On Sunday, the Hospitality House of Northwest North Carolina celebrated its 40th anniversary at the Appalachian Theatre of the High Country with an award ceremony followed by a showing of “Same Kind of Different as Me.”

The event, which took place from 2-5 p.m., honored and recognized Hospitality House’s staff members and volunteers while acknowledging the past and recent history of the nonprofit.

Executive Director Tina Krause and Chief Development Director Todd Carter spoke at the event and handed out the awards. 

“It takes a tapestry of really unique people to make up the staff of Hospitality House,” Krause said. “They come to us with strengths and life experiences and they’re woven together to make a place where all people are welcome and included.”

Staff members and volunteers were recognized for the dedication and versatility they bring to the organization.

“On any given shift, you may find yourself operating as a social worker, sometimes a chef, sometimes you’re a safety mediator and sometimes you become a caregiver,” Krause said.  “All of that can happen within just a few hours.”

Carter said Hospitality House opened in 1984, founded by several local religious organizations: First Baptist, Boone United Methodist, Grace Lutheran, First Presbyterian, St. Luke’s Episcopal, St. Elizabeth and the Boone Jewish community.

Carter said Connie Humphreys, an original member of the organization, helped secure a $100,000 anonymous donation during the organization’s inception, which helped purchase a house on King Street that was used as a shelter. 

He then compared the organization’s initial impact to today’s and said that in 1988, 2,230 nights of shelter and 4,430 meals were provided by the nonprofit. In 2023, 71,796 nights of shelter and 181,268 meals were provided.

The first to be recognized during the award ceremony was Emergency Housing Coordinator Tori Rodriguez, who received the Above and Beyond award. Second to be awarded was Hearts of Hospitality House President Julie Truman with the 40th Anniversary Volunteer Award. 

Ned Fowler, who Krause said was a “champion” and “determined visionary” of Hospitality House, was remembered during the ceremony, and son Luke Fowler accepted an award on his behalf in remembrance of his service.

Kay Borkowski, who founded the fundraising entity Hearts of Hospitality House, was recognized as a leader and visionary for her years of service.

“I don’t know that Hospitality House would have made it if she had not arrived here in 1993 and started something called Hearts of Hospitality House,” Carter said. 

Other volunteers who helped fund the Hospitality House and its programs were thanked during the ceremony, including Herb and Norma Hash, who have been monthly donors since the inception of the organization.  

Co-chairs Shelley Tarbutton and the late Kent Tarbutton were honored during the ceