BELMONT — Sisters of Mercy of North Carolina Foundation has announced grant awards totaling $1,183,875 to 26 nonprofit organizations. Of the 26 grants, five are in the area of education, totaling $190,000; seven support health care, for a total of $335,000; and 14 are for social services, totaling $658,875.
The organizations received grants for services in the following 13 counties: Allegheny, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Caldwell, Graham, Henderson, Jackson, Mecklenburg, Transylvania, Union and Watauga in North Carolina, and York in South Carolina.
The following organizations received awards:
Education
- Boys & Girls Club of Transylvania County Inc. of Brevard was awarded $25,000 to provide operating support – specifically, program specialist salaries.
- Freedom School Partners of Charlotte was awarded $50,000 for operating support for key personnel and program needs, particularly the salary and benefits of the senior program director.
- S.T.A.R.S. Math & English Academy in Charlotte was awarded $25,000 for salaries of staff and teachers.
- United Way of Asheville & Buncombe County Inc. was awarded $55,000 to support its Community Schools Initiative – specifically, a portion of the salaries for community school coordinators.
- Western Youth Network Inc. in Boone was awarded $35,000 to support its WYN Mentoring Program.
Health Care
- ABCCM Doctors Medical Clinic Inc. of Asheville was awarded $50,000 to provide salary support for medical providers.
- Camino Community Development Corp. of Charlotte was awarded $50,000 for salary and benefits of a bilingual therapist.
- Care Ring of Charlotte was awarded $60,000 in salary support for staff in Care Ring’s Low Cost Clinic.
- Helping Hands Clinic Inc. of Lenoir was awarded $40,000 to provide operating support – specifically, medical provider staffing costs.
- Hunger and Health Coalition Inc. in Boone was awarded $40,000 to support its free pharmacy program – specifically, the salaries of pharmacy staff and medication purchases.
- Palmetto Community Health Care in Rock Hill, S.C., was awarded $45,000 for the salary and benefits of a nurse practitioner.
- York County First Steps in Rock Hill was awarded $50,000 for the salary, benefits and operating expenses of a nurse home visitor.
Social Services
- Center For Community Transitions in Charlotte was awarded $55,000 for the salary and benefits of a job developer.
- Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy in Charlotte was awarded $65,000 to provide operating support.
- Council for Children’s Rights in Charlotte was awarded $60,000 for the salaries of mental health attorneys and a social worker.
- Five Point Center in Robbinsville was awarded $15,875 to support the part-time salary of a program coordinator position.
- Hope Haven Inc. of Charlotte received $48,000 for the salary and benefits of its Children’s Program coordinator.
- Keystone Substance Abuse Services in Rock Hill received $35,000 for the salary of a peer support specialist.
- Mental Health America of Central Carolinas Inc. in Charlotte was awarded $25,000 in salary and benefits for one FTE Family Partner.
- Pisgah Legal Services in Asheville was awarded $75,000 to provide operating support.
- Rebuilding Together of Greater Charlotte Inc. was awarded $35,000 for the salaries of construction staff.
- Roof Above in Charlotte was awarded $65,000 to provide operating support for Housing Navigation.
- Safelight in Hendersonville received $25,000 to support the purchase of audio/visual recording equipment for two play therapy rooms in its Counseling Center.
- Turning Point Inc. of Monroe was awarded $50,000 for the salaries of a case manager and a bilingual counselor, as well as telephone costs.
- Union County Community Shelter in Monroe was awarded $45,000 for the salary of a case manager.
- WestBridge Vocational Inc. in Sylva was awarded $60,000 to contribute salary support for a new job skills trainer position.
Sisters of Mercy of North Carolina Foundation awards grants on behalf of the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas. Mercy’s ministries are inspired by the legacy and commitment of its founder, Catherine McAuley, to serve those who are poor, sick and uneducated.
Since 1996, the foundation has awarded 2,196 grants totaling more than $98 million to organizations assisting unserved or underserved populations in the areas of education, healthcare and social services.
