Stronger together: Hammer & Heart joins forces with Swannanoa Valley Christian Ministry

Hammer & Heart ramp-building crew taking a break for a photo.

Keller Williams real estate agents take a day off to serve a neighbor with Hammer & Heart.

Spoke Builders, residential contractors in Asheville, volunteer regularly with Hammer & Heart.

Two families from Pennsylvania celebrate their Thanksgiving holiday by serving flood victims in the Swannanoa Valley with Hammer & Heart.

Wilson Jumper, a regular volunteer with Hammer & Heart, makes a precise cut on a mobile home skirting panel.

Volunteers getting trained as "skirt experts," leading other Hammer & Heart volunteers in mobile home skirt repairs.

Hammer & Heart volunteers in action, replacing flood-damaged skirting.

Hammer & Heart volunteers from Harderwyk Ministries in Holland, MI install siding and soffit.

A Hammer & Heart volunteer from St. Mark's United Church of Christ in Lebanon, PA installs a skirt panel.

McClung Roofing preps a damaged roof for new shingles with Hammer & Heart.

McClung Roofing finished product for Hammer & Heart.

Drone view of ramp construction. Hammer & Heart volunteers will typically build a ramp in one day.

BLACK MOUNTAIN, N.C. - Offering crisis relief, a health clinic, and a housing program for single mothers, Swannanoa Valley Christian Ministry (SVCM) will soon be adding home repairs to its list of services. After months of working together in the wake of Hurricane Helene, Hammer & Heart is officially joining with SVCM. This union will combine the strengths of both nonprofits to serve low-income residents of the Swannanoa Valley. While Hammer & Heart will retain its mission and staff, it will legally become a part of SVCM, following approval by the N.C. Attorney General’s Office. 

Established in 2021, Hammer & Heart provides urgent home repairs for Swannanoa Valley residents with limited financial resources. Hammer & Heart focuses on repairs that keep homes safe and livable, like repairing HVAC units, replacing damaged roofs and fixing plumbing leaks. They also install wheelchair ramps, handrails for bathrooms and other accessibility modifications. 

After Helene, the need for home repairs exploded. Hammer & Heart went from repairing 25-30 homes a year to about 50 homes a month after the storm. Hammer & Heart has completed 95 home repair projects since Helene, worth about $127,000. 

“These improvements not only protect the most vulnerable of our community, they make our community a safer, healthier, and more compassionate place to live,” says Ben Fortson, Director of Hammer & Heart. “For a lot of our families, this home is their only investment. It’s all they’ve got.” The repairs are uplifting, too. “It’s a huge boost in self-esteem for families when we can come put a new roof on their home,” Fortson said. 

Rev. Dr. Kevin Bates, Executive Director of SVCM, saw that the Crisis Ministry - providing food, clothing, and assistance with utility bills - dovetailed well with Hammer & Heart’s mission. “Once we started discussing the idea, it just made sense to combine our efforts.” In the last year, SVCM’s ministries served one of every five people in the Swannanoa Valley. However, more than one in three valley residents would qualify. “Through all our ministries, we aim to live Christ’s call to love and serve neighbors in need,” says Bates. 

Swannanoa Valley Christian Ministry (SVCM) is a team of committed staff, volunteers, churches and community partners working together since 1975 to provide essential support and compassionate service to neighbors in the Swannanoa Valley. To donate, volunteer or inquire about aid, please call (828) 669-9404, or visit svcmblackmountain.org. SVCM is also open for in person visits Monday - Friday, 9a.m. - 3p.m., at 101 N. Ridgeway Ave., Black Mountain, NC 28711. SVCM is a 501(c)(3) and contributions are tax deductible. 

Hammer & Heart, a division of SVCM, will continue to accept donations via hammerandheartwnc.org or by check at PO Box 577, Black Mountain, NC 28711. To volunteer or inquire about home repairs, please call (828) 803-1802 or email info@hammerandheartwnc.org. Hammer & Heart is a 501(c)(3) and contributions are tax deductible.