About
Our Cause
The Guntersville Ladies Civitan Club has been proudly serving the citizens of our community and surrounding Marshall County since its inception in 1996.
Our club is a non-profit organization that focuses on making our community a better place to live through service and good citizenship.
Our club hosts various fundraising events throughout the year with all proceeds benefiting carefully selected special programs and projects.
Our Programs and Projects
Partners in Purpose
Civitan is the only service organization dedicated to serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). Understanding the unique challenges faced by these individuals, we carefully and purposefully select partners to support both financially and through hands-on service. Our selected programs offer a variety of ways for our members to directly interact with and support this population within our community. Currently, our club supports:
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Camp ASCCA: Alabama’s Special Camp for Children and Adults, providing therapeutic recreation and camping experiences for children and adults with disabilities.
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C.A.S.T. for Kids: A 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation that enriches the lives of children with special needs, supports their families, and strengthens communities through the sport of fishing.
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Maker's Child Respite Program: A program that provides a safe, fun environment for special needs children and their siblings, allowing parents a well-deserved break
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Rosebud House: A group home currently housing four to six women of various ages.
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Special Olympics: An organization providing year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-style sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities.
Furthermore, Civitan International and The Arc recently entered into a strategic partnership to increase awareness of the challenges faced by people with I/DD and their families. This collaboration helps connect those families to vital resources and volunteer activities, such as those offered by our club.
Fundraising
Fundraising is about far more than just balancing the ledger; it is the heartbeat of community service that transforms ambitious ideas into tangible local impact. Whether we are selling our famous Brunswick stew, pumpkins, fresh greenery, and sweet Georgia Vidalia onions, or hosting our annual Tablescapes, Southern Country Tea, and Tour of Homes events, these efforts provide the essential capital needed to fund vital programs. These funds support everything from high school and camp scholarships to major projects like Every Child’s Playground and a family cabin at Camp ASCCA, while also addressing local needs through direct volunteering. Beyond financial goals, fundraising serves as a powerful catalyst for community engagement, bringing members together under a shared purpose and raising public awareness for our mission. When our club successfully rallies the community to contribute, it strengthens our social fabric and proves that collective small contributions can lead to significant, lasting change.
Reaching Beyond
While our primary mission is serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), we are always looking for additional ways our club can help our community and beyond! Our club proudly provides financial donations for the following:
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Kids to Love: This foundation serves children living in foster care, putting clothes on their backs, getting Christmas presents under the tree and providing them scholarships for the next steps of their education.
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Raising Wildcats: This organization provides positive parenting training sessions with an emphasis on early childhood learning and literacy values. Along with this training, families in additional need are provided in-home support including meals.
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Scholarships: Annually, we provide scholarships to deserving Jr. Civitans graduating from Guntersville High School. We also provide scholarships to deserving individuals to attend Camp ASCCA that otherwise wouldn't be able to attend due to financial restraints.
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Sign Language Classes: In a partnership with The City of Guntersville, our club sponsors ASL classes through the Guntersville Public Library.
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Alabama CASA Network: Organization whose programs help advocate for all of Alabama’s abused and neglected children.
Additionally, we invest resources in fighting food insecurity throughout our community. We support several local food banks, working together to ensure that every child, senior, and family has access to the nutritious food they need.
