2022 ABCCM Year End Booklet

Not just help for a day, but for life.

Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministry

ABCCM SERVANT LEADERSHIP CENTER

Reverend Scott Rogers, Ex. Dir

Jay Lee, Chief Operating Officer

Kami Doty, Chief Financial Officer

Jim Brewer, Altruism Officer

Pastor Nick Honerkamp, Church Development Director

Reverend Caleb Bradshaw, Volunteer Administrator

MEDICAL MINISTRY

The ABCCM Medical Ministry provides urgent care and medication assistance for uninsured adults between 18-65 in Buncombe County. Many patients are working two or more jobs to make ends meet.

Beth Reeves, FNP-BC, Director

Brittne Martens, Pharmacist

155 Livingston Street

Asheville, NC 28801 (828) 259-5339

Clinic and Pharmacy

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday 9am plus telephone triage all day

Thursday: telephone triage and pharmacy pick up. Call for times to pick up prescriptions

Refille Line: (828) 398-6687

PAGE 8 .... Jail Ministry

PAGE 9 .... Transformation Village

PAGE 10 ... Veterans Restoration Quarters

PAGE 11 ... Recovery Living Ministry

DIRECTORY

CRISIS MINISTRY

Four locations, serving people emergency assistance such as food, clothing, furniture and financial support for heat, utilities and rent/mortgage.

Crisis Ministry

Reverend Mary Messara, Director

24 Cumberland Avenue

Asheville, NC 28801

(828) 259-5300 (P)

• (828) 259-5307 (F)

Hours: Monday - Friday, 8:30am - 4:30pm

South Crisis Ministry

Rachel Buchheit, Coordinator

10 Buck Shoals Road Arden, NC 28704

(828) 259-5302 (P) • (828) 684-9825 (F)

Hours: Monday - Friday, 8:30am - 4:30pm

Hominy Valley Crisis Ministry

John Mendenhall, Coordinator 1914 Smokey Park Hwy Candler, NC 28715

(828) 259-5301 (P) • (828) 670-1220 (F)

Hours: Monday - Friday, 8:30am - 4:30pm

North Crisis Ministry

Sheryl Olsen, Senior Coordinator 403 Weaverville Highway Asheville, NC 28804

(828) 259-5303 (P) • (828) 259-5313 (F)

Hours: Monday - Friday, 10am - 2pm

PAGE 12 ... Veterans Services of the Carolinas

PAGE 13 ... Letter from Jim Brewer, PhD

PAGE 14 ... 2022 Special Events

PAGE 15 ... 2022 Honor Card

ABCCM LEADERSHIP

“Hands aren’t for hitting; hands are for helping.” This is a phrase I used with my own children as they were growing up, and it’s a phrase I still use to this day when working with children. It’s a phrase on repeat as you aim to teach kids to control themselves in a classroom setting. It’s a phrase that aims to help change a child’s focus when they have an impulse to lash out, get revenge, or respond in anger. It’s a phrase that aims to take selfishness and turn it into selflessness.

Jesus told the disciples that any authority we had, we would exercise differently than the world around us. We wouldn’t use our authority to benefit ourselves. We’d use what we have — our hands — to serve. Jesus didn’t make this an option. It was a command for those who identify as His followers.

JAIL MINISTRY

The ABCCM Jail Ministry serves the Buncombe County Detention Center (BCDC) through Bible studies and library services for detainees who need hope and direction in order to re-enter the community responsibly.

Chaplain Vanessa James vanessa.james@abccm.org

Chaplain Don Johnson don.johnson@abccm.org

20 20th Street, Asheville, NC 28806

DONATIONS MINISTRY & WAREHOUSE

Drop offs welcome at ABCCM South 9am-4pm; ABCCM North: 10am-1:45pm; ABCCM Hominy Valley: 9am-4pm; Downtown: 10am-3pm (Clothing and linens only)

VETERANS SERVICES OF THE CAROLINAS

VSC serves homeless Veterans and their families by meeting critical needs with short-term and long-term strategies to resolve their crises. Services: A Veteran Call Center 855-962-8387, homeless prevention, rapid rehousing, Veterans Employment and Training (VETS); and a HOPE program for chronically homeless Veterans and a suicide prevention program which launched October 2022.

ABCCM HOMELESS SERVICES

Provides safe places for Veterans, men, women and moms with children to heal, develop life skills, recovery living skills, receive good education and training which leads to living wage jobs and a permanent home. Eight out of ten leave with stable jobs and a home of their own. All three facilities provide “Save Haven” beds and meals during Code Purple when temperatures drop below 32˚

Volunteers are needed at all three Safe Havens: Cook Teams: shifts 4-7pm; Evening Activity volunteers: shifts 5-7pm & 7-9pm;  Life Skill teachers: shifts 7-9pm;  Mentors or Faithful Friends: shifts 5-7pm & 7-9pm

Veterans Restoration Quarters provides 250 beds primarily for Veterans along with 50 Code Purple beds

Tim McElyea, Director

1329 Tunnel Road, Asheville, NC 28805 • (828) 259-5333

Transformation Village provides 100 beds for women and children along with 50 Code Purple beds

Carolyn Cronin, Director

30 Olin Haven Way, Asheville, NC 28806

(828) 259-5365

Recovery Living Ministry at Costello House provides 20 beds for those committed to sobriety along with 30 Code Purple beds.

