Valle Crucis answers the call

Valle Crucis Conference Center, Banner Elk, NC, and their surrounding community were also hit hard by Helene. In the immediate aftermath, they acted as a community center - providing food, hygiene supplies, charging centers, and hot showers to the local town. They opened every day, as long as their generator would let them, and gave away everything they could. 

By mid October, it became clear that the local school was not going to be able reopen their building. Valle Crucis, a local Episcopal parish, and the local technical school opened their doors to the grade schoolers. Valle Crucis is hosting the 2nd-5th graders in their Mission School classrooms (which hadn't been used as actual classrooms in 82 years).

Executive Director, Margaret Love, shared in a Facebook post, "In the last month, there has been so much pain. Bearing each other's grief and loss, scrambling to do what little we can, has been so hard. But through the hardship, we've met lifelong neighbors for the first time. We've built and renewed community connections. And now, having the students here has given us a real chance to step back and remember how and why we use our ministry of hospitality. The best thing about it all has been hearing and seeing the children and enjoying their life-giving presence." Learn more about the partnership here.