OUR MOUNTAIN WORK OUR MOUNTAIN WORK
The Quarterly Newsletter of Black Mountain Home for Children 2025 • Issue IV
Growing Up, Together
Helping Siblings Heal
When Caleb and Lily came to us, they clung to one another during every waking moment. He cried whenever she left his sight. We knew how important it was for them to stay together. Gradually, he allowed himself to be comforted by their House Parents. And Lily began to learn what it meant to be a sister rather than his primary caregiver, the role she had filled since his birth.
Three years later, the change is easy to see. Caleb is one of our most active little boys. His laughter is frequently heard across campus. Lily has made new friends but still watches out for him. They hold on to one another, now out of love, not fear.
Because of your support, Caleb and Lily are growing up together.
Finding Strength and Encouragement, Together
Whether it is siblings holding one another tightly or the community surrounding our children with love and support, life’s challenges remind us how much we need one another. These moments show us the truth of Galatians 6:2: “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Together, we can endure hard times.
As storm recovery continues, so do the daily challenges of being a home for up to a hundred or more children who have endured abuse, abandonment, and other traumas. Although their needs are increasingly complex, government support continues to decline. We are grateful that God works through people like you to provide for their growing needs. Thank you for ensuring our children do not have to face life’s storms alone.
The time, talents, and resources you share demonstrate the blessings of Galatians 6:2. They are embodied in the volunteers who show up with joy, county partners who entrust children to our care, and churches who walk alongside our ministry. In donors who give sacrificially to meet every need, and in the resilience of our children as they lean on one another through dark times. Together, these acts of love make burdens lighter.
This year, government support will cover only a fraction (~25%) of what it costs to care for our children. More than ever, your support is needed to help children have safe homes, warm meals, counseling, educational support, and the love of a Christ-centered family.
With your help, we believe God will provide the $4.3 million needed this year to ensure our children, from birth through college age, can continue to heal, grow, and find hope for a brighter future. Thank you for making care possible. With heartfelt gratitude,
James O. Harmon President
Fall Festival
Thank you to Larry and Gail Meadows, local Chick-fil-A Owner-Operators, for nominating us for the True Inspirations Award and to all who voted for us. Your support helps shine a light on the children we serve.
Our 2025 Fall Festival was an especially meaningful time for families, friends, and neighbors to come together and celebrate resilience, laughter, and hope. None of it would have been possible without the generous businesses, churches, and organizations that stood beside us as sponsors.
We gratefully recognize each one, including our friends at Grove Stone & Sand, and all those who remained faithful after the storm last year. Please help us thank these partners whose generosity reflects a shared commitment to children, community, and Christ. And to the many others who walk alongside us who are not listed here, please know your faithfulness is deeply valued.
Presenting sponsor
Platinum
Brevard-Davidson River
Presbyterian Church
RYSE Construction
Tennoca Construction
Gold
UBS, Ben Goldstein, CHP
Wrights Carpet & Flooring
Silver
Asheville Fence
Benton Roofing
Black Mountain Family Eye Care
Dave Steel Company
Freestone Properties
Livingstone Design + Build
T&K Utilities
Seacoast Christian Community Church
Bronze
A & R Accounting & Tax Inc.
Anders Dental
Black Mountain Tire Connection
Groce Funeral Homes, Inc.
The Little Gym of Asheville
Paramount Kia of Asheville
Southern Alarm & Security
Tyson Furniture Company
Valley Truck Service, Inc.
White Insurance Agency, Inc.
In-Kind
Clark Communications
D&H Marketing Group
Visit our website or scan the QR code for more information about sponsoring events at Black Mountain Home, including our April Child Abuse
Prevention Awareness Month Hope for Children Dinner.
Lastyear,morethanhalfofourchildrencamewithsiblings, sometimesfourormore.Theirfirstquestionisalways thesame:“Canwestaytogether?”
Hurting, Healing, and Finding Hope Together
They arrive with nothing but each other. Holding hands and clinging tightly to one another, their eyes are filled with sadness and fear. Their early years have not been easy. They carry the scars of neglect and abuse, inside and out. This is why we are committed to keeping them together.
While other siblings are bonding during the ordinary journey of childhood, our children’s closeness is being shaped by sharing what little food they can find, by protecting one another, and navigating days and nights filled with uncertainty. These shared experiences forge a bond that is unshakable – and we hold it as sacred.
At Black Mountain Home, brothers and sisters can grow up together. From the time they are babies taking their first steps until they are young adults learning job skills, their connections to one another are safeguarded. Over time, trust grows, they bond with others, make new friends, and become more independent.
We cannot erase their painful pasts, but thanks to your generosity, children who once knew neglect, pain, and fear are safe, nurtured, and healing together.
Your Gift Helps Children Of All Ages
Your support helps the fastest-growing segment of children in foster care: newborns exposed to opioids before birth, many of whom are medically fragile when they come to us from the hospital. Thanks to you, these precious children can receive the tender care they desperately need.