Alvarez Abernath, Director

141 Hillside St, Asheville, NC 28801 • (828) 259-5314

I’ve heard it said, “No one thinks themselves into a new way of practice — we practice our way into a new way of thinking.” I have found this to be true in my own life. I can think about a bunch of new ways of doing things, but until I practice, it’s not real. I want to encourage you to have your hands transformed through serving others by partnering with ABCCM. Volunteering provides the local church with tangible ways to see selflessness begin to develop in our lives.

Our hands can be used to take or to give, to hurt or to help, to break or to bless. ABCCM continues to provide places for Asheville/Buncombe area churches to practice using our hands to give, to help, and to bless. In a world that seems ready to use our hands to fight and take, we need to intentionally put ourselves into new places to learn the ways of Jesus … to use our hands as He would use His.

Serving as pastor of a church comes with many challenges and opportunities that provide a unique approach to ministry. In a perfect world, it would be nice for a church to be able to address all the challenges and opportunities that present themselves; however, we know that we do not live in that perfect world that would afford us that opportunity. Many of the requests that our church receives eventually cross my desk and not being able to address all the needs presented to me was an area of concern.

Tried Stone Baptist Church has been blessed to be able to partner with ABCCM to help address many of the needs that come to our church. Because of the broad range of services offered at ABCCM, those things that we may not be able to handle on a local church level, we are able to refer to ABCCM.

The youth of Tried Stone have ministered through the Veteran’s Quarters and on several occasions, they have been able to serve meals at the Veteran’s Quarters. Serving meals provided them with the chance to meet and to interact with the Veterans who have served our country and now find themselves trying to adjust to society for reasons that we may never fully understand. Our youth walked away not only having served but also with more compassion for their fellow man. They also had the chance to hear the stories of these men who have served to keep us free.

Tried Stone has also made it a point to help support the work of ABCCM on a financial basis. For several years, we have made ABCCM part of our yearly budget because we understand the fact that together we can do more than we can individually. By joining with all the churches that are part of ABCCM, it allows for a greater impact to assist those who find themselves in need. On a personal level, I have been afforded the opportunity to serve ABCCM as a board member and currently serve as vice chair of the Board of Directors. Next year, I will serve as President. Serving on the Board of Directors has given me an opportunity to understand the depth of the work that ABCCM really does. Most people will never be able to grasp the magnitude of all the moving parts and how they come together to form ABCCM and to help direct the mission.

Brandon

L. Wilson, Managing

Director 24 Cumberland Avenue, Asheville, NC 28801 (828) 398-6773

Email volunteer@abccm.org to learn how you can volunteer or go to www.abccm.org to read more about each ministry.

I would encourage everyone to look at ABCCM and the many opportunities for ministry and to take an active role by becoming a volunteer. By volunteering with ABCCM, it will become more than just some letters that the citizens of Asheville and Buncombe County are familiar with, but it will take on a whole new meaning--a meaning that will continue to help change lives.

— Dr. Elder Alfred E. Blount, Vice President ABCCM Board of Directors

Letters from Pastor Jason Garris & Elder Alfred E. Blount

— Pastor Jason Garris, President ABCCM Board of Directors

THE COME BACK YEAR MEDICAL MINISTRY

Here to Do Good for Someone

Dr. Steve Rinsler is a longtime volunteer physician at ABCCM’s Doctors’ Medical Clinic. Dr. Rinsler, a board-certified pediatrician, volunteers every Wednesday morning as a part of the multispecialty group. He is an affable man with a clear focus on helping the patient. He was late for our interview because he was with a first-time patient to the clinic and he wanted to give the patient a thorough check-up and a plan for follow-up treatments. “My primary concern is helping the patient as much as I can. If I can treat a relatively minor condition now, it will save the patient from suffering a major condition later on. The clinic is great because we (physicians) have as much time as we need for a patient.”

“I think it is time to come back and serve again!” More and more volunteers and churches have expressed this to Ministry leaders. ABCCM Ministries continue serving more of our neighbors in crisis, neighbors with food and clothing needs, medical and pharmacy needs, unhoused neighbors needing shelter, transitional housing, homeless prevention, stopping evictions; Veterans Employment and Training (VETS) providing pathways out of chronic homelessness, and a Veterans Crisis Call Center with Suicide Prevention in honor of Staff Sargent Fox.

Do you want to see the Bible come alive? Do you remember the story of feeding the 4,000, when Jesus “felt compassion for the multitude that was hungry?” ABCCM Crisis Ministry did this last May, last August; and in July, they fed the 5,000. Do you remember when the paralytic was let down through the roof, so Jesus could heal? The Clinic saw a paraplegic carried in by his family needing a special wheelchair, feeding tube and supplies that “just happened” to be in storage and exactly what the young man needed. We have spoken with the “woman at the well” who came to know Jesus and is worshipping in spirit and truth with her new congregation. We have watched Veterans experience such restoration in their lives that they were laughing and telling everyone what God and His people had done for them.

Who is our neighbor? Throughout this booklet, you will read and see the testimonies of neighbors helping neighbors. I remember neighbors helping neighbors and still call those “the good old days.” “The good old days” are still being lived out right now, right here, through 300+churches and 4000+

neighbors who volunteer, who are our local missioners. We bring the best of community to others. We invite the outcasts into intentional community and witness miracles, restoration, and transformation.

