Profiles and features about the people who work at Mountain Projects

Mosteller is named HOP Coordinator

 

Christy Mosteller has taken leadership over the Mountain Projects Healthy Opportunities Pilot (HOP) program.

HOP is the first program in the nation to use Medicaid funds to pay for a select set of services to address the food, housing, transportation and interpersonal safety needs of qualifying NC Medicaid Managed Care members.

Mosteller, who has been with Mountain Projects for more than 14 years, works with a number of health services organizations that refer eligible clients so HOP staff can coordinate the specific services they need.

According to Mosteller, the number of families who are referred to HOP continues to climb weekly.

“It is amazing work but all-consuming,” Mosteller said, shortly after finishing a food-box delivery. “I have a really great team, and we work well together.”

The HOP program serves low-income households in both Haywood and Jackson Counties and is reimbursed for all of its services through Medicaid funding. Currently, North Carolina is the only state participating in the program.

Part of Mosteller’s job includes overseeing the HOP Healthy Meal services program, which provides frozen or shelf-stable meals to promote improved nutrition. 

Food boxes are delivered or available for pickup weekly to HOP families to help supplement 1-2 meals per day. Each box includes whole grains, proteins, and vouchers for fresh fruit and vegetables from Duckett’s Produce and Christopher Farms. 

“That way families can choose what they want,” said Mosteller. “We always try to mix it up and make sure the families have a good variety.”

HOP funding is also available to help families find affordable housing and pay for their first month’s rent or a security deposit. 

“We also can help a family if their power or water has been turned off,” Mosteller said. 

Mosteller also partners with other programs at Mountain Projects including Haywood Public Transit to provide transportation to families, and has been able to provide funds to help with vehicle repairs. 

If you are on Managed Medicaid and believe you may qualify for the HOP program, call 828-452-1447 or email [email protected] to learn more.

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Staying the Course, Mountain Projects teacher achieves dream at 55

This story first appeared in the Sylva Herald

When Julie Keffer accepts a diploma for her bachelors degree from Western Carolina University in May, she’ll stand apart from most of her fellow graduates. For one thing she’ll have five children and 14 grandkids in the audience, cheering her on. For another, she’ll be at the end of a 27-year journey to graduation.

Keffer, 55, has taught for two decades at the Kneedler Head Start Child Development Outreach Center on the WCU campus in Cullowhee, but her path to a Bachelor of Science in Birth-Kindergarten Education began in Haywood County in 1997, and has taken her through twists, turns and painful places before leading her to the Ramsey Center stage.

It is the culmination of a dream.

“No matter what your age is, as long as you have breath in your lungs and a heartbeat, you’re not done,” Keffer said. “What I hope to show people is that you can finish your degree at any age. I encourage single moms to push for it – I was once there.”

Keffer enrolled her first son in the Clyde Head Start as a working young mother. Head Start is a federally funded child development program for preschool children from low-income families, and Mountain Projects’ Head Start program has educated Haywood and Jackson County preschoolers since 1965. 

At first, she volunteered in her son’s classroom with art projects and reading, but through encouragement from the staff she became inspired to teach. She was certified later that year, and began work as a full-time Teacher’s Assistant. 

“I see now it was my calling,” she said. “It just felt right.”

Not long after, as a single parent of two sons, she began Early Childhood Education night classes at Haywood Community College. Her father babysat the boys, Mountain Projects footed the bill, and Keffer set her sights on a four-year degree through a joint program between HCC and WCU. When she graduated from HCC, her employers were in the audience to cheer her on.

“That meant a lot to me,” Keffer said. “Not everyone’s boss comes to stuff like that.”

It wasn’t long before she was lead teacher at Kneedler, and in hot pursuit of her bachelor’s degree.

But then things got rocky. She took time off from school to care for an ill grandparent, and when she applied for readmission in 2006 she couldn’t get back into the Pre-K program. Her earlier GPA wasn’t quite high enough. For four straight years she appealed the decision, with essays and letters of recommendation in hand, but was denied despite support from Mountain Projects staff and its Executive Director, Patsy Davis. 

“Patsy told me, ‘I don’t know how you’re gonna do this – but you’re gonna do this. Just don’t give up,’” Keffer added. “I just kept hitting walls, but I kept the hope alive.”

