We know that so many of our community have been separated from each other, isolated, and lack access to the basic necessities of life. So many have experienced trauma in significant ways. All of this has led to increased depression and contributed to or exacerbated chronic illnesses. We see how that impacts individuals and the collective health of people in Western North Carolina. We believe that community by its very nature can change these realities. We believe that the call to love our neighbor is uniquely a call to community. We began as a place where people could come together out of isolation –children, elders, people experiencing homelessness and poverty, working families, people with disabilities, people of different faiths, indigenous people, people from Central and South America, African American people, students, formerly incarcerated people, people who experienced addiction and be the change to transform some of the toughest challenges we face–racism and systemic inequities, housing and food insecurity, poverty and poor health. We have grown into a vibrant place for people to belong, have purpose, and experience wholeness. We have held community gatherings, celebrated together and helped each other in our struggles. We also came to believe that together we could tackle some of the toughest challenges that our city and region faced.

Our racial equity and healing work includes education, cultural gatherings, creating local African American history trading cards for kids, Neighborhood fiestas, community events like our indigenous art exhibit and youth retreats. We build street altars around town to say “we see you, we love you, and we are holding space for you”.