ABCCM is solving BIG needs in our community by being good neighbors.

Veterans’ homelessness – we have met functional zero, everyone has Code Purple Safe Havens – keeping our neighbors from freezing on

• Stopping evictions

• SSG Fox Veterans Suicide Prevention and Call Center. We are serving all 100 NC counties and creating Veterans Crisis Response Teams to resolve crises.

• A free clinic with medical services and medications, providing collaboration with Project Access to 3 out of 4 working uninsured.

• Where 8 out of 10 homeless graduate from transitional housing with living wage jobs, permanent housing, and are reintegrated into community and faith-life.

• Offer Veterans’ employment and training services in 56 counties.

• Recovery Living Ministry offers a Christian-principled clinical treatment program, primarily for homeless men with substance use and mental health issues at Costello House.

— Reverend Scott Rogers, Executive Director

The Rinslers moved to Asheville in 2006 after retiring in 2004 from a career of practice that included working for the FDA, in private industry and traveling the country. They were looking for an area with natural beauty, — one that was intellectually active, and that also offered lots of physical activities. They chose Asheville for these and other reasons.

“Retirement was an unknown,” Steve says. “Not working and, in a sense, free to do what we wanted.” When he learned about the North Carolina retired limited volunteer medical license, he decided this was an opportunity he wanted to pursue. “We had volunteered for a month in Ecuador and enjoyed it,” he recalled. After receiving his license, he contacted the clinic and was invited to visit. That was in 2007, and he still visits every Wednesday.

Dr. Rinsler thinks the clinic is nicely organized and well-run and that the staff is warmhearted. “It’s a very nice environment to practice,” he said. “The clinic gave me the opportunity to practice medicine, which I love, and to help others. I feel privileged to be a part of an organization that values every person. It’s not always easy, but I believe that I am here to do good for someone.”

Pray for: healing for working uninsured persons and for the medicine for treatment.

Serve: Mon, Tues, Wed. open 9am Clinic sessions; Care management in afternoon. Check for specialty clinic hours.

Volunteers needed: Receptionists – Charting – Intake - Physicians – Nurses – CNAs –Pharmacists - Pharm Techs – Students – Residency Give: Unopened prescription and over-the-counter medications, dental supplies (such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, floss), and cleaning supplies.

$5=antibiotics, $10=medicine, $25=labs, $50=medical visit, $100=medication assistance, $500=health care navigation, $1000=morning medical session.

PRAY. SERVE. GIVE.

CRISIS MINISTRY OUR DAILY BREAD AT SONRISE

VOLUNTEERING SUITS HER TO A “TEE” (WE ARE ALL GOD’S CHILDREN)

Margaret (Tee) Conroy is a native of Chattanooga, TN. You will find her volunteering three days a week as a counselor and in the clothing room at the Crisis Ministry, located at 24 Cumberland Ave. As a former CPA and business owner, Tee was living in downtown Philadelphia in 2017, when, attracted by the beauty of the mountains and proximity of family, she decided to make Asheville her retirement home.

“Originally, I thought I would travel more, then settle down, see what was going on and maybe get involved somewhere.” But soon after moving to Asheville, she was stricken with an unknown illness. Fortunately, her malady was identified and treated, but the road to recovery was arduous. It was during Tee’s convalescence that she first heard about ABCCM. A caregiver shared her story of how, when she’d had a health crisis, ABCCM had supported her and her children. Shortly after hearing that story, Tee, as she is affectionately called by her co-volunteers, joined St. Mark’s Lutheran, where she learned of the church’s long support of and involvement with ABCCM.

“After hearing about ABCCM so many times, I decided to call and find out for myself.” Tee called and came down to meet with staff and volunteers. Soon, she started volunteering one afternoon a week. Quickly, one day turned into two. Then she trained as a counselor, and now she’s helping at least three days a week. “ABCCM has been such a gift to me,” she said. “There’s a lot of love here. It’s a big piece of my life and makes my life make sense.”

While volunteering, Tee meets volunteers from many other churches — some very conservative, and others liberal. “But when we get here, we are

not about our differences. We all believe in our mission. I see their love for what they do, and it is so much bigger than our differences.”

Tee loves working with the people who come to the Crisis Ministry for help. She recalled a time when she lived in Philadelphia and met Fred, a man who lived on the streets. “His spot was at the corner of my street. Over the course of time, I got to know Fred and heard his story. He was, in a sense, my neighbor as much as anyone else living on the street.” She came to understand that Fred’s story and the stories of so many others may have resulted from bad decisions or bad circumstances, but that these people were just like her but with different life experiences.

As we sit and talk, another volunteer comes up and asks Tee to help find some clothes for a couple waiting outside. We go to the clothing room, where Tee puts her accounting experience to work. The first list seeks items for a man. She is able to find suitable clothes but no shoes. “We always need men’s shoes.” Once the list is completed, she continues to the next list, this one for a woman. She finds many items for the waiting woman, and Tee takes them outside to ask the young woman which ones she likes. “I always try to give our clients a choice,” she declares.

“We are all God’s children,” she says. “We might not see it out there …” (here, she gestures towards a window indicating the outside world) “… but in here …” (she gestures again, this time to indicate the Crisis building) “… we see it. We are a place of forgiveness and love.”