Years passed, and a colleague, Christie Paxton, became director of Mountain Projects’ Head Start. Paxton engaged with the director of the WCU program and took up Keffer’s cause.

Things looked good, but then came the Covid-19 pandemic, and her progress stalled again. When in-person classes resumed in 2021, Keffer was admitted to the program at last.

“I was ecstatic,” she said. “I felt like I was finally going to make this happen.”

She and her family celebrated – prematurely. She contracted a debilitating case of Covid-19, followed by many months of recovery, and her return to school was delayed again until winter of 2022.

Even then, the challenges weren’t quite over. Her father fell terminally ill during her first semester, and she was his primary caregiver. Although she missed a lot of work she still managed to complete her studies. 

“I was in the hospital crying, typing, and doing homework,” Keffer said. “One of the last things my father said to me while he could still talk was, ‘Don’t give up, no matter what happens here.’ So, I just did not let anything derail me.”

Keffer is now a Dean’s List student. She credits Mountain Projects, “her second family”, for making it possible. Aside from years of support, the organization helped her earn a full scholarship through the T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood North Carolina Scholarship Program.

And in May her journey will end at last.

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Crucial donations make year-round Miracles

HOLIDAY REQUEST – While many members of the community are out shopping for Christmas presents this time of year, others may be worrying about how they are going to pay their heating bills.

For Patsy Davis, the executive director of Mountain Projects, this time of year is always a reminder of the young families, low-wage workers or people on Social Security who desperately need emergency heat or utility assistance.

Davis’s commitment to the cause is driven by her memory of a news story she read about in which a family lost their life while trying to stay warm in Haywood County.

“I am forever reminded of that tragedy and about how important it is to keep people with heat in the winter,” Davis said. “All children and seniors deserve a place of safety that is warm and safe.”

Mountain Projects is keeping vulnerable families from falling through the cracks by using donations to provide emergency heating and utility assistance to keep them warm, safe, and secure.

And this year, the need for heating assistance is higher than ever.

“Our heating assistance fund is critically low,” said Davis. “And yet we have been seeing an increase in senior citizens having trouble paying their utility bills. Oftentimes, the older we get the more heat we need to stay warm.”

To celebrate Davis’ birthday on Christmas Day this year, Mountain Projects is asking for donations for its emergency fund and heating assistance fund – which is how the nonprofit can help families with their most urgent needs.

Any donations made to these funds are unrestricted; this means that these donations can be used for any kind of crisis that may arise.

“We had a 76-year-old man come in who was behind on his mortgage because his significant other went into long-term care,” Davis said. “Another time, someone needed tires. You never know what kind of situation is going to walk through the door. But without donations, we have to turn people away and say no.”

And according to Davis, being able to help these families that walk through the doors doesn’t only restore their livelihood, it gives them strength to keep going.

“I really think when you can help somebody, you restore their hope,” she said. “Just a little support can restore people’s hope and drive to carry on.”

 It all started at Head Start

Anyone who knows Davis will agree that she has a deep connection with community outreach, which likely started when she was in preschool.

Davis grew up in Cullowhee and attended Head Start in Jackson County in the late 60s.

“I’m a Head Start child,” she said. “I remember an outreach worker came to my house and recruited me. They had toys there like we didn’t have at home. I don’t remember last week, but I remember my days in Head Start.”

The Mountain Projects Head Start program is available at no cost to qualifying families on a first-come, first-served basis for children ages 6 weeks to 5 years old.

In addition to offering childcare services at no cost, all other supplies such as diapers, formula or other food items are supplied by Head Start as well.

“We now have Head Start in the same location where I went to high school,” Davis said with a laugh, noting that she attended Cullowhee High School, which has now been turned into the Kneedler Child Development Center at WCU.

Davis had always wanted to be a teacher. She recalls sneaking away from her high school classes to go work with the younger children, who were in the same building.

“I probably should have been learning but I loved it,” Davis said.

Davis followed her dream of working with students in the classroom, but some things she saw made her change her major while at Western Carolina University.

“I didn’t know that children were without clothes and were hungry,” she said. “I thought, ‘These children can’t learn when they’re hungry and don’t have a place to sleep.’ So, I changed my major to social work.”

And so began Davis’s career of changing lives. 33 years later, she is still at the helm of Mountain Projects, crusading for the safety and security of vulnerable families all over WNC.

