Hammer & Heart

06/13/2026

Kevin and Charlie recently talked with the Black Mountain News about Hammer & Heart’s new workshop, as well as SVCM’s big 50th celebration and ribbon cutting on July 24.

“This workshop for Hammer & Heart is about extending that ministry of keeping people housed in our community,” said SVCM Executive Director Kevin Bates.

Hammer & Heart Program Director Charlie Wilson shared how the workshop is already making home repairs more efficient. “Not even officially open but already having an impact,” Wilson said.

Read more of their conversation in this article and please mark your calendars for the July 24 community celebration! 🗞️🗓️ We hope you’ll join us! 🎉

Swannanoa Christian Ministry will celebrate 50 years and the ribbon cutting of a new building for the Hammer & Heart program July 24.

06/09/2026

Dine out for a cause this Wednesday, June 10! 🍽 Our friends at Good Company Pizza in Swannanoa are hosting a fundraiser for SVCM NeighborCare! Participating is simple and delicious. Just enjoy a meal at Good Company in Swannanoa any time 11AM - 8:30PM this Wednesday. Good Company will donate 10% of the proceeds to NeighborCare. 🍕🥗🍰

Since its formation in 2025, SVCM's NeighborCare Medical Clinic has conducted more than 310 clinic visits and 467 medical screenings in our community, all at no cost to the patient. NeighborCare’s mission is to restore well-being through free and compassionate healthcare. Stop by Good Company Pizza on Wednesday to show our NeighborCare team some love! 🩺💖

05/24/2026

Just a friendly reminder that all SVCM programs will be closed this upcoming Monday, May 25, in observance of Memorial Day. We'll reopen as usual at 9AM on Tuesday, May 26.

Have a blessed Memorial Day weekend!

05/02/2026

This April, a group of more than 30 volunteers from Eastminster Presbyterian Church in Columbia, SC came “up the mountain” to serve with Hammer & Heart! The big group stayed for nearly a week, knocking out one project after another with us! EPC started volunteering with us after Helene, and have returned several times since to help with recovery.

EPC’s biggest project for the week was helping us refurbish a mobile home for one of our neighbors, in collaboration with CORE. Sadly, this neighbor’s mobile home was washed away during Helene. Since then, he has slept in a small, four-foot-tall shed that did not allow him to stand up, let alone have access to plumbing or clean water. Having a dignified home of his own will mark the start of a hopeful new chapter in this man’s life!

The volunteers installed skirting on this mobile home, which we set on a high foundation to guard against future flooding. They also built a sturdy deck and stairs for access. Beyond this, the group also managed to complete six other staircases, decks, and accessibility ramps for nearby households! 💪 🙌

Wow, just wow! To the volunteers of Eastminster Presbyterian Church: we can’t thank you enough for your outstanding work ethic and compassion for the people of the Swannanoa Valley! You shone your light and brightened lives. May God bless you! 🔨💚

03/03/2026

Hammer & Heart typically offers repairs for homeowners. But we realize that many of our neighbors actually rent their apartment or house. If you are a Swannanoa Valley renter and your landlord refuses to make basic repairs to your dwelling, this is an issue that Pisgah Legal Services may be able to help with!

Pisgah Legal Services staff will be on site at SVCM’s Crisis Ministry every other Thursday during March and April. Please check SVCM’s Facebook events page for more information. We don’t want anyone in our community to suffer in substandard housing!

02/23/2026

This past Thursday, February 19 at the Monte Vista Hotel, Charlie and Kevin had the honor of accepting a ceremonial check on behalf of Hammer & Heart!

The Rotary Club of Black Mountain and Swannanoa Valley and White Horse Black Mountain each pledged $35,000. A gift of this magnitude will enable Hammer & Heart to help more neighbors in need of urgent home repairs and accessibility modifications. For example, it could cover the cost of a total HVAC replacement for about eight to ten households! This donation will also increase our ability to respond to urgent home repair needs in our valley.

We are deeply grateful to the Rotary Club of Black Mountain and Swannanoa Valley and to White Horse Black Mountain for their generous gifts! Because of your support, more of our neighbors will be able to live with dignity at home. 🔨💚

Hammer & Heart presented with donation to assist urgent home repairs in the Swannanoa Valley Fred McCormick The Valley Echo February 22, 2026

02/03/2026