CRISIS MINISTRY CON’T

The first thing to notice about Monday mornings at Sonrise Kitchen is the sound of laughter. That laughter comes from Kathy Gainey and Nancy Osbourne, who volunteer every Monday, handing out to-go lunches to the unhoused of West Asheville. Kathy began volunteering four years ago at the Crisis Ministry on 24 Cumberland Ave. When ABCCM opened the new lunch program Our Daily Bread at Sonrise, she volunteered to come every Monday to help. Nancy also began volunteering at Sonrise when it opened two years ago.

Friendship developed between the two women and Marshall, “The Soup Guy,” and the work they do still motivates them. “We look forward to Mondays, which is something we never said while we were working,” Kathy adds, laughing.

Kathy is a retired Army officer who wanted to give back in some manner and to carry on a family tradition. “My parents were very active in their communities and inculcated that ethic into us, so from an early age, my siblings and I volunteered. After I retired, I became involved with other organizations and then found ABCCM — first the Veterans Restoration Quarters, and then the Crisis Ministry.”

Nancy’s path to volunteering is one shared by many volunteers. “I’m here because of her,” Nancy, a retired realtor, says, pointing to Kathy, “and I stayed

because of her.” Many begin volunteering at ABCCM to join a friend who is already volunteering.

Kathy and Nancy arrive every Monday at 8:30 a.m. to begin preparing the lunches. Marshall, affectionately called “The Soup Guy,” picks up the ingredients from a former volunteer, Carol Burnette, who stills helps even though she can no longer come herself. As the soup cooks, Kathy and Nancy lay out the sandwiches and other items that go into the lunch bags. Everything is arranged in a very organized and logical order, a reflection of Kathy’s military background. Nancy recalls her first day of volunteering at Sonrise. “On my first day, I peeled four dozen boiled eggs for egg salad,” she laughs. “Marshall makes perfect boiled eggs.” Kathy adds. “We have a beautiful system. Team effort makes it all that much better.” In addition to handing out lunches, the friends also hand out flyers with information about and the locations of other organizations that provide services to the unhoused population.

“We get to know the locals,” Kathy says. “We become like a family. Everyone looks out for each other. A deaf and mute woman came for a lunch in the winter, but she was not wearing shoes. Another man saw her and gave the woman his own shoes to wear. Of course, they were a little too big, but he said, ‘That just leaves room for extra socks.’ Another regular made little gift baskets for us during Christmas. A former regular, who had come by several times for lunch, found a job and donated $20 to help others.”

Because of acts like these, Nancy and Kathy feel like they gain much more than they give. Nancy explains, “It is an honor working with these two and volunteering here.”

“We feel like we are really doing something,” Kathy says. “If anyone wants to feel like part of a family, come join ABCCM.”

PRAY. SERVE. GIVE.

Pray: for families in crisis with hunger, with being evicted, needing warmth.

Serve: M-F 8:30-12:30 or 12:30-4:30 shifts.

Areas: Receptionists – Charting - Counselors Food Pantry boxes/bags – Clothing Room - Soup Kitchen. Give: Have a food drive, collect blankets/coats/hats/gloves in church/business/neighborhood.

Food: $1 = lunch - $10 = bus tokens - $25 = food bag, Emergency financial help: $50 = keep water on, $100 = keep lights on Utilities/Rent: $250 = propane fill - $500 = oil tank fill/ rent - $1000 = stop evictions

JAIL MINISTRY

Seeds

“It still amazes me – the love God has for the broken,” Wendy Long says of her experience volunteering with the ABCCM Jail Ministry.

Wendy is a vibrant, passionate woman who lives the Gospel through her love and commitment to the women of the Buncombe County Detention Center. Five years ago, she felt the Lord calling her to retire from her ministry in Blairsville, GA and return to her hometown of Asheville, North Carolina to tend to her elderly mother. When she’s not volunteering or caring for her mother, Wendy delivers flowers or answers calls at the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association Prayer Line at the Cove. “This isn’t where I saw myself at my age. I thought I’d stay in ministry into my seventies, but I felt God calling me to come home and be with my mother. I was the child to take care of her. It’s a full-time job, and it’s challenging, but God calls us to give of ourselves, to lay down our wants.”

Before her ministry to broken women in Georgia, Wendy had lived in addiction for many years. Christmas Eve of 2005 found her on the side of the road, desperately seeking divine comfort. “I could stay clean for a week or a month, but something would trigger me and I would fall right back in. And that night, I just did not see any way out. I called out to Him and said, ‘I’m just so done.’ And a truck pulled over and told me to get in, and I was in Blairsville on Christmas Day. There was a card on the microwave for a pastor, I called him, and I was saved on January 2, 2006.” The pastor, Richard Peacock, and his wife Jana discipled Wendy in the following years. “It was a miracle,

TRANSFORMATION VILLAGE

really,” Wendy recalls. “Before that, I was in and out of jail. That’s why the Jail Ministry is so important to me, because I’ve been there. I know these women.”

She tells the story of how God had sown seeds in her life long before her salvation in 2006. During one of her stints in incarceration, she attended a Bible study where the leader said, “Always remember God loves you.” Throughout her addiction struggles, Wendy remembered those words, and the night of December 24, 2005, she says, “The Holy Spirit was letting me know that I had to change my life.”

