Hearts of Hospitality

traces history of caring
By Caroline Monday

It’s no news that supporting the community takes a lot of heart. For the Hearts of Hospitality House having heart is more than just a name. It’s a mission.

The Hearts recently celebrated their annual Valentine’s Ball, exceeding their fundraising goals and topping previous earnings. About 160 community members came out to support this auxiliary group of Hospitality House, a nonprofit serving the area’s homeless population. The Hearts of Hospitality House works year-round to raise money to support the nonprofit and the ball is their biggest event.

Anne Spinetto, a member of the Hearts and ball organizer, said this year’s event was especially important. This year, plans for a new Hospitality House facility loom in the future.

Though the change will be a needed and very positive one, Spinetto said the needs are great.

“The needs will be huge this next year with furnishing and moving into the new facilities,” she said.

Spinetto pointed out that the present expense of acquiring and moving to the organization’s new facility is a worthwhile investment, as the current downtown facilities consist of older buildings, which need constant repair. “One of the biggest things Hearts of Hospitality House money has been used for over the years is for Band-Aids to keep the facilities running,” she said.

Past funds have gone to projects, such as constructing a new roof for one of the facilities or to the purchase of new appliances.

The new facility, which will be located in the Bamboo area, near the Hunger and Health Coalition, will require less of that sort of maintenance, allowing more money to go toward programming, Spinetto said.

“With the new facility, we can do more with the money we raise to help the people of the community,” she said.

The future location is also much larger than the current facility and offers a more appropriate space for the organization’s work.

“Not only is it bigger, it’s going to be more beneficial to the different kinds of clients that are served,” Spinetto said, noting how male and female clients will be able to be more appropriately separated there.

Hospitality House has served the area since 1981, when a group of six local churches came together to address the homeless needs of the area. The nonprofit runs two transitional facilities and one permanent supportive housing facility east of Boone in addition to an emergency shelter.

They also operate the Bread of Life soup kitchen and the Watauga Crisis Assistance Network (WeCAN), which helps individuals and families avoid eviction through crisis assistance.

The nonprofit started with a group of community members recognizing a local need, and that trend continued with the formation of the Hearts of Hospitality House in 1993.

Kay Borkowski, a Hospitality House board member, recognized the need for an auxiliary group to support the agency through fundraising. She invited 60 local women to a luncheon at her home and presented the idea to them. That very day, 30 of the women agreed to join in and thus the Hearts were formed.

Since that first luncheon, the Hearts have used the proceeds from their annual ball to support many projects, making Hospitality House’s day-to-day work of serving the community possible. They helped revamp the Sleeping Place in 2003 with a new roof and renovated family rooms. They have also replaced appliances for the Bread of Life soup kitchen and repaired the Rock Haven heating system. The Hearts have provided items as wide ranging as the roof over the agency’s head to the carpet under its feet.

For more information about how you can support the work of Hospitality House, including volunteer and giving opportunities contact Denny Hartman or Lynne Mason at (828) 264-1237.