WELCOME FROM HAYWOOD STREET:
UPDATES:
A note from our partners at Seek Healing:
This year, rather than having a big public rally, we’d like to create an art installation in a public space that welcomes friends and family members of people we have lost to drug overdoses to honor their names and memories. Then, on August 31, we’ll host the candlelight vigil that we always do. We can create space for a few speakers before the vigil, but with everything else we’ve been holding this year as a community, I think it’s important to keep the event relatively simple and minimal burden to our organizations.
Michelle Kelly, SeekHealing’s Community Engagement Lead and Art Director, will be leading the project in collaboration with Lori Greenberg of Aurora Art Studio. The idea is to create a three-dimensional structure called “Set Free” that uses concrete mediums to take impressions of writing, objects or images that were precious to those in our community who have passed; in order to preserve them in resin in the surface of the structure.
Starting Wednesday July 7, SeekHealing will begin hosting a weekly meeting on Wednesday evenings from 6:30-8:30 p.m. to work on the art project and also facilitate connection around overdose awareness, grief, and any other relevant emotional experience for the rest of the summer leading up to August 31. The meetings will take place at SeekHealing’s office in the United Way Building at 50 S French Broad Ave.
Our Director of Human Resources & Staff Wellness position is now open to applicants! More…
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
2. Outdoor Worship: Wednesdays at 12:30 in the parking lot beneath the big white tent. Please join!
3. The Haywood Street softball season is happening and you are invited to join! Games are at Reeves Chapel (225 Sardis Road) July1, July 8, July 15, July 22, July 29. Meet us there, or get a ride in the van. We depart at 5:30 from the Haywood Street parking lot and return around 9:00. Meal provided!
COMPANION CORNER:
1. URGENT NEED: Respite is in immediate need of companion help to get friends to and from their appointments. Contact ali@haywoodstreet.org with your availability (Monday-Friday) and your best contact information.
2. Companion Orientation July 5 at 3:00.
2. Sign up to provide a meal for Respite here!
A HAYWOOD STREET REFLECTION BY: JINNIA
Hi all,
My name is Jinnia Siironen, I grew up in a small town in North Carolina called Franklinville. I got involved with a local UMC, Grays Chapel when I had a friend invite me to their youth group. It was here where I got involved with church and learned more about ministry and church. Through out my years there I was able to attend camp through Carolina Cross Connection. My first summer being a camper I fell in love with being at camp and decided to go to camp every year that I was able to. As I got older and was at camp and became more involved with church, I remember hearing the Lord calling me to go into the culinary field after graduating from high school. I went to Guilford Technical Community College where I pursued a degree in culinary arts during the fall and spring semester and then during the summer, I served on staff with CCC’s Urban Ministry in Charlotte. However, we would always have our trainings in Asheville and would work very closely with Haywood. I remember really admiring the way that Haywood did ministry and the way that they came together to support their community. As I was getting ready to graduate from college, I began to look for jobs or other opportunities and stumbled upon the Global Mission Fellow Program where I got placed serving in Detroit Michigan for 2 years. While in Detroit I served with a local non- profit called the NOAH Project Detroit and got to work with the Urban population there, and really found a love for serving with the unhoused population and believing in the ideology of radical hospitality and relationships above everything else. However, I still missed NC and wanted to find a way back where I was still able to use my skill set but also work with an urban population. I had a friend share the Banquet Steward job description at Haywood with me and I decided to apply for it. Everything kind of all just fell into place and I was offered the position, I was very thrilled and overjoyed and decided to accept the offer and move to Asheville. I am very excited to be serving with Haywood and cannot wait to meet everyone and continue to build friendships and relationships with people!
