VOLUNTEER FAREWELL
Hello HFA supporters! Last month we hosted an end of year celebration for our 2016-2017 YAVs. It was wonderful to see all our community partners, volunteers (past and present), board members, and other supporters in the same space sharing laughs and stories from the year. Here are a few highlights from our volunteer reflections:
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"We just hit 162 move-ins for the year...The people that got moved in last September and the people who moved in this June all deserve the same amount of energy and passion put into their move-in. This year I learned that 'slow and steady' is absolute crap. Fast and steady is way better." -Jeremy Glidden
"Learning and living with people who are different from me has taught me that people want to hear from me. My roommates invited me to the table and reminded me that I have a voice. And it matters" -Briana Joseph
"I think the whole point of 'intentional community' is to learn to lean on each other when you need support. That is something I'm still learning, but I'm happy I can learn with Briana, Andy, and Jeremy...Our community isn't always pretty and shiny, but we try hard to love each other, and that's a beautiful thing."-Sammie Smith
"[At 12 Baskets] yes, the food is great and it's what gets people through the door, but it's also a commodity that is a human right. And we offer another thing with the food that is just as important and just as free: the reminder that everyone is a human being and things like where we sleep at night, how much money we have in our bank account, or what's in our past doesn't make us any better or worse than anyone else." -Andy Thomas
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THE YEAR IN NUMBERS
This year during the 2016-2017 program year, Hands and Feet volunteers have:
o provided over 5,376 hours of service to four nonprofit organizations in town including:
Homeward Bound - 156 move-ins for people who were previously without a home and 248 donation pick-ups
Habitat for Humanity - direct support to 115 volunteers
API's 12 Baskets - 14,000 meals served
UNCA/Hillcrest - more than 20,000 hours of relationship with children at the Hillcrest Enrichment Center
o attended 3 multi-day retreats focused on vocational discernment, the work of intentional communities, and spiritual exploration
o had over 40 “Friday morning meetings” where we discuss articles, documentaries, read books together and talk about everything from current events, politics, social movements, and individual leadership styles
o created and executed at least 38 painstaking weeks of coordinated meal planning and preparation
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If you are invested in further supporting the amazing volunteers who serve our city, visit
our website for more information on how to donate your time, talent, or money.
$30 supports a day of rental costs for our volunteers to live together in community.
$50 supports a day of our volunteers’ living stipends.
$75 supports a week of insurance for our organization to operate safely and responsibly.
$85 supports a day of employing our part-time Executive Director/Site Coordinator, who serves as the central support and contact our volunteers and nonprofit partners, and also helps the YAVs to process their experiences, discern their faith journey, and engage in life/vocational reflections.
$350 supports one volunteer’s retreat experience, when they step away from their daily work and refresh, review, and refocus together. Asheville YAVs participate in 2 retreats over their 11 months of service.
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HFA YAVs past and present came together for our end of year celebration!
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