“Every contribution, every act of generosity is a blessing to a person in need,” Davis said, noting that currently, the organization receives an average of 10 emergency requests a day. “A lot of times everything is OK until their husband or wife passes away or has to go into long-term care. Then all the sudden they don’t have that income anymore. The community helps us solve serious problems like this when they make donations.”

This holiday season, consider donating to a cause that will go directly back to the community, and do it with Davis in mind.

With your help, we can restore the heating assistance fund and help make December 25 even more special for the woman who is always there for the community when they need it most.

To make a donation, visit https://mountainprojects.org/product/heatingassistance/ or https://mountainprojects.org/product/campaign_2023/.

You may also contribute by check by mailing it to Mountain Projects, Inc., 2177 Asheville Rd., Waynesville NC 28786, Attn. “Winter Warmth” or “Emergency Fund.”

 

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Get Covered WNC Manager, Jan Plummer Honored by County

RECOGNITION – Haywood County Government proudly recognizes the outstanding contributions of Jan Plummer from Mountain Projects, Celesa Willett from United Way of Haywood County and Mebane Rash with EdNC, in their dedicated efforts towards the success of the GetCovered WNC/Milltown Health Care Initiative. They were honored at the Haywood County Board of Commissioners meeting on Monday, December 18th, 2023.

The initiative, aimed at providing crucial healthcare coverage for former mill workers and individuals affected by the Pactiv Evergreen closure, has made significant strides in improving the well-being of our community. The collaborative efforts of Jan Plummer, Celesa Willett and Mebane Rash have been instrumental in achieving this milestone.

Through generous funding support from Dogwood Health Trust and the Haywood Healthcare Foundation, Mountain Projects’ certified application counselors, led by Jan Plummer, have played a pivotal role in assisting former mill workers and those impacted by downsizing in finding suitable healthcare coverage for themselves and their families. The initiative recognizes the importance of accessible and comprehensive health coverage in ensuring the overall health and resilience of the community.

One of the key highlights of the GetCovered WNC/Milltown Health Care Initiative is the provision of financial support to workers. Thanks to the dedication of Celesa Willett from United Way of Haywood County, individuals enrolled in the program have received up to $500 per family member per month as reimbursement for health insurance premiums. This financial assistance has alleviated the burden on families, allowing them to prioritize their health and well-being without compromising on other essential needs.

Mebane Rash and her dedicated team at EdNC have played a crucial role in championing Haywood County. Through their diligent efforts, they have adeptly navigated various resources and forged valuable connections to support this vital initiative.

“The GetCovered WNC/Milltown Health Care Initiative is a shining example of community resilience and compassion,” says David Francis, Haywood County Economic Development Director. “Their commitment reflects the collaborative spirit that defines our county, and we extend our deepest appreciation for their tireless efforts.”

This initiative stands as a testament to the positive outcomes that can be achieved through public-private partnerships and the unwavering commitment of individuals like Jan Plummer, Celesa Willett and Mebane Rash. Haywood County looks forward to continued collaboration and success in ensuring the health and prosperity of its residents.

To learn more about GetCovered WNC, click here.
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We, Mountain Projects: Darlene McElrath

Darlene McElrath has watched her mother cope with a common challenge: staying in her longtime home, but struggling to shop, clean and prepare meals.
For 15 years McElrath has served as Mountain Projects’ Senior Services Coordinator, where she has the chance to help hundreds of other families navigate such difficulties.
“We provide assistance to people who can’t do things by themselves anymore, and that makes a huge difference for them,” says McElrath. “I feel no one should have to move away if just a little help can allow them to continue living in the place they love, where they are comfortable and things are familiar.”
Beyond those basic needs, McElrath notes, Mountain Projects’ senior programs provide opportunities for socialization, interaction with others and chances to remain active and engaged with their peers.
All told, the organization serves hundreds of seniors across several programs.
Donations are welcome and put to good use, McElrath says – money goes toward shelf-stable food items and in-home services in particular – but the community can also help by spreading the word about Mountain Projects’ services.
“We want as many people as possible to be aware of what we offer,” she says.
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We, Mountain Projects: Vivian Bumgarner

When Vivian Bumgarner arrived at Mountain Projects 36 years ago, the first impression she made was of a willingness to roll up her sleeves and get right to work.

