Reflecting on the Season Behind Us & Looking Ahead

While summer may feel far off, preparation for mission season is already underway and Hinton’s mission work extends far beyond the summer months. Throughout the year, Hinton partners with churches and volunteers who serve alongside neighbors in our surrounding rural communities through Safe & Healthy Home Repair and related outreach efforts.

As we look ahead to 2026, the number of projects continues to grow, and is anticipated to be a very productive summer season, with a focus on expanding the impact of mission teams and strengthening outreach within the communities we serve.

Mission team skill sets are carefully matched with project scope and community needs, allowing Safe & Healthy Home Repair efforts to focus on improving home safety, accessibility, and overall livability. Through this work, we look forward to seeing measurable improvements in housing safety and accessibility and expect the individuals and communities we serve to be deeply impacted in the coming year.

In addition to hands-on service, mission experiences at Hinton offer volunteers opportunities to learn about rural poverty, Appalachian culture, and the importance of relationship-centered service. We are deeply grateful for the churches and volunteers who serve with us throughout the year, those who return each summer, and those who will be joining Hinton for the first time as part of the 2026 mission experience.

Summer weeks are filling up! Learn more and register online at Summer Mission Outreach - Hinton Center.

Hinton is also seeking college-aged young adults to serve as Summer Mission Outreach Staff for the 2026 season. Each year, Hinton hires and equips 8 to 10 summer staff members who play a vital role in supporting mission teams and fostering meaningful connections throughout the summer.

Responsibilities include helping lead teams on Safe & Healthy Home Repair and other work sites; promoting safety protocols; facilitating lunchtime devotions; building relationships between mission participants, neighbors we serve, and community members; and helping lead worship, poverty awareness activities, Staff-Camper Challenges, and other programming.

This is a paid position, with on-campus lodging and most meals provided. The work week runs from Sunday afternoon through Thursday evening. Past summer staff consistently reflect on this experience as formative in both personal growth and spiritual development, with many discerning calls to ministry, seminary, or service-focused careers.

For more information, please email [email protected].

One of Hinton’s longstanding outreach ministries is Christmas Care of Clay County, which is a collaborative, community ministry that provides new clothing and shoes for children during the holiday season. This ministry partners with families each year to ensure children receive clothing with dignity, care, and respect.

This past year, Christmas Care served 511 children across 202 families, made possible through the generosity of donors and the dedication of volunteers. As we look ahead, we invite supporters to be on the lookout for Christmas in July, an opportunity to support this ministry early through giving, donations, and awareness.

A Hayesville resident contacted Hinton seeking assistance after experiencing a series of significant health challenges. Her call was initially answered by Jeremy Jenkins, Reservations & IT Specialist, who promptly transferred the call to Jamie Wrigley, Project Coordinator, ensuring her request was addressed immediately.

Our neighbor had been hospitalized from Thanksgiving through the day she contacted Hinton after falling on the exterior steps of her home and shattering her collarbone. Following surgery, she spent time in rehabilitation and had not yet been able to return home. She lives in an RV, and her doctors advised that it was unsafe for her to return without modifications due to the difficulty of entering and exiting the home. 

During the conversation, our neighbor explained that safe access to her home required steps with a 4–4.5 inch rise, approximately half the height of a standard step, and a 36-inch tread length. She expressed concern that Hinton might not be able to assist because the structure was an RV, repeatedly stating that she would understand if help was not possible. Jamie reassured her that because the RV was her primary residence, it qualified as her home under Hinton’s Safe & Healthy Home Repair mission.

Jamie visited the site to assess the situation, take photographs, and gather precise measurements. Using available scrap wood, a solution was developed to meet the exact specifications needed for safe access. A step pattern previously created by volunteer Terry McNabb, designed for precise step height, was available and proved to be an ideal match for the project.

Jamie recruited a Hinton volunteer (her husband), Mark Wrigley, to assist with the work. As construction began, Terry happened to be on-site and shared the step pattern, allowing the team to proceed efficiently. The steps were built in-house, transported to the site, and installed on location, where they were securely connected to an existing deck that was previously built on-site.

The team removed the existing unsafe steps and rotted decking, replacing them with the new custom-built stairs, sturdy railings, and added grip strips to enhance safety and stability.

Throughout the process, our neighbor repeatedly expressed gratitude, emphasizing her appreciation for any assistance provided. This project reflects the heart of Hinton’s Safe & Healthy Home Repair mission, meeting neighbors where they are, responding with compassion, and ensuring homes are safe, accessible, and dignified.