Now, over 16 years later, she’s back in jail, leading Bible studies to remind the detainees that nothing can separate us from God’s love. “You know, these aren’t bad women. They have trauma. Some of them have been taught to use drugs at the age of 9. I know these women. These are my people, and I love them. And I want them to see what God can do with a life, with faith the size of a mustard seed.”

She’s been serving for four years in the BCDC, letting the Lord lead her to topics of study. “I want the women to participate. I ask them to volunteer to read aloud, and they are ready to be involved. And sometimes they’ll come to me with topics they want to cover. His Word won’t return void.”

When asked what she would say to anyone thinking of volunteering with the Jail Ministry, she says, “Have you prayed about it? Do you believe God has called you here? Because that’s the only way you stay the course. The Lord keeps me coming back. His hope and His love keep me coming back to this ministry.”

In the book of Matthew, Jesus uses the Parable of the Talents to illustrate the importance of wisely investing the gifts God gives His people. Johnny Ko has been investing his talents in service to others for most of his life, believing wholeheartedly in sharing his gifts and blessings.

“Sewing has been an integral part of my life. I was the youngest of nine kids. There were six years between me and the second youngest, so I was the ‘oops’ baby. When we had family gatherings, to keep me out of their hair, they would give me scraps of fabric to sew, and I would pretend to make clothes for stuffed animals. And as I got older, I learned to read patterns, and I would sew dresses for my sisters, my mom and my nieces. I’ve made lots of prom dresses, Johnny Ko says with a big smile. Sewing was also a common thread to bond with his sister when she moved from Hong Kong and settled in New York City. “I didn’t meet my oldest sister until I was 16 or 17. She owned her own sewing factory, and for a time, I debated between studying fashion design at the New York Institute of Fashion or dentistry.

“As a teenager, I had crooked teeth, and my mother took me to the orthodontist, and I was amazed that you could straighten teeth with these metal bars and bands! Dentistry seemed more financially secure.” For over 30 years, Johnny had a successful dentistry practice in Memphis, Tennessee, and when the time came to retire, he shared his blessings by bequeathing his practice to a client he’d served since she was 6 years old. “Jessica had the personality to lead the practice I’d built.”

Like so many of ABCCM’s volunteers, Johnny Ko is failing at retirement. When he sold his family dentistry practice and moved to Asheville, he thought he’d spend

his retirement working in a garden, sewing here and there, spending time with the dogs, and maybe doing some traveling. As is usually the case, God had other plans for Johnny’s plethora of talents.

“I had all this fabric and when I came to donate it to Steadfast House, the Program Director asked if I wanted to teach a sewing class — so I ended up teaching a sewing class twice a week,” he says. When the pandemic hit, like so many things, the classes were shut down. During 2020 and 2021, Transformation Village was being built, and when it came time for the residents to move from Steadfast House to Transformation Village, Carolyn [the new Program Director] called and asked if Johnny would help with the move and if he was ready to resume volunteering.

Now, in 2022, Johnny is teaching a sewing class, with support and donations from organizations like the Carolina Textile District and the Asheville Quilt Guild. “Scott Rogers came to me one day and said: ‘Let me show you your new sewing room,’ and I said, ‘You’re going to get us a whole room?!’” He laughs at the memory. “And then Carolyn called me and told me AB-Tech brought in eight industrial sewing machines, and we put together a curriculum for an industrial sewing class. So far, four people have completed the course and three already have jobs. Of those four, only one of them had sewn before taking the class.”

It’s clear that Johnny is proud of his students, as he recounts the trials of Stephanie. “She had never sewn before, and by the end, she was the most improved. At first, when she would mess up, you would hear all these profanities and giggles, and then one day, the lightbulb came on. It was so fulfilling to watch that process.

“My parents wanted us to be educated, because education expands your life, and that doesn’t always mean college. Sewing is a viable career option, and I feel so blessed to have found a group of like-minded people who want to make a difference in the lives of others. I mean, how can you not share God’s gifts? Think about your life and what gifts you have and how you can share those with other people.”

Pray for: resident’s spiritual formation, emotional and physical wellness. Pray for Hope, Healing, and Honor so that they can be equipped with whatever they need to achieve stability, life-skills, education, job-training, getting a job, getting an apartment as they reintegrate into the community.

PRAY.

Pray for: detainees at the crossroads needing meaning, purpose, reconciliation.

Serve: Bible study leaders (2 each) in 1 hour blocks, morning, noon, evening. Clergy, Chaplains to engage with their denomination parishioners.

Give: Large print paperback Bibles, spiritual formation and light reading. Reading glasses. Christmas stuffers of toiletries (list on website).

$10 - $25 -$50 - $100 to help with re-entry into community with needs such as transportation, phone, food, work clothes.

Pray for patience for the moms with children as they navigate life’s challenges.

Serve: Monday through Friday in shifts from 9-12, 1-5, or 7-9; Cook teams, receptionists, data entry, beauticians, life-skills teachers, Bible study leaders, child enrichment leaders, after school tutors, mentors.

Give: food/meals, work clothes-uniforms and shoes, cleaning supplies and toiletries. $10= 3 meals a day, $25= education materials, $30 bus tokens, $50=work clothes, $75= one day stay, $100= trauma care, $250= recovery care, $350= 4 weeks of classes, $500= health care, $750= 1 semester class training and materials, $1000= reintegration assistance.