— Sisters of Mercy of North Carolina Foundation
HIGHLANDS — Our Lady of the Mountains Mission has launched a capital campaign – its first in more than 30 years – to build a new church that can provide more space for the active congregation’s needs.
The campaign theme – “Building a Beacon of Catholic Faith” – is rooted in the congregation’s vision statement: “To become a beacon of Catholic faith on the plateau by giving due glory to God and greater love to our neighbors.”
Founded in 1875, Highlands is a popular summer resort destination that sits atop a plateau in the western North Carolina mountains at an elevation of 4,118 feet.
Our Lady of the Mountains Mission, established in the 1930s, is located on one of Highlands’ main thoroughfares.
The present church, built in the 1950s and expanded in the late 1980s, presents challenges to the growing congregation of 275 families, said Father Jason Barone, pastor, and Greg Thompson, campaign co-chairman.
“The OLM family is a vibrant combination of full-time residents and seasonal families who are with us about half of the year,” Father Barone said. “God has blessed OLM with wonderfully generous people, a beautiful setting, and love for God and one another that is a joy to witness. They deserve a worship space that optimizes all that those blessings provide.”
The campaign aims to fund construction of a 9,000-square-foot church that can accommodate up to 300 people. The new building would include several amenities the current church lacks, including a choir loft and dedicated spaces for a confessional, baptismal font and sacristies. In addition, the new church would have a narthex where parishioners could gather for fellowship before and after Mass – space the present church does not have.
The new church would be constructed on OLM’s 2.5-acre site, adjacent to the existing church. Based on preliminary discussions, it is possible the current facility could be used for Mass while the new church is being built.
The campaign seeks to raise at least $7.5 million, the minimum amount deemed necessary in today’s construction economy. Campaign leaders acknowledge that the cost could be higher as plans for the new church are finalized. “Ultimately, the generosity of our OLM family will determine what we are able to build,” Father Barone said.
The goal is to build “a new church that would reflect God’s glory and the spiritual commitment of our community,” Thompson said.
Initial architectural plans for a Baroque-style church have been drawn up by Washington, D.C.-based McCrery Architects.
“Baroque-style churches are growing in popularity due to their traditional appeal and historical significance,” Father Barone said. “We believe that everyone who worships with us will experience a deeper reverence for the Mass and the sacraments in the church we hope to build. And the OLM family will develop a deeper sense of shared faith and fellowship as we work together to achieve this goal.”
Father Barone, Thompson, Campaign Co-chair David Goodrow and a team of parishioners have been hard at work for several months to prepare for the campaign’s launch.
“We have done our due diligence in exploring the parish’s readiness to embark on such a campaign,” Goodrow said. “A consultant was enlisted to help determine the level of parishioners’ interest through personal interviews, an online survey, and a parish-wide focus group. Father Barone also spoke from the pulpit at several Masses about the idea of building a new church.
“What we learned from the feasibility study and informal feedback was that the members of Our Lady of the Mountains not only have the interest in trying to build a new church, but they also have the financial capacity to make this dream a reality. We feel confident the OLM family is supportive and the time is right to pursue this campaign.”
Goodrow also noted that the mission has no existing debt, owns its 2.5-acre property in downtown Highlands, and has seen growth in its offertory collections, even during the pandemic.
Father Barone and Thompson said they are grateful for the assistance and advice provided by Bishop Peter Jugis and staff of the Diocese of Charlotte, including Jim Kelley, development director.
“It is transformational when a community builds a new church, particularly when the last church was built almost 70 years ago,” Kelley said. “OLM’s capital campaign is very effectively led by Father Barone, David, Greg and the rest of the committee. The diocese is fully supportive of their efforts and is working with them side by side.”
Father Barone and campaign leaders said they are optimistic that parishioners will be inspired to invest in a beautiful new church where they and future generations of Catholics in Highlands can worship.
“We are asking our fellow parishioners to prayerfully consider how they will support this effort,” Father Barone said. “Throughout the campaign our motto will be: ‘Holy Spirit, what do You want to do through me in ‘Building a Beacon of Catholic Faith on the plateau?’”
— Catholic News Herald. Provided photo