SEPTEMBER 24, 2009 ISSUE
Hospitality House Breaks Ground for New Facility
Local dignitaries break ground for the new Hospitality House facility, which will be located off Bamboo Road at the corner of Brook Hollow Road and Health Center Drive in Boone. Pictured on the front row are Lynne Mason, executive director; Kay Borkowski, past board chair; Loretta Clawson, Boone mayor; and Debbie Ragsdale, representative of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta Affordable Housing Program from the Bank of Granite (a member bank).
Pictured on the back row, from left to right, are Joe Crocker, assistant secretary of commerce; Margrit Bergholz, representative from the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency; Kent Tarbutton, supporter of Hospitality House fundraising efforts; Billy Ralph Winkler, county commissioner; Rep. Cullie Tarleton; Joe Furman, Watauga County Planning Director and CDBG administrator for the county; John Cooper, campaign co-chair; and Brenda Lyerly, board chair. Photo by Corinne Saunders
The much-anticipated groundbreaking ceremony for the new Hospitality House facility took place on Friday, September 18, at the shelter’s future site—off Bamboo Road at the corner of Brook Hollow Road and Health Center Drive in Boone.
Local dignitaries broke ground for the new facility and then five former Hospitality House residents took their turn breaking ground. One former resident, Lefty Childress, lived at the facility for about six years and has been living independently for a year now, she said. She collected a plastic bag-full of dirt to keep from the groundbreaking ceremony because the event is so monumental to her.
The Hospitality House of the Boone Area, Inc., is a private, nonprofit crisis intervention agency that has provided shelter and services to the homeless for 24 years, but its 35 beds and old, antiquated current facilities have fallen short of meeting the local need for years.
The only homeless shelter in a seven-county area, Hospitality House serves Ashe, Avery, Allegheny, Mitchell, Wilkes, Watauga and Yancey counties.
According to www.hospitalityhouseofboone.org, there are 1,069 homeless individuals on a given night in this seven-county region.
“Thank you for joining us today as we break ground for the most significant human services project I have seen in my three decades in the High Country,” said John Cooper, campaign co-chair. “You have helped make a miracle possible,” Cooper said, adding that he hopes everyone will continue to give.
David Patrick Moses, architect for the new Hospitality House facility, speaks at the groundbreaking ceremony on September 18. Photo by Corinne Saunders
“Hospitality House will pledge to continue the excellent work it has done for 24 years and even more effectively [once the shelter is built],” Cooper said.
The campaign goal, major grants aside, is $3 million, which is a combined campaign to raise funding for the new facility and for building operation costs over a three-year period. The construction of the shelter will not mean much if funding to operate the building is lacking, said Executive Director Lynne Mason.
“Today we’re at 83 percent of our $3 million goal,” Mason said, adding that this reflects a caring community that continues to give even during difficult economic times. Individuals, church groups, civic groups, businesses and foundations have contributed to this campaign, she said.
The Hospitality House received a $600,000 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), administered through the N.C. Department of Commerce Division of Community Assistance, to be used for the construction of the new facility. Additionally, the organization received a $550,000 grant from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta and a $1 million zero-interest, 30-year deferred loan from the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency that was provided through the N.C. Housing Trust Fund.
The $1 million loan will be forgiven in 30 years “provided the facility continues to be used for its intended purpose,” Mason said.
Hospitality House began its campaign for monies for the new facility in 2007.
“We’re more than food and shelter,” Mason said. “What this facility means is safe and decent accommodations, separate space for women and children, a real community soup kitchen with a dining area [and] space for training programs.”
Former residents of the Hospitality House, some of whom ended up working for the nonprofit at one time or another, break ground for the new facility. Pictured, from left to right, are Keith Hall, Fred Honeycutt, Dan Anglin, Mitch Greer and Lefty Childress. Photo by Corinne Saunders
Hospitality House is already working with Caldwell Community College, WAMY and JobLink for future programs, which will include support services, such as computer training, helping residents obtain their GEDs and offering programs on life skills—such as coping skills, employment preparation skills, budgeting skills, healthy living, fitness and smoking cessation, Mason said.
Homelessness can happen to anyone, Mason said. “It really is a national tragedy.” The new facility will provide a place for people to have a safe and stable place while they rebuild their lives, she added.
“We wanted to create a safe and comfortable place for all the people who need help in this community,” said David Patrick Moses, architect for the new shelter.
“We wanted to create a safe and comfortable place for the employees to better help the people in need,” Moses continued, adding that the new facility will include family housing units, emergency housing units, transitional housing units, permanent housing units, courtyards, a full kitchen and more.
“We’ve done everything we can in both the building and the site to make it as energy efficient as possible,” Moses said.
Wishon & Carter Builders, Inc. is the contracted construction company and the estimated completion date is 11 months from the start of construction. Mason expects the facility to be completed in mid- to late-summer 2010, she said.
“The contract is signed and construction now is weather-permitting,” Mason said.
To donate to the Combined Campaign, mail checks to: Hospitality House, PO Box 309, Boone, NC 28607. Note in the memo line that the donation is for the Giving Hope a Hand campaign.
For more information about donating to the campaign, call 828-262-3461. For more information about the Hospitality House, click to www.HospitalityHouseOfBoone.org.
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