Endings and Beginnings...

A letter from June 21, 2024's newsletter

Good Morning, Friends of Hands and Feet -

I'm writing to you today with news of many changes and beautiful renewals. In January of this year, two momentous things occurred. After almost nine years of excellent leadership, mentorship, and guidance, Selena Hilemon parted ways with Hands and Feet to move on to other amazing employment opportunities. We are so grateful to her for many years of thoughtful and kind presence, diligent work, and bright vision. Additionally, founding board member Kathy Meacham stepped down as Board Chair to pursue retirement full-time. Kathy will (thankfully!) remain on the board and continue to offer her wisdom and guidance to me, Hands and Feet of Asheville's new chair.

To briefly introduce myself, my name is Emma Goldrick and I am a non-profit professional currently working as the Development and Communications Manager at Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy. I worked at Montreat Conference Center for many years, first as a "Montreat Young Adult Experience" participant - a program modeled similarly to Hands and Feet - and then as the Director of Development Operations. I consider myself a young adult (although not for much longer!) and am eager to give back to an organization whose values so closely align with my own. As you come to know Hands and Feet better this coming year, I hope you will feel invited to sign up for our quarterly newsletter here, to service on our board, and to reach out to me with any questions or inquiries. I would love to help facilitate a relationship between you, your organization, your church, and HFA!

In other exciting news, we have hired a new Program Director! Please join me in welcoming Galia Binder (they/she) to Hands and Feet of Asheville as our new Program Director. Find a note from Galia below and feel free to reach out and set up a time to get acquainted.

Wishing you well,

Emma

---

Dear Friends of Hands and Feet,

Hello! I hope all of you are enjoying these sweet early days of Summer and staying cool wherever you are.

My heart is filled with gratitude and my soul is singing to be leading Hands and Feet into a wonderful next chapter! With Hands and Feet's Board, our Western North Carolina non-profit partners, and in collaboration with the Young Adult Transformation Collective, we are co-creating a vibrant future for the young adult Fellows—our leaders of tomorrow—who make this work world-changing and life-giving.

This work of holding intentional, affirming space for our young folks to transform themselves, and others, could not be more important in the moment we are meeting. It might be a cliché in 2024, but I'll say it: what a time it is to be alive right now! We are navigating climate collapse, ecosystem extinction, rising global inequity, war, and the breakdown of our civic institutions. The intersectional oppression we face is overwhelming. As a human collective we carry the weight of this trauma and grief, yearning to fix the brokenness, but often uncertain as to a way forward.

Opening spaces of fellowship for young people to enter into sacred communion with God (or Nature! The Universe! The Great Mystery! Love!), and with Self and Other, shifting their consciousness and stepping into their power as servant-leaders, is a powerful antidote to despair. When our Fellows learn and live in faith-based, justice-centered, diverse community, they can build solutions from a place of resource and compassion, challenging systemic injustice and healing our world. When we challenge and support Fellows to become the very best versions of themselves, witnessing and holding them in their truths, we walk alongside them as accomplices in their collective liberation, making possible the thriving of seven generations to come.

This is the invitation and the promise of the Hands and Feet of Asheville Fellows and our work; but we can't do this work without each other. I can't wait to get to know each and every one of you in the days to come! I look forward to leveraging my leadership with Hands and Feet to partner with your organization or with you as an individual, sparking change and deepening impact wherever we meet.

As I work with you all to develop this vision, I plan to honor Hands and Feet of Asheville's deep roots in the WNC Presbytery and PC(USA) while leaning into an ecumenical, interfaith approach centering diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and belonging; a space that welcomes young adults of all backgrounds (including religious and nonreligious).

Please reach out at handsandfeetavl@gmail.com and let me know if you'd like to have coffee here in Western North Carolina, or over Zoom. Let me know how I—and Hands and Feet—can support your work in the days to come!

In Partnership,

Galia Binder

Program Director, Hands and Feet of Asheville