Wendy Long and her mother

SERVE. GIVE.

The Many Talents of Johnny Ko

PRAY. SERVE. GIVE.

VETERANS RESTORATION QUARTERS

Connections

“I was looking for something to connect with after covid. A lot of people were just looking to find a connection, and this was definitely an answer for me,” Laura Goodman says of her volunteer work at the Veterans Restoration Quarters. Originally from Lexington, NC, Laura started serving as an Outreach liaison for Elevation Church a little over a year ago. Her job as a liaison not only allows her to find community and connect with others, but it allows others to find community and connection through her. Elevation Outreach’s goal is to have at least one event at the Veterans Restoration Quarters once a month, whether that’s a cook team or painting or working on a walkway.

Laura gets visibly excited about an upcoming project she’ll be coordinating in December. “It’s going to be so much fun decorating for Christmas this year. We started doing this last year. We get trees, mini-trees, lots of lights, and we just go all out. We try to do that around Thanksgiving so the Veterans have plenty of time to enjoy them. It’s just wonderful. I just love it. We always pack Christmas gift bags for them. ”

Laura’s calendar is a busy one. She works full time as a senior manager solutions architect for an IT company, she is a mother, and she serves and attend Elevation Church where she’s been a member since 2015. “Working as an IT consultant has definitely been helpful in my work as an Outreach liaison because both jobs require relationship building. If you’re going to be coordinating events with materials, to stay organized you have to communicate well with people and have good working relationships,” she says.

RECOVERY LIVING MINISTRY at COSTELLO HOUSE

God’s Handiwork

Laura lights up as she talks about the VRQ residents and staff, citing them as one of her main reasons for continually coming back to serve. “I love them. I love hearing their stories. There’s one guy named Michael who does sketches of people going through the line or those who are on cook teams. I also always enjoyed seeing Stewart and listening to his stories.”

While she volunteers through Elevation and at other organizations like Habitat for Humanity, Laura says she is especially happy serving Veterans. “I love what the VRQ does. So many of my family members are Veterans, and I really have a heart for them. You know, God has called all of us to be servants, and they have served more than most of us ever will. A lot of them came back changed. We volunteer so they don’t feel like they’re forgotten or they’re not loved. We want to show them that we’re going to take care of them because they’ve already served us.”

When asked what she would say to anyone considering volunteering at ABCCM, Laura said, “Just sign up and try it out. Try a couple different things and find what you like. There’s plenty of work to be done. A lot of people underestimate their abilities, but no matter what you do, if it’s small or big, you can do it for the Lord. Sometimes all you need to do is spread mulch or paint. My folks actually came up to paint with us, which is another thing that I love about volunteering here. My family can get involved!”

PRAY. SERVE. GIVE.

Pray for: Veterans’ spiritual formation, emotional and physical wellness so that they can be equipped with whatever they need to achieve stability, life-skills, education, job-training, getting a job, getting an apartment as they reintegrate into community.

Serve: Monday through Friday in shifts from 9-12, 1-5, or 7-9; Cook teams, receptionists, data entry, barbers, life-skills teachers and Bible study leaders, mentors

Give: Give: food/meals, work clothes-uniforms and shoes, cleaning supplies, toiletries. $10= 3 meals a day, $25= education materials, $30 bus tokens, $50=work clothes, $75= one day stay, $100= trauma care, $250= recovery care, $350= 4 weeks of classes, $500= health care, $750= 1 semester class training and materials, $1000= reintegration assistance.

Some people work towards retirement; others have retirement thrust upon them. Up until 2007, Chris Wright worked as a house painter. It was a job he says that used the abilities God had gifted him. He enjoyed his work, and he did it well. All that changed in 2007 when a car accident nearly killed him. “The doctors were calling in the family to say goodbye. But God had other plans. His plans weren’t done with me yet.” While his accident left him unable to climb a ladder, Chris remained unstoppable. You see, Chris’s life had been drastically changed by his love of the Lord. Before his career as a painter, he’d been a musician, playing everything from bass guitar to the keyboard. He’d lived that rock-and-roll life, and found himself homeless on three separate occasions. “I’d been in jail, I’d done drugs, but there’s a line in the show The Chosen where Mary Magdalen says, “ ‘I was one way, and now I’m completely different. And the thing that happened in between was Him.’ And that was me. That was my story. The Lord made me completely different. And that is my message to guys here at Costello House and the VRQ. While we were yet sinners, Jesus died for us. And that is … that is good news.”

After recovering from the accident, Chris asked God to use his gifts and abilities. “Ephesians

2:10 says, ‘For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.’ And so after I stopped painting houses, I prayed that he show me how to use the gifts He entrusted in me long before the accident even happened.” That prayer led him to start volunteering with his small group from New Life Community Church at the Veterans Restoration Quarters as part of a cook team. In no time, he bonded with the residents there. “I had a past. I’d been where they’d been. Caleb [Bradshaw, volunteer administrator for ABCCM] asked me if I would be a Chaplain one day a week. Afterward, I went to him and I said, ‘I can’t do one day a week. But I can do four or five days a week.’ I volunteered as a Chaplain Monday through Friday, and on Saturdays I took some of the guys fishing. And then on Sundays, I took ‘em to church.”

