Hospitality House Shelter Campaign Reaches 68 Percent of Fundraising Goal

Story by Kathleen McFadden

At their meeting this month, the Hospitality House board of directors voted to put the three downtown properties on the market. The combined asking price for the emergency shelter, the Rock Annex behind it, and Sleeping Place next to Tupelo’s World Café is $1,080,000. All proceeds from the sale of the three properties will be used to fund the new shelter. Photo by Ken Ketchie As of December 8, the Hospitality House’s Giving Hope a Hand capital campaign had passed its 66 percent fundraising mark with gifts and pledges totaling more than $2,025,950. That’s good news, but the better news is that private contributions for the new shelter continue to come in. As of December 19, that number had reached 68 percent.

“We are really pleased with the progress we’re making, especially given the economic climate,” said Hospitality House Executive Director Lynne Mason. “People are giving as they are able, but people are giving. This is going to be a shelter this community builds.”

The pieces of a complicated financial puzzle are beginning to come together. Just this week, the Hospitality House received confirmation of a $550,000 grant from the Federal Home Loan Bank. Those funds augment $500,000 from the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency’s Supportive Housing Development Program.

Now the wait is on for confirmation of a Housing and Urban Development Community Development Block Grant. Earlier this year, Watauga County applied for an $850,000 CDBG grant on behalf of Hospitality House, and Mason said the word could come any day. Until that funding is secured, however, no contracts can be signed and no work can begin.

“We do not want to carry any debt on this new facility because fundraising for operational expenses is already so challenging,” Mason said. Federal and state funds supply about 25 percent of the shelter’s annual budget, Mason explained, with the remaining 75 percent coming from other sources. “The burden increasingly falls on the local community,” she said.

But the Hospitality House board is poised to begin construction as soon as the good word comes on the CDBG grant. At its December meeting, the board voted to put the Hospitality House’s three downtown properties on the market. The emergency shelter on King Street and the Rock Annex behind that building are one parcel; the Sleeping Place on King Street next to Tupelo’s World Café is another. The combined asking price for the two parcels is $1,080,000. The full proceeds from the sales will be applied to the cost of the new shelter because the Hospitality House owns the properties outright with no debt.

Also at the December meeting, the board voted to award the shelter construction contract to Wishon & Carter Builders, Inc. Eight contractors were invited to bid on the project, Mason said. “It was amazing how competitive the bids were,” she said. Wishon & Carter’s bid is well within budget and came in a little under budget, she added.

If the CDBG grant is awarded, Mason said, “we hope to begin construction in January and to be in the new building by the end of November. We need it so badly; we are so crowded. This new shelter won’t come soon enough.”

The occupancy at the Hospitality House changes daily, she said, but at one point in December, seven families were housed at the emergency shelter and at Sleeping Place. That number has since gone down to four families, but last month’s average daily occupancy at the emergency shelter was 25 in a facility permitted for 17. Despite these high numbers, Mason said, last month the Hospitality House had to turn people away 88 times.

In addition, the shelter’s community soup kitchen—the Bread of Life program—is serving 2,000 more meals per month compared to this time last year. And WeCAN has provided $13,183 in fuel assistance over the past two months, $3,843 more than a year ago.

“We truly have never been so busy,” Mason said.

As of early December, 380 community donors had contributed to the campaign. But more donations are needed to reach the fundraising goal. Any contribution is welcome, regardless of its size.

More than 50 rooms and activity spaces are available at the new shelter for naming opportunities in honor or in memory of persons of the donor’s choosing. Plaques celebrating these special gifts and inspirational quotes will hang in each named room. So far, generous donors have stepped up to fund 11 named spaces. But smaller contributions are just as necessary and just as welcome. All donations are tax deductible.

To be a part of the “shelter this community builds,” send your donation to Hospitality House, PO Box 309, Boone, NC 28607. Note in the memo line that your donation is for the Giving Hope a Hand campaign.