In the Reconciliation House kitchen with Thrive Appalachia
Reconciliation House (Rec House), a Christian outreach ministry, has served the people of Yancey County for more than 40 years, providing emergency assistance with necessities such as food, clothing, stable and safe housing, bill payments and transportation. Rec House raises funds through financial donations, foundation grants, thrift sales and annual fundraisers such as Hard Times, High Hopes, Helping Hands, a concert event which will be held Friday, June 20, from 6:30-9 p.m. at the Burnsville Town Center.
Reconciliation House volunteers Stinson and Randy
“This concert has been the generous offering of the community of musicians to Reconciliation House for the past 10 years, and this year we have stepped in to assist in the coordination,” says Jacquie Lunari, who provides client services for Rec House. “We plan to expand the event to showcase some of our collaborations, such as snacks from successful businesses that have incubated in our kitchen as well as the talent and generosity of our donors. We really want to be a part of keeping this concert going and bringing music and joy to the community that has been so generous to our organization which helps the most vulnerable.”
Over the years, Reconciliation House has grown from a small assistance agency to an essential source of emergency assistance. During the weeks following Hurricane Helene’s devastation, the organization gathered, sorted and delivered food and supplies to those in need.
Back-of-vehicle giveaway
Even eight months after the storm, needs in Yancey County are numerous, and include housing, assistance with utilities, replacement of bridges that link communities, and access to food. “Loss and damage to farmland and grocery stores have seriously impacted community access to local food and supplies,” Lunari says, “and the many distribution centers that popped up after Helene to distribute the donations that were pouring in from all over the country are, in many cases, winding down operations and trying to relocate their stores of supplies back to organizations like Rec House that are equipped with the people and processes to manage this work. We continue to expand our food pantry hours and food delivery services to meet the increased demand.”
Some of the featured musicians for this year’s Hard Times, High Hopes, Helping Hands are Kirk Banner, Hot Duck Soup, Hot Club of Buladean, Lucindagail Maynard, Lucky Streak, Ferguson & Northup, Sam McKinney, Susan Scoggins, ShooBees, Symbiosis, and Roberta Whiteside. A silent auction of several dozen handmade and vintage quilts donated from around the country will also be held.
“We’ve added some food offerings from two of our business kitchen clients that represent two very sweet success stories,” says Lunari. Thrive Appalachia, a local nonprofit focused on empowering local teens in gaining marketable skills and profits from their products, will be providing ice cream that they make and sell in Rec House’s shared community kitchen, and East Fork Foods, a business startup that began in the Rec House kitchen and will soon open a brick-and-mortar, full-service café in Bakersville, will offer sandwiches.
The Burnsville Town Center is located at 6 South Main Street, Burnsville. Purchase tickets for the concert at the door or at rec-house.org/fundraiser.