The Executive Director at the time, George Carpenter, recruited her from a landscaping crew.

“Can you read a tape measure?” he asked. She said she could, and before she knew it she was measuring and cutting plexiglass for Paul Tapp’s weatherization and rehab crew.

“Right after Paul was hired, the two of us tackled cleaning out the foyer in the former Mountain Projects building on Old Balsam Road,” says Bumgarner. “It was a mess, as there was insulation, bees, trash and debris everywhere. It took us about three days to do it, but we got it cleaned.”

Years later, Tapp told her that after that project, he knew she’d be a huge asset to the organization. Now Vivian is Mountain Projects’ Housing Rehabilitation/Weatherization Manager. Her unit served 91 families last fiscal year.

“I love helping people with their homes,” she says. “We weatherize homes, making their homes warmer, help them with roof repairs, water and well system, electrical repairs, handicap ramps and so forth.”

The repairs her crew perform are largely for elderly, disabled, and low income clients, and help them stay in their homes longer and with a greater quality of life.

“One of my best memories was of two little elderly ladies in Canton,” says Bumgarner. “They didn’t have a bathroom, only an outhouse that they had used all their lives. We did lots of work on the home and built a bathroom with running water. Later, when we went for an inspection, this little lady grabbed our inspector by the sleeve for a full bathroom tour, complete with flushes of the toilet.”

“She was so excited to have a bathroom. No longer did they have to go outside in the middle of the night, in freezing weather, rain or snow. Now they had the luxury that most of us do. This is why I do what I do!”

Bumgarner grew up in a hard-working household. 

“We had to help with cutting wood, working on cars, running cattle or just whatever was needed,” she says, “so I was used to working outdoors in the rain, snow or sunshine.” 

“I feel like I might have lucked up on getting this job,” Vivian says. “But I have worked very hard to get where I am today.”

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We, Mountain Projects: Angie Gass Roberson & Cayson Tiedge

Cayson Tiedge recently won high academic honors at Sylva’s Smoky Mountain High School, including National Honors Society, New Century Scholars and 4-H Youth Leadership Council. Now he attends the University of North Carolina on full scholarship and plans to pursue a degree in Psychology.

His academic path, though, started many years ago in Angie Gass Roberson’s Head Start class behind the high school on Fairview Road, where Cayson, then quiet and shy, was one of his teacher’s favorite children. She’s extraordinarily proud of his achievements.

One of many longtime Head Start teachers in Haywood and Jackson Counties, Angie is proud of the many relationships she’s built.

“I was a single parent of a child with disabilities, so I know what that feels like,” she says. “I know how much it means to receive help when you need it – it’s priceless – and I’m someone who wants to give back. I’m grateful for all the people who have helped me succeed.”

That gratitude translates into a generous and warm style of teaching.

“I want kids and their parents to understand that they are precious to me, that they matter,” Roberson says. “That they can come to me or the other teachers and we can relate to what they’re going through. I’ve had parents to come in and need to vent because they don’t have another adult to talk with. I listen the best I can. The most important thing about my job is being emotionally and mentally present for my families.”

Some students are at a disadvantage, Roberson points out, and occasionally Head Start is the only place a child might get a hot meal. Although the pandemic has restricted some activities for the short term, Roberson and other teachers, along with parent volunteers, often assemble food and clothing boxes for families in need. Within the framework of the program, employees work to meet the needs of the whole family.

“I hope the community will support these programs,” says Roberson. Make a financial contribution. Go to Sylva Linings and purchase things for your home. We are getting these children prepared for a positive future and when covid is out of the way, Lord willing, Head Start will expand the number of kids and families in our programs. I can’t think of anything better to invest in the future of our community. This is not just my job. This work is in my heart.”

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We, Mountain Projects: Cynthia Solesbee

We, Mountain Projects is a gallery of staff going above and beyond to serve their community.

Founded as a Community Action Agency in 1965, Mountain Projects has a 140 person staff and serves the community with 21 different programs.

Many staff of Mountain Projects have served the organization for decades, including Executive Director, Patsy Davis, “Mountain Projects staff bring their hearts and their expertise to work everyday and together, we make western North Carolina a better place to live for the entire community. I like to think of our staff as heroes and I don’t think of that as an exaggeration.”

