We have opportunities to serve folks in need in our community and hope you’ll participate!

💗Hurricane Helene Response
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance will be assisting in the recovery at Montreat and in Western North Carolina, as well as Florida and Georgia. To support their response, you can donate here. Following Presbyterian Disaster Assistance and Montreat Conference Center on Facebook can also help you keep up with their needs.

Our beloved Montreat Conference Center is “battered, not broken” according to their updates. Read their most recent update here and click here if you would like to make a donation to their recovery fund at this time.

Black Mountain Presbyterian Church has been providing direct relief to affected families in the region, and is now housing relief organizations as well. To make a donation to support their efforts, click here.

(For those who prefer, you may also write a check to Highland. You can either designate it for “Hurricane Relief,” or for one of these organizations.)

🧹 Work Teams
We have begun the process of organizing work teams to travel to western North Carolina once the way is clear and the agencies who coordinate this work are prepared for groups to come. (We do not know at this time when this will be, but will share as soon as we know). If you are interested in the possibility of being part of such a team, please click here. Depending on the nature of the work that will be needed, we may have time for training before groups depart.

Women’s Shelter Returning to St. Timothy’s December 1, 2024 through February 28, 2025
On December 1 the women’s overflow shelter will reopen in the Fellowship Hall at St. Timothy’s and stay open through February 28. Highland has agreed to partner with St. Timothy’s financially, through volunteer support, and through donations of meals and to-go bags. Please prayerfully consider how you can help and be prepared to sign up for a monthly or weekly meal team, a hospitality / check-in shift, or snack / to-go bags. They will have a paid monitor so we will not need to staff overnight shifts.

Shepherd Center Christmas Gift Bags
We will be collecting items once again for Christmas gifts bags which The Shepherd’s Center is putting together for low income seniors. Watch your email for a sign-up sheet so you can provide simple items like hand lotion, coloring books, or new wash cloths for our neighbors in need.
The gift bags will be shared at a special meal, which Highland is hosting, on Saturday, December 7. We are looking for volunteers to help staff this joyful event, so please check your calendars, and let Debbie Layman know if you would like to help host that night!

Community Care Center on New Walkertown Road in Winston-Salem is a volunteer-based, free, non-profit healthcare clinic that treats the whole person and family. They provide health care services and medicines to uninsured patients who don’t qualify for federal or private insurance and have family incomes below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level. Their medical, dental and non-medical staff donate over 10,000 hours annually. They have evening hours every Monday and Thursday. Churches from Salem Presbytery provide dinners for the volunteers each Monday. If you’d like to prepare and deliver a dinner for 20 people, please contact Debbie Cesta at debbie.cesta@habitatforsyth.org

Current needs at The Shepherd Center:

• Volunteers are needed for their Phone Pals and Card Connections programs (sending cards, making cards, making phone calls) 
• For small groups that might feel comfortable working together outside, they have older adults that need help with yard work
• Items are needed for Door Drops and items vary from month to month

Current needs at Senior Services:

• Senior services can always use more hand sanitizer, bags to support contactless delivery, and other cleaning and protectives equipment such as masks, gloves, etc.
• There is an ongoing need for comfort and care items – please contact the volunteer coordinator, Holly Beck, at 336-721-3411.