By Lorraine Bennett
Staff Writer
With a great ceremony before about 80 staff, guests and friends, Hinton Rural Life Center burned a $665,000 note and cut the yellow ribbon dedicating its new red Educational Tool Barn Monday.
"May this tool barn be a beacon of hope and a source of inspiration to all who enter its doors," said Dr. Jacqueline Gottlieb, Hinton's president and CEO. "May it will be a place where minds are challenged, hearts uplifted and lives are transformed. May the work that begins today ripple outwards, touching the lives of countless individuals and commitments far beyond these walls."
The day was made possible through a grant by The Duke Endowment. John Nicholas, Hinton's CFO, said Duke Endowment covered pretty much all of costs of the large and impressive structure. "They've been very generous," Nicholas said.
Rev. Robb Webb, who represented The Duke Endowment for the occasion, told the gathering, “We strive to be a beacon of hope and an agent of change." Webb, who is director of The Duke Endowment’s Rural Church Program area, was quoted in a press release saying, “We are excited about the opening of the tool barn, which will provide volunteers and other community members with the skills they need to help their neighbors and continue to enhance the quality of life for people in Clay and Cherokee counties.”
It was noted how the volunteer hours spent at Hinton, valued at $602,575 was just about the same value as the note Hinton officials burned Monday.
Gottlieb said the building project was begun in 2018, but shortly afterward came the COVID surge and Hinton's volunteer hours fell to zero. She said she talked to Duke, was told to keep the faith and eventually the project was restarted.
Rev. Dr. Tim Moore, chairman of the Hinton Center's Board of Directors who delivered a brief sermon, remembered the times Hinton officials had wondered how they could gain freedom from debts acquired in the past.
"Today we start here to celebrate the obliteration of that debt," he said. "We stand here to anticipate what paying off these debts will free us to do. The promise of tomorrow is being born before our very eyes."'
Then Moore, Gottlieb and Nicholas lit a match and burned the debt note to applause from the audience.
Bishop Ken Carter of the Western N.C. Conference of the United Methodist Church, recalled his own years of connection with the Hinton Center. "I want to acknowledge the proposed work that will happen in this space," he said.
The new Educational Tool Barn is intended to be a versatile space for learning events, school field trips and community workshops. One outstanding feature is the inclusion of large bay doors on each side of the building. The doors will permit volunteer mission teams to pull up to the building and load work trucks with tools and supplies before they go into the community to help repair homes, build ramps and engage in other projects.
During the past five years Hinton has served almost 2,000 homes and families and completed 1,000 home repair projects. Over the past decade Hinton has hosted more than 8,000 mission participants and more than 480 church groups. In 2023, 201 individual families were served and Hinton distributed 706 loads of firewood with help from the Woodchucker volunteers.
Hinton repairs homes in Clay and Cherokee counties in North Carolina and Town County in Georgia. Last year, Hinton’s projects included the installation of 12 ramps and 30 porches, steps and handrails.