2017 is here, and we are excited to announce that HWH™ has reached its 25th Anniversary! This is a huge milestone, and we would like to express our gratitude to you – our partners for allowing HWH™ to serve others through your support! Also, we want to express our thanks to our founder, Dr. Ralph Sexton, Jr., and all of the fine men and women who have served and represented this organization through the years. As we look forward to the future, let us assure you that we remain committed to the original mission of proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the broken hearted and demonstrating the love of Jesus Christ by going to the entire world and helping with the spiritual and physical needs of those that have encountered poverty, natural disaster, disease, and famine.
While we review the many areas we served and recall the names and faces of the amazing people we have assisted this year, we are reminded that all of this was made possible as a result of your partnership and financial contributions. You have been and continue to be vital asset to the overall success of HWH™. From Buncombe County, to the eastern counties of North and South Carolina, West Virginia to Louisiana and many locations in between; your generosity helped to bring hope and much needed relief to thousands who were broken and hurting. We want to personally express our thankfulness and heartfelt appreciation from HWH™ and the families that were directly impacted as a result of your love and compassion.
In Western North Carolina, HWH™ continued our commitment to supply food boxes and relief supplies to the homeless students. We were also privileged to provide Christmas toys to those students who may have received little or nothing for Christmas. In addition to assisting our local community with special projects, HWH™ has also responded to three major hurricanes and floods in West Virginia, Louisiana, North Carolina and South Carolina. We distributed water, food boxes, hygiene kits, cleaning buckets, baby items and many other relief supplies. We want to thank every business, civic group, private organization and church who gave monetarily, as well as, donated supplies or physically lent a helping hand to assist thousands of families facing devastating circumstances. For every family that has been touched and every soul that has been saved; great will be your reward in heaven for partnering with Hearts With Hands™.
HWH™ responded to two major wildfires in western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee. In North Carolina, we transported supplies to the firefighters on the fire line and were involved in helping to provide 1,000 meals a day for 2 weeks for the fire and rescue personnel. In Tennessee, HWH assisted in the coordination and implementation of the Smokey Mountain Christmas Event. This event helped to provide relief supplies and 850 Christmas toys to over 1,200 families that lost their homes to the wildfires that ravaged through the beautiful mountains of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.
Over the past two years, HWH™ has been blessed to witness substantial growth. In 2015, we relocated from our previous leased warehouse of 7,500 square feet with only one dock to our current warehouse of 25,000 square feet with eight docks. Our new location (850 Warren Wilson Road) almost triples our previous warehouse and provides much needed storage space and extra room for volunteers to assist on various projects. After a year of praying and seeking God’s direction, we are thrilled to announce that HWH™ is in the process of transferring our lease to a purchase of the entire property and developing it into our main campus. The campus will include 40 acres of land and a 200,000 square foot warehouse in the Swannanoa Valley of the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains in western North Carolina.
In order to move forward with our plans for expansion and development, it is with great enthusiasm that HWH™ is launching a five year (2017-2021) fundraising campaign called “RISE UP”. We are inviting all of our past, present and future partners to consider making a pledge to help us with this endeavor. Please review the information and details on the enclosed “RISE UP” pledge card, complete the information requested and return to HWH™ this month. We are looking forward with great expectation to your response and trust that you are excited to help us launch this campaign and reach our goal.
Again, HWH™ would like to personally thank you for partnering with us for the past 15 years. In 2017, we will continue to share hope and carry out our mission by extending our efforts to help people who are broken and hurting all over the world. With your faithful support, we will continue to use your heart of love to be the hands that make a difference in the lives of thousands of people at home and abroad. Thank you again for your prayers and support as together we continue to make a difference.
God Bless You!
Dr. Greg Lentz, President