelle said that, thanks to a Landfall Foundation grant, they’ve been able to expand their work to include youth who have aged out of foster care through the Links program.

“We’ve helped furnish dorm rooms and apartments and paid for books for kids going to school,” Rochelle said.

With only one part-time paid employee, Foster Pantry relies heavily on volunteers.

“Our social media, grant writing, scheduling pickups are all done by people who care about what we’re doing and want to see it continue,” Rochelle said.

To support Foster Pantry, pleae visit fosterpantry.org.

Carousel Center Advocacy Center (CCAC)

The CCAC does the heavy lifting of supporting children who are victims of physical and sexual abuse, which it has been doing in New Hanover, Brunswick and Pender counties since 2000.

“CCAC was founded by a multidisciplinary team from local hospitals, social services, law enforcement and advocacy organizations,” said Stephanie Borrett, CCAC’s development director. “We are the region’s only nationally accredited Child Advocacy Center.”

Children referred to the center speak with a trained interviewer and are evaluated by a medical provider and treated if necessary, all within a sensitive, caring environment.

Therapy is offered at the center in group and one-on-one settings and can extend to non-offending family members or caregivers, as well as children who experience neglect or may have witnessed a traumatic event.

“All services are provided at no cost to the child or family,” Borrett said.

To help stop abuse before it happens, CCAC offers numerous prevention education training programs that teach individuals, organizations and businesses how to identify warning signs of abuse and how they can guard against it.

CCAC is supported primarily by grants, donations and fundraisers. The group was recently awarded $1.9 million from the New Hanover Community Endowment. Volunteers are always welcome to help host drives for items on its wish list, as well as assist with marketing or fundraising events.

To support CCAC’s work through a donation or volunteering, please visit carouselcenter.org.