Mission and Outreach Commission
Work of the Mission and Outreach Commission is a very visible way the Holy Cross family demonstrates its dedication to our Lord’s teaching to love and serve Him. This Commission supports our church’s mission statement by providing a compassionate ministry of helping others when need exists.
Our mission statement: To seek Christ in all persons, answering His call to love others and help those in need.
Members of the Mission and Outreach Commission:
1. Screen requests and distribute emergency financial assistance to people in immediate need in Watauga and Avery Counties. We help with power and fuel bills, rent, transportation, medical costs and other needs for a total amount determined by Valle Country Fair proceeds and therefore varies from year to year. If you are in need of assistance, please call Holy Cross at 963-4609, ext. 25 and leave a message. A volunteer will return your call within 24 hours.
2. Provide:
- Alternative Christmas
- Angel Tree to provide Christmas presents for those in need, including adults and children
- Monthly dinners the 1st and 5th Wednesdays at Hospitality House
- Villager (an outreach of respite for parents of foster children)
- Summer Food ministry to provide groceries for local families in need
3. Determine distribution of Valle Country Fair Grant funds to local non-profit organizations. The 2021 grant amount was $33,000.
2021 Valle Country Fair Grant Recipients:
Appalachian Senior’s Program: Their mission is to provide meaningful and productive volunteer opportunities for senior citizens to remain active in the community, offering services to children with special needs and the frail elderly that otherwise are not offered. Their programs include the Foster Grandparent and Senior Companion programs.
Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture: Their mission is to support producers and cultivate connections that educate, inspire and increase the demand for local food. They envision an equitable and sustainable High Country food system where producers are thriving and local food is accessible to all.
Children’s Council of Watauga County: Their mission is to build a strong foundation for children’s learning and development by strengthening families, the early childhood system and the wider community.
Community Care Clinic: The Community Care Clinic is a free clinic that provides healthcare to low-income, uninsured people in our community.
High Country Caregivers: They plan to develop a “Creating a Family” curriculum to help grandmothers and other family members help at-risk children with dealing with the loss of a traditional family.
Hunger and Health Coalition: Their mission is to relieve poverty and hunger in a compassionate manner for families and individuals experiencing economic hardship and to help those who must choose between paying rent, buying food or taking medicine.
LIFE Village, Inc.: Their mission is to help meet residential needs of adults with autism and related challenges in the community.
Mountain Alliance: Their mission is to provide transformative experiences and support so that all High Country teens have the opportunity to learn an empowered, adventurous and service-oriented life, regardless of means or background.
Parent-to-Parent Family Support Network: This is an outreach program of Appalachian State University providing services to families who have an older teen or young adult with a disability struggling with education and jobs.
Spirit Ride Therapeutic Riding Center: Their mission is to provide children with a wide array of diagnoses the opportunity to learn, grow and strive to become their ideal selves through equine-related therapeutic and educational activities.
Watauga County Schools Extended Learning Centers: Their mission is to promote the academic mission of Watauga County schools while providing the working parents of our community a sanctuary of safety, as well as intellectual, social, emotional and physical well-being.
Grant recipients display posters on the red barn at the Valle Country Fair. Posters and banners explain who they are and what they do so that the general public can see their efforts which better our community and help improve the lives of others.
If your local charitable organization is interested in applying for a Valle Country Fair grant in the spring, please visit www.vallecountryfair.org and click "To Apply for a Grant."