Your support allows Hinton to continue offering hospitality, maintaining our campus, and sustaining mission-driven programming. Every gift, whether financial, time, prayer, or through planned and legacy giving, helps ensure that Hinton remains a welcoming space for all who come seeking renewal, learning, and service.

Through faithful stewardship and generous partnership, including gifts that extend beyond a lifetime, Hinton continues to serve hundreds of individuals, families, and volunteers each year through retreat, education, and outreach ministries. Planned and legacy gifts help secure the future of this work, allowing Hinton’s mission to continue serving communities for generations to come.

Caring for our campus is an ongoing effort, and we are deeply grateful for the partnerships, resources, and dedicated volunteers who make it possible to maintain spaces that are welcoming, accessible, and restorative.

This season, we are especially thankful for the continued care and improvements to Ponders’ Porch, a beloved gathering space that offers opportunities for conversation, connection, and quiet reflection. The Ponders’ Porch project began in January 2024 and was completed in September 2025 and was made possible primarily through volunteer-led efforts, reflecting a thoughtful and intentional investment of time, skill, and heart into a space that serves guests, volunteers, and staff alike.

Alongside this work, ongoing volunteer-supported care of lodging, meeting spaces, and outdoor areas helps ensure that guests experience Hinton as a place of comfort, peace, and hospitality. These efforts reflect our shared commitment to faithful stewardship and to preserving Hinton as a sacred and functional space for ministry.

Hinton’s ministry is strengthened through partnerships with churches, organizations, volunteers, and community members who share a commitment to service and transformation. These relationships allow Hinton to extend its reach, deepen its impact, and remain rooted in collaboration and mutual care.

One recent example of this collaborative support is the acquisition of Hinton’s new tractor, which plays an essential role in our Safe & Healthy Home Repair and Firewood Ministry efforts. We are grateful to Granny’s Attic for their generous contribution of $13,000 toward the tractor, as well as $4,000 in support from Wesley Memorial. Hinton covered the remaining cost to ensure this important equipment could be fully funded and put into service for this winter season.

In addition, support from the Alliance for Green Heat grant program provided opportunities for additional attachments and equipment, expanding the tractor’s usefulness and strengthening Hinton’s long-term capacity. As part of this work, Hinton will collect some firewood from U.S. Forest Service designated land, further supporting our firewood ministry and sustainable practices.

Over the years, the Alliance for Green Heat’s support has helped Hinton steadily build capacity, from serving approximately 25 loads of firewood in 2013 to more than 800 loads in 2025. This growth reflects not only increased need, but also the power of strong partnerships working together to serve neighbors with care, dignity, and compassion.

Hinton’s mission has been shaped and sustained by the dedication of individuals who have faithfully shared their time, leadership, resources, and gifts through service as staff members and board leaders. We are deeply grateful for those who have faithfully guided this ministry and helped carry Hinton’s mission forward, offering their talents and commitment to strengthen Hinton’s work across generations.

We extend our sincere thanks to the following board members who have recently concluded their terms of service: Rev. Kevin Days, Ricky Beggs, Bill Meldram, Rev. Jeremy Noffsinger, and Bishop Carter. Their commitment, wisdom, and belief in Hinton’s work have provided a strong foundation for the ministry we continue today, and we are thankful for the impact they have made through their service and dedication.

We are also pleased to recognize and welcome those currently serving on Hinton’s Board of Directors. Four members have been elected to the board: Christy Noren-Hentz; Mara McSwain Weed, daughter of Hinton’s first Director; Rev. Allen Staton; and Julie McCollum. In addition, two members now serve by virtue of their leadership positions: Bishop Robin Dease and District Superintendent of the Smoky Mountain District, Rev. Beth Crissman. We are grateful for the perspectives, leadership, and passion each brings to Hinton’s mission and future.

In addition to board leadership, we would like to recognize Rev. Karen Kluever, Nick Oliver, and Els Vingerling for their years of faithful service and dedication to Hinton. Their contributions have played an important role in supporting the ministry and strengthening the community we serve. We are thankful for their commitment and the lasting impact of their work.

Together, these individuals, past and present, represent the faithful leadership and support that continue to guide Hinton as we serve our neighbors through hospitality, retreat, and mission outreach.

With Gratitude to Our Funders
Hinton Rural Life Center is deeply thankful for the foundations, organizations, and partners whose generous grant support makes our work possible. Their investment in Hinton strengthens our ability to serve rural communities, support mission outreach, and sustain our campus as a place of hospitality, learning, and renewal. We are grateful for their trust, partnership, and shared commitment to this ministry.