Because of you, children who have suffered from hunger, neglect, and abuse have a safe, loving home. More than just shelter, yours is the gift of educational support, counseling, and therapeutic activities. Thank you for helping children have an opportunity to heal, thrive, and find hope for a brighter future.
Give the Gift That’s Best For You
The simplest way to support our work is with a cash donation. You can make a one-time gift or set up a recurring donation which will provide steady support. Your commitment, big or small, helps ensure children have the stability and care they deserve.
Donating appreciated stocks or securities is an impactful way to give, with tax benefits for you. By gifting stocks that have gained value, you can avoid capital gains taxes and receive a charitable deduction for their market value. Contact your financial advisor or brokerage firm to initiate a stock transfer directly to our ministry.
Matching Gifts
Many companies match the charitable contributions made by their employees. This can effectively double (or even triple) the impact of your gift at no extra cost to you.
Nationally, 20% of teens who age out of foster care become homeless instantly, 50% struggle with addiction, and nearly 70% face arrest within two years. Your generosity provides housing, life skills coaching, and job training for older youth, allowing them to break generational cycles of poverty.
If you are 73 or older and have an individual retirement account, you can donate all or part of your required minimum distribution (RMD) to a charity instead of taking it as income and paying taxes on it. This allows you to reduce your taxable income while supporting a cause you care about. Talk to your IRA manager or financial advisor about making a Qualified Charitable Distribution directly to Black Mountain Home.
In-Kind Gifts
We welcome gifts of goods and services. Whether you are an individual, a family, a business, or part of a community group, we welcome contributions that support our children.
A Penny Saved Is a Penny Earned
A Story About Generosity.
Calvin Mercer and Susan Vickery-Mercer, soon-to-be retirees, have chosen to leave their estate to Black Mountain Home. Their decision reflects a lifetime of guiding and caring for young people and ensures that vulnerable children will find safety, love, and opportunity for generations to come.
While vacationing in the North Carolina mountains, Susan and Calvin Mercer discovered the annual Black Mountain Home Fall Festival. What began as a pleasant October day became a lifechanging encounter with our ministry.
As a church youth director and a religion professor, Susan and Calvin spent their careers mentoring young people. They know the difference love, support, and guidance can make in the life of a child who has faced hardships. When they learned about Black Mountain Home’s mission to care for children who have endured abuse, neglect, or abandonment, it touched their hearts in a lasting way.
After meeting with staff and seeing firsthand how children are cared for, the Mercers decided to leave their estate to Black Mountain Home. They also look forward to retiring nearby and volunteering together. In their words, “Making Black Mountain Home the primary beneficiary of our estate made our hearts happy. It ensures our life’s work of supporting at-risk youth will continue long after we’re gone.”
They now find joy in saving for the children in everyday ways. Susan explained, “We celebrate even small savings because it means more for the children. If gas is three cents cheaper, we say, ‘That’s 62 more cents for the kids!’ ” Their choice shows how a gift in your will can extend your faith and values even after your lifetime, ensuring your love for children continues.
By giving their estate to help children in need have a safe, loving home, the Mercers are living out Galatians 6:2, which teaches us to “carry each other’s burdens.”
They encourage everyone to visit the campus and learn more about the ministry. “Every contribution, no matter how small, adds to what we can accomplish together. Join us in providing for the children. It’s an investment in their future that pays dividends in changed lives.”
Legacy Giving
If children are near and dear to your heart, please consider making their care possible by:
• Naming Black Mountain Home as a beneficiary in your will or trust. This can be a specific amount or a percentage of your assets.
• Listing Black Mountain Home as the beneficiary of a bank account, retirement account, life insurance policy, or other.
• Creating a charitable gift annuity or charitable trust that provides income during your lifetime while leaving a future gift to Black Mountain Home.
With government support shrinking and children’s needs growing, legacy gifts help children heal from burdens they should never bear alone.
To learn more, please contact Loretta Shelton at LShelton@BlackMountainHome.org or 828.686.3451, ext. 107. Together, we can ensure children continue to heal, grow, and find hope in Christ for generations to come.
Annual Offering of
Partners In Ministry
In 1904, our ministry was founded on the biblical call to care for orphans and children in need. A century later, that calling remains.
We are grateful to the churches, Sunday school classes, small groups, and other faith communities who support our children through annual offerings.
Because of your faithfulness, children know what the body of Christ looks like in word and deed.
We invite your church to continue that witness through a special offering of thanksgiving for children in need. Whether through a one-time collection or by inclusion in your annual missions budget, your generosity lives out the gospel command to care for “the least of these.“
Become a Ministry Liaison: Strengthen the Bond Between Your Church and Our Children
Relationships matter. That’s why we encourage congregations to designate a member to receive and share updates about our children and help build lasting partnerships with our ministry. Liaisons provide a bridge, keeping the church family aware of how prayers, offerings, and volunteer efforts are changing the lives of children and families in the mountains of Western North Carolina.
