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Hospitality House Celebrating Thirty-Five Years with “A Legacy of Hope” luncheon on August 16

Executive Director Tina B. Krause, along with the Hospitality House Board of Directors will be hosting its annual Hope Luncheon on Friday, August 16 in the heart of the High Country at Blue Ridge Mountain Club, where the Blue Ridge Mountains meet the Blue Ridge Parkway. This year something special is in store as Hospitality House commemorates its thirty-fifth anniversary and honors the legacy of its founding Faith Communities.

Presented by Mast General Store, Blue Ridge Mountain Club and The Gropper’s in honor of First Presbyterian Church, this year’s luncheon, “A Legacy of Hope,” will commence at 11:00 a.m. with a wine social and silent auction. Lunch will be served at noon with the program beginning at 12:30 p.m. and slated to end by 1:15 p.m.

“There is a lot of excitement around the luncheon this year,” states Krause. “We will be celebrating the unique beginnings of Hospitality House; as well as the thousands of individuals and families who have overcome homelessness through our programs these past thirty-five years.”

This year’s theme, “A Legacy of Hope,” honors the vision and commitment of concerned citizens and local churches in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s as they grappled with the sudden appearance of homeless residents in Boone. The Boone Coalition of Churches, consisting of St. Luke’s Episcopal, Grace Lutheran, Boone United Methodist, First Presbyterian, St. Elizabeth of the Hill Country and First Baptist, came together and began rotating basements and fellowship halls to shelter folks and offer a meal at night. By 1984, Hospitality House of the Boone Area Inc., was incorporated as its own nonprofit entity. A grant from the Episcopal Diocese of Western North Carolina, along with a private donation, allowed for the purchase of the original shelter at 302 W. King Street.

“There are very few homeless agencies that have the diverse, integrated and community oriented inception of Hospitality House,” says Hospitality House director of development Todd Carter. “Even as we have expanded beyond Watauga to six other counties, we continue to be blessed by our beginnings. That symbiotic, compassionate culture is in our DNA.”

2019 invite

This year, to better communicate the geographic region covered by the agency, Hospitality House changed its legal name to Hospitality House of Northwest North Carolina. Since 1995, Hospitality House has been serving the homeless populations of Ashe, Avery and Wilkes counties. In 2005, the counties of Alleghany, Mitchell and Yancey were added as the Northwest N.C. Continuum of Care was created to help rural communities apply for government funding through the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

 

The luncheon, catered by Chef Elliott of Blue Ridge Mountain Club, and supported by David Patrick Moses, Architects, Molecular Toxicology Inc. and High Country Souvenirs will feature floral décor by Fuschia Moss Floral Design, with an assist from Millefluers Unforgettable Flowers and Goldenrod Gardens; as well as an impressive array of silent auction items including over forty uniquely-themed gift baskets, a trip to The Spa at Chetola, a two-night stay at the Green Park Inn, four tickets to the NASCAR Hall of Fame, four tickets to the North Carolina Zoo, multiple pieces from local artists and much more.

 

There is no charge for attendees as all event costs are underwritten by sponsorships; however, at the program’s conclusion, guests will be asked to contribute to the mission of Hospitality House in the form of a check or 12-month pledge.

 

Hospitality House is encouraging all former board and staff members to attend. Seating is limited and guests must RSVP online at HospHouse.org/hope. For additional inquiries or information please email Carter at todd@hosphouse.org

 

Blue Ridge Mountain Club is just 1.5 miles off the Blue Ridge Parkway, located 4 miles from Blowing Rock and 7 miles from Boone. To learn more about Blue Ridge Mountain Club, visit them online at blueridgemountainclub.com, like them on Facebook/blueridgemountainclub and follow them on Twitter/@brmountainclub

 

To learn more about Hospitality House visit them online at HospHouse.org and follow them on Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat at @HospHouse or on Twitter @HospHouseNWNC