When the Costello House opened for Code Purple last year, Chris decided to extend his Chaplaincy talents towards the residents there. “I know how chaotic it can be. I came here and introduced myself as Chaplain Chris. And I tell each guy, ‘Here’s one thing I can tell you. Just this one thing. You matter to God Himself.’ That’s how I start those conversations about the Lord, reminding them that they are God’s handiwork,” he says, referencing Ephesians 2.

Chris stays busy between his work at the VRQ and the Costello House but notes it’s “a good busy.” He sees lives changed right before his eyes. “There are some guys that it just blows my mind seeing Ephesians 2 in action. These guys are made alive through Christ, and I just want to be a part of it.

“There is never a day I don’t want to come here.” He means it, too. The day of our interview, Chris wasn’t feeling particularly well as he was in the process of healing from shingles, but after being cleared by his doctor, he quickly made his way back to disciple the residents of the Costello House.

Chris’s love for the Lord and for the men at the two shelters radiates off of him, but his passion isn’t the sort of passion that burns so fiercely that it burns out. Instead, he is driven by something sustainable and encouraging: the transformative love of God. “I have seen some folks volunteer because they wanted to give back. They don’t volunteer long. But if it’s in your heart to see people transformed, give. It’s just all about the heart. This is the perfect place to give of yourself. You’ll see the results of it.”

VETERANS SERVICES OF THE CAROLINAS

When Life Gives You Lemons...

Candace Lemon is better equipped than most to understand the hardships some Veterans face. “I’ve been there. I’ve been that person.”

Born in Pennsylvania, Candace grew up in New Bern, North Carolina. In 2006, she enlisted in the Army and served in Alaska. “I was supposed to work in the kitchen, but I had a security clearance, so I worked in the Intel Office.” The mother of three children aged 17, 14, and 7, Candace is also a full-time student, a Certified Peer Support Specialist, and is studying to earn her degree in business. “My kids are the most important thing though,” she says solemnly. Like other Veterans before her, she fell on hard times after her discharge from the service in 2009. Following some traumatic experiences and situations, Candace had to take the time to recover and heal, which meant temporarily being separated from her kids. “They are so amazing. They are so forgiving.”

Her hardships have not embittered her. Instead, Candace is a resilient and compassionate member of the VSC team. “I volunteer with Veterans Services of the Carolinas because I wish someone had been there to do these things for me. I don’t think it’s possible to do enough for those in bad situations. The staff here love helping people, they are like a family, and they include me which is just so special.”

As a volunteer, she serves anywhere and everywhere. “Sometimes I help Veterans move their stuff when they’re leaving one place to go to another; sometimes I hand out items at stand-downs; and sometimes I’m helping with everyday things like grocery shopping. They know if they need me, they can call me and I’ll be right there. I mean, one time I was just sorting an enormous pile of diapers that were donated. I’m sort of a PRN volunteer. Sometimes I’ll just drive around with staff to give out supplies and business cards so that Veterans know that they can come to us for help.”

“I enjoy volunteering with VSC because I get to see the changes in Veterans’ lives. The work we do may seem small, but it feels good to see how the small things can change so much for them. Being able to help a Veteran move into his new apartment was a very memorable experience for me. He was not able to do it himself because of physical limitations. And we knew that was something he was really struggling about. He was worried and anxious about what to do. After we got there and set up the apartment for him, he was so grateful. I got to see firsthand how much something like moving some furniture can change someone’s life. For me it’s all about supporting others in need. And VSC is great at supporting people in need, no matter what that need may be.”

When she’s not studying or volunteering, Candace practices self-care by going to the gym and doing arts and crafts. “My family is very creative, but I just really like to clean. I take it too far sometimes. It keeps me content and busy. I also really enjoy coloring,” she says, laughing. “Have you ever heard of Diamond Dotz®? It’s like paint-by-number, but you’re using these little tiny diamonds to make a picture.” The Mayo Clinic reports that activities like coloring can calm the fear center of the brain and reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety as well as body aches and insomnia. “It’s just soothing,” Candace says.

“If you’re thinking about volunteering, do it. It’ll be well worth your time. You can gain a lot of really great insight into what some of these people are going through, and it feels good to give hope to someone who needs it.”

YOU DID FOR ME

Pray for: Veterans families to prevent evictions and rapidly rehouse, food for families, education and job training, finding good jobs and apartments/homes. Pray that they will be receptive to VSC’s outreach.

Serve: Call center agents, stand-down volunteers to do mental health screenings, benefits screenings, Give: Food (nonperishable), toiletries, clothes- especially socks and underwear.

$25= education materials, $30 bus tokens, $50=work clothes, $75= one day stay, $100= suicide prevention, $250= recovery care, $350= continuing education class, $500= transportation assistance, $750= 1 semester class, $1000= reintegration assistance.

You have read these stories of our wonderful volunteers and how they have helped thousands of our neighbors overcome hardships and crises. Volunteers are very important to our ministries. Donors are also very important to our ministries and mission. As 2022 draws to a close, thank you for your support that has helped so many of our neighbors. For example, your gifts for our Code Purple program in January and February provided hot meals and warm clothes for men and women experiencing homelessness. More importantly, because of your gifts, Code Purple people left homelessness, moved in to stay at one of our residential locations and have since rejoined our communities and churches.