To receive posters, resources, or to learn more about our liaison program, please email Info@BlackMountainHome.org. Together, we can glorify God by caring for children, youth, and families.
Ministry Needs & Collection Opportunities
• Families With Big Hearts: To open their homes to children in foster care. (Licensing required.)
• Holiday Supplies and Decorations: Fall decor, Halloween candy and party supplies, and Christmas decorations.
• Bed and Bath: Waterproof bed bug mattress and foundation protectors (Twin and Twin XL).
• Baby Items: New infant and booster car seats, clothing, video monitors, and more.
• Cleaning Supplies: Paper products, detergents, disinfectants, cleaning gloves, etc.
• Vehicles: Reliable used cars for older youth.
• Thrift Store Donations: Gently used furniture, clothing, kitchenware, art, books, and more.
He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors me. - Psalm 50:23
See our online ministry needs list at: www.Amazon.com/registries/gl/ guest-view/2AGJXBO57B3XZ
You can order from Amazon or other stores and ship directly to our office at: 80 Lake Eden Road Black Mountain, NC 28711
We welcome in-person donation deliveries to our office.
Thank you to the Ledfords, Campers on Mission, ROAM, and all our volunteers and donors for making care possible.
Serving Together: Honoring Wanda Ledford and All Who
Give
Wanda and her husband, Ray, truly modeled what it means to serve together. A dedicated member of North Carolina Campers on Mission (COM), the Ledfords have shared their time and talents with our ministry since 2020. Just days before Wanda’s passing, she donated an RV-themed basket for our Fall Festival auction—a last act of generosity that has touched our hearts in a special way.
We are grateful to the COM volunteers who have traveled from across NC, as well as AL, FL, GA, MI, TN, TX, SC, SD, and WI to fill our campus with willing hands and generous hearts. We are equally thankful for our RVers on a Mission (ROAM) volunteers. Whether serving in the thrift store, mowing lawns, renovating cottages, helping with events, or answering phones, they remind us that the greatest work is done side by side.
We treasure our volunteers, including the local individuals, church groups, service teams, and those who stay in our Legacy RV (Resident Volunteer) Park. Each brings something unique, and like strands woven into a strong cord, their service helps children have security, love, and hope.
Wanda Ledford’s legacy of generosity, service, and friendship will live on in the lives of our children—a legacy shared by every volunteer and donor who makes care for our children possible.
Whether you live down the street or across the country, you are deeply appreciated. Your kindness, generosity, and support help children heal, grow, and find hope for a brighter future.
United
by Service,
Commitment,
and
Faith,
House Parents Show Children God’s Love
Being House Parents takes courage. Even those who feel called wonder if they are strong enough, patient enough, and wise enough to be what children need.
The truth is, answering the call to serve as House Parents will have hard days. Walking alongside children always does. But, when couples step out in faith, love, and trust, they discover the rewards far outweigh the challenges.
Side by side, House Parent couples create a safe, Christ-centered home where children learn to trust again, laugh again, and find hope for their futures. The hard days come, but so does the joy.
If you and your spouse have been praying about a way to serve together, this may be the answer to your prayers.
Learn More About Joining Our Ministry Team
Wanda Mae Ledford, June 6, 1949 — September 13, 2025. We will miss her sweet smile, kind heart, and helping hands.
Thank you for including our kids on your Christmas list.
Christmas Memories
Christmas is hard for our kids. Despite the hardships they’ve experienced, they yearn to wake up with mom and dad, see their favorite cousins, and have lunch with grandma. They miss their parents, even those who struggled to care for them properly.
Their unfulfilled longings hurt deeply, especially during the holidays. That’s why your kindness is so important. Your support comforts children and brings them joy during Thanksgiving, Christmas, and other holidays. It makes favorite meals possible and provides stockings with their name on them and gifts from Santa under the tree on Christmas morning. You enable them to feel wanted and cherished and know they are not alone.
Hurricane Helene reminded us how quickly life can unravel. Our children carry the traumas of those memories. Yet, even during the most challenging times, we know burdens are lighter when they’re carried together.
As Christmas draws near, we invite you to help provide secure homes, good meals, meaningful traditions, and gifts from Santa to children in need, from newborns to college age.
Thank you for giving children memories of love, hope, and belonging that will last a lifetime.
Please let us know how you want to help:
• Sponsor Christmas for a child with your donation of $300. Use the enclosed envelope or give online at www.BlackMountainHome.org/donate.
• Fill the wish list of one or more of our children. Simply scan the QR code to sign up for a wish list.
• Donate items from the Christmas wish list at www. Amazon.com/registries/gl/ guest-view/S29WVU682YXU
Visit: BlackMountainHome.org/Christmas or scan the QR code for more details.
To receive our prayer calendar, email prayer@BlackMountainHome.org