Take our Micro Home Survey!
COMMUNITY SURVEY — Mountain Projects is gauging community interest in micro-homes.
Micro-homes are small houses that can range in size from 200 to 400 square feet and typically consist of a single room with a separate bathroom.
Micro-homes can be a good option for people who need affordable housing, and they can also offer several benefits, including lower utility bills, maintenance costs, and lower property taxes than traditional homes. Micro-homes are built for energy efficiency and tend to have lower maintenance and repair costs.
Take our survey at this link:
Blanket Drive is Underway for Haywood & Jackson County Households in Need
For Immediate Release, October 16, 2024
Re: Mountain Projects and Rotary Blanket Drive
WAYNESVILLE & SYLVA, NC – The annual Community Blanket Drive is underway! An initiative between Mountain Projects in partnership with the Waynesville Rotary Club, has expanded to include numerous civic organizations, local banks, credit unions and the community.
“There are individuals and families in our community living without heat in their homes,” says Mountain Projects Executive Director, Patsy Davis, “We are collecting donations to support this serious need.”
Blanket donations are being accepted at 2177 Asheville Road in Waynesville and 154-B Medical Park Loop in Sylva. Monetary donations towards heating bills can be made online at MountainProjects.org/heatingassistance.
For several years, the Waynesville Rotary Club held a successful blanket drive during the holiday season, with donations going to the Mountain Projects to help families afford emergency needs like utility bills. In recent years, the Rotary Club invited other service organizations, including Altrusa, Kiwanis, Lions Club of Canton, Lions Club of Clyde, and two additional Rotary Clubs, Haywood County and Sunrise, to help increase participation. Last year, the event was renamed the “Community Blanket Drive.”
The 2024 Blanket Drive is in progress. There are three ways to contribute:
1. Purchase blankets and deliver them to local clubs or participating institutions, which will distribute them to Mountain Projects.
2. Haywood County blankets can be delivered directly to Mountain Projects at 2177 Asheville Road in Waynesville, across from Junaluska Elementary School.
3. Jackson County blankets can be delivered to 154-B Medical Park Loop in Sylva, located on the Harris Regional Hospital campus.
4. Order blankets through Amazon and ship them directly to Mountain Projects. Donors are asked to include their organization’s name in the address. The Amazon link below is provided to facilitate donations of blankets and children’s coats. The link is: https://amzn.to/3YeZFOs.
Please contact Bronwen Talley-Coffey, 2024-2025 President of Waynesville Rotary Club, with questions regarding Amazon purchases. (828)550-8350 or [email protected]. All items can be shipped to Mountain Projects at 2177 Asheville Road, Waynesville, NC 28786-3139. Office hours are 7:30 am until 5:30 pm, Monday through Thursday.
For other information, contact Bill Allsbrook of the Waynesville Rotary Club at 828-734-4536 or Patsy Davis at 828-452-1447.
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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.