Helping to provide a pathway from homelessness to community is just one example of the many ways your contributions have benefited our neighbors. Your gifts have helped to feed the hungry with over 47,000 boxes of food totaling 214,000 pounds; to stop over 1,400 evictions so far; to clothe the needy with distributing 131,000 pieces of clothing; to treat the sick with medical care and prescriptions for nearly 5,000 patients at our free medical clinic; to comfort the prisoner with Bible studies; and to take in the strangers by providing shelter and training to hundreds of men and women at the Veterans Restoration Quarters, Transformation Village and the Recovery Living Ministry at the Costello House.

Despite these successes, many people in our communities are struggling to make ends meet. Requests for food and utilities assistance is up almost 6% compared to last year. If you have given already this year, I ask you to consider giving again, if you are able. If you have not yet given, I ask you to consider donating before year-end. Your donations will bring comfort and benefit to our neighbors facing hardships and deprivation. Our independent auditors confirm that 93.6¢ of every dollar you donate goes for direct services.

All gifts are appreciated deeply. Please utilize the attached envelope by choosing the amount of your donation, select the area that you want to support, complete the information section, enclose your check and send it by mail; or, you can go online to www.abccm.org (donate) to make a secure credit card donation.

We are grateful beyond measure for your willingness to share your gifts with those in crisis. YOU have our heartfelt thanks and the gratitude of those we serve. May God Bless you and yours.

— Jim Brewer, PhD, Altruism Officer

“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.”

(Matt. 25:35-36)

Volunteer cook team serving at the Veterans Restoration Quarters

Volunteers receiving donated food at the Crisis Ministry

PRAY. SERVE. GIVE.

2022 SPECIAL EVENTS

Safe and Warm

ABCCM’s annual Safe & Warm event is expanding to help with Code Purple. The event covers Safe Havens for people needing emergency shelter during cold weather; heating/utility assistance for families and the elderly living on fixed incomes; and a blanket and warm clothing drive. Safe & Warm will run January through February and November through December.

Honor a Veteran Lunch

The 4th annual Honor A Veteran lunch will be held on Friday, November 10, 2023 in several counties. ABCCM is the 5th largest provider of Veteran services in the U.S. Please visit Veterans Honor Wall to learn more at www.abccm.org/veteran-honor-wall

“MAKING A DIFFERENCE”

March Against Hunger

March kicks off ABCCM’s new month-long food drive to restock pantries and supplies that have been depleted during the winter months. All month long, churches will collect groceries to help feed the hungry in our communities.

Christmas Angel

Christmas Angel 2023 will begin on November 15, 2023 and continue until Christmas Eve.

The 38th “Restoring Lives” Golf Classic

The 38th “Restoring Live” Golf Classic will be held on May 16, 2023, at The Cliffs and Walnut Cove Golf Club. Funds raised will be used to support ABCCM’s Transitional Housing and Training & Employment programs.

Return to Bethlehem

ABCCM’s Return To Bethlehem will take place December 7-10, 2023 at Groce United Methodist Church. North Carolina’s longest-running live Nativity Drama depicts the marketplace of Bethlehem on the day of the birth of Jesus.

Transformation Celebration: Gala and Auction

Live & Virtual, ABCCM’s annual Transformation Gala & Auction will be held on August 25, 2022 at Transformation Village.

A chance meeting in 1987 with Mike Saavedra, a homeless man, changed artist William Mangum’s life forever. As their friendship grew, so did Bill’s perspective and heart to make a difference for the homeless and needy as well. Now in it’s 35th year, Bill’s annual painting for the Honor Card Program has raised nearly $10 million to aid fourteen agencies and their outreach missions across the state. One hundred percent of every donation goes directly to local agencies to support those who have stumbled along life’s path. Your support and gifts are “Making a Difference” to thousands of lives this Holiday Season; thank you.

To learn more about this year’s inspiration and new book, visit thehonorcard.com. William Mangum has made the decision that this will be his last year for creating his Honor Cards.

those in need. There are the sacrifices that please God.”

Hebrews 13:16 NIV

WAYS TO ORDER

• Online at www.abccm.org/honor-card

• Available at any of our Ministry locations (see Directory, page 1) - minimum donation $5

• Mail a check to 20 20th Street, Asheville, NC 28806 with the number of cards requested. Or, ABCCM staff will personalize and mail cards for you; just include names and addresses of your friends and family.

• Contact Ashley Starnes at ashley.starnes@abccm.org or 828-259-5305

“And do not forget to do good and to share with

Honor Card 2022

Asheville Buncombe Community

Christian Ministry 20 20th Street

Asheville, NC 28806

ASHEVILLE BUNCOMBE COMMUNITY

CHRISTIAN MINISTRY

ABCCM is generously supported by 300+ churches of all denominations and almost 4,000 trained volunteers. ABCCM stimulates doing together what individual congregations and individuals cannot do separately. We serve anyone in need regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, or disability. While responding to meet emergency needs, we develop strategic plans to address root causes of poverty, take steps to achieve independent living skills and restore lives in the community. We accomplish this through these ministries: Crisis Ministry, Jail Ministry, Veterans Restoration Quarters, Transformation Village, Medical Ministry and Veteran Services of the Carolinas.