牧师. 艾米·坎特雷尔将激情转化为行动
![艾米·坎特雷尔和布恩·霍普金斯校长](http://342s.businessflowerdelivery.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/amy-cantrell-converse-alumni-acheivement-award.jpg)
阿曼达·马西斯(Amanda Mathis)撰写
斯帕坦堡人,万博地址校友. 艾米·卡佩尔 ’94 loves to build community with her fellow neighbors and to create a community w在这里 everyone thrives. 在过去的30年里,它一直是她的北极星.
“My passion was spurred from my time at Converse—the immersion to bring out our time, 人才, 和技能.她将自己的导师,前学生教务处主任. 辛西娅·格里尔, 前总统艾伦·伍德·霍尔, 以及前万博地址牧师苏茜·史密斯, 对她的成功起了重要作用.
作为万博地址的年轻学生, Cantrell traveled with her classmates to New York City and spent time building relationships with the area’s houseless population, 了解贫困和系统性种族主义的影响.
“我在万博地址的时光至关重要,”她分享道. “我参加了一次对我生命至关重要的旅行. 在街上遇到的人改变了我的生活, 与贝尔·胡克斯会面并关注系统性种族主义是很有影响力的. As I returned to Spartanburg, I started to take a deeper dive into these systemic issues.”
“我在万博地址的时光至关重要. 我参加了一次对我人生至关重要的旅行. As I returned to Spartanburg, I started to take a deeper dive into these systemic issues.”
牧师. 艾米·卡佩尔
坎特雷尔认为,在万博地址的那段时间是她的“权力根源”. The intimacy of the campus and its smaller class sizes allowed her to experience rigorous academics, 在大斯巴达堡社区工作, 与教授建立长久的友谊.
The idea of building community with impacted people and working to transform the world together morphed into a lifetime of direction. What started in Spartanburg continued to North Carolina when Cantrell moved to Asheville. Her passion was turned into action when she created BeLoved Asheville, a program focused on building community with people impacted by systemic racism, 贫困, 粮食和住房不安全.
一个有意识的社区
亲爱的阿什维尔不是一个典型的朝九晚五的组织. 而不是, it’s constant work to connect with the people in the community to create innovative solutions to our common struggles and put love into action; to be people with a 目的. Founded by Cantrell and coordinated by a team of Co-Directors including Cantrell, Ponkho贝尔梅霍, 和艾德里安·西蒙, BeLoved Asheville is an intentional community that helps tackle racial equity, 阿什维尔目前的住房危机, 食物的不安全感, and bridging healthcare 和社区 through community health work, and bringing community together for cultural celebrations and to work for racial equity. 这家非营利组织专注于四大支柱:经济适用房, 股本访问, 稳定, 和社区.
Cantrell’s remarkable organization is committed to providing solutions through deeply affordable homes with equity that break the cycle of 贫困, 粮食和健康公平, 创造一个归属感的地方, 目的, and mutual support through connecting neighbors together in common cause. BeLoved’s Street Medics Training Program was created due to the passing of Janet Jones, 谁在一个寒冷的冬夜被发现冻死了. Without any connection to family or friends, local police asked Cantrell to identify the body. Janet’s death became a strong catalyst for the BeLoved organization to create the first homeless and formerly homeless street medic team in the nation w在这里 people trained with EMTs, RNs, 疗, 急诊室护士, and others learned to provide assessment and first aid on the streets of this popular mountain town.
每个人都值得拥有一个家
足智多谋是坎特雷尔日常词汇的一部分. When faced with addressing Asheville’s growing homeless population, which saw an increase of over 100 percent from 2020 to 2023 based on Asheville’s 时间点 survey, the unsheltered count doubled from 65 to 171 individuals, according to the city of Asheville.
意识到她所在城市人口的大幅增长, Cantrell和她的团队创造性地解决了这个问题. Their answer was to become general contractors and build their community of 600-square-foot tiny homes for elders, 工作贫困家庭, 年轻人刚刚进入劳动力市场, 街上的人, BIPOC(黑色), 土著, People of Color) community members facing the impacts of gentrification. It is the first of its kind in the Western North Carolina area and is available to potential tenants who must earn 30 to 40 percent of the city’s area median income ($15,000).
带着创建这样一个村庄的想法, BeLoved posted on their social media sites about the desire to create a community. Within 17 days, BeLoved had an offer of donated land near the bus line. BeLoved Asheville is building our first neighborhood of 12 homes on the acre of land. “我们的地是一片竹林, 我们在学习过程中的每一步,坎特雷尔在谈到捐赠给慈善机构的土地时说道. “我对经济适用房充满热情.” She even sat for the contractor licensing exam; she and her team are building the homes themselves. We currently have 12 homes in the finishing stages and will welcome residents home this summer.
“She truly lives out Converse’s educational mission to see clearly, 做出明智的决定, 公正行事.”
Dr. Andrea Weatherman Kikkert
社区服务奖
在万博地址的年度团聚庆典上,艾米收到了 万博地址社区服务奖 在2024校友奖早午餐会上. “She truly lives out Converse’s educational mission to see clearly, 做出明智的决定, 公正行事,”医生说。. Andrea Weatherman Kikkert,校友关系总监. “Amy’s innovative and effective service to her local community through BeLoved Asheville demonstrates her insightful understanding of her neighbors’ needs and a commitment to bring together people to support one another.”
This unassuming community hero plans to do much more with her Asheville village. 意识到人需要人, BeLoved Asheville has incorporated a focus on community-building events after learning that North Carolina was the number-one state for disconnection in 2019. “我们从利用社区的力量开始, 对我来说,是什么无形的粘合剂把我们凝聚在一起,坎特雷尔说. “Creating a place for people to feel at home is what BeLoved Asheville is all about.”
要了解更多关于宠儿阿什维尔,请访问他们的网站 在这里.