Cynthia Solesbee’s client, a Haywood County farmer, suffered catastrophic injuries in an ATV accident a few years ago. After helicopter rides, brain surgeries and rehabilitation, she was presented with a bill that exceeded one million dollars.

Her family was distraught. “We’ll have to sell our farm to pay for this!” her husband said.

Fortunately, Cynthia, in her role as a Certified Application Counselor for health care insurance at Mountain Projects, had earlier convinced her to enroll in health insurance under the Affordable Care Act, and had guided her through the process. As a result, the total payout for the family was less than $1,000.

Here’s the story in Cynthia’s words:

“When the Affordable Care Act started in 2014, I ran into a friend at a Christmas party and convinced her to come in to see her options of health insurance coverage. 

She’s a farmer, and at first, didn’t see the value of having health insurance, but she did finally decide to enroll. 

That November in 2014, near Thanksgiving, she was headed to  a friend’s house on her ATV when the ATV hit a large hole and flipped over on top of her.  She was unconscious, and thankfully, her husband found her before she bled to death. She had a brain injury and numerous broken bones. MAMA took her to Asheville where she underwent several brain surgeries and was subsequently put in an induced coma.

I knew I had to re-enroll her for 2015, so I received permission to have her husband enroll her. I went to the waiting room at Mission hospital in Asheville, to enroll her, and met her husband. The first thing he said to me was, with a worried look on his face,  “Cynthia, we’re going to have to sell our farm to pay for this!”

I explained that the most they would have to pay out of pocket during the whole year would be $750!  Her hospital bill was well over a million dollars due to the number of brain surgeries, and then the amount of rehabilitation she would need.  She’s doing great now. She still has her farm and she makes the best chèvre cheese from goat’s milk I’ve ever tasted.  She still tells me often that she is so thankful she took my advice to look at the insurance.  It saved their farm.”

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Smoky Mountain Housing Partnership Welcomes Executive Director Heather Boyd

When Heather Boyd gave birth to her daughter, Casey, she suffered severe complications which threatened her life. She went through 11 liters of blood on the operating table, which is no small thing, given the body only holds about five.

Two years later Heather and Casey are fine, but one of her takeaways from that experience and her long recovery had to do with – housing? Yes, housing.

Boyd was recently hired as Executive Director of the Smoky Mountain Housing Partnership (SMHP), a division of Mountain Projects, which is making strides to create affordable essential workforce housing in Haywood and Jackson Counties, and to provide pre-purchase homeownership counseling to young people starting their careers in fields like healthcare, teaching, firefighting and policing.

Boyd remembers the hard working hospital staff that saved her life, and particularly the intensive care nurses that helped she and Casey recover.

“If you get sick, you want people working in your community hospital who are well trained, happy in their job and who care about your well-being, right?” asks Boyd.

“You want someone who is steady and capable to keep your family member alive. Affordable housing is the cornerstone of our communities. Providing assistance to these workers and helping them own their own homes provides security for these families and positively affects the entire community.”

Without affordable housing, all essential professions in our community are impacted. Recruiting suffers, and retention is difficult, with workers coming and going without settling in.

Boyd is the first Executive Director of SMHP, which was founded in 2019 and has made steady progress since then, raising over $215,000 for initial operations, then organizing an affordable housing consortium with HUD and creating a network of strategic partnerships.

She brings both practical experience and life experience to the job. A Transylvania County native and mother of six children, she worked her way through school at Blue Ridge Community College and A-B Tech.

Since 2011 she’s built an impressive resume in banking, with a primary focus on lending and affordable housing. She began work in 2017 as a housing counselor with the Housing Assistance Corporation in Hendersonville, where she won accolades for both counseling and lending and won the Louise Mack Housing Counselor of the Year Award in 2019. Her experience prior to 2017 included stints with United Community Bank, Sharing House, First Citizens and Ecusta Credit Union. She holds numerous certifications.

Boyd credits her professional climb to mentor Marianne Festa, to longtime involvement with Western Carolina Community Action and to United Way Rising Leaders.

Boyd says her background includes plenty of hard work, struggle and personal financial growth, which she says helps her empathize with her clients. A single mother for part of her life, she put her kids through Head Start and helped care for her brother, a combat veteran, and mother, all while working and continuing her education.

“If I can do it, anyone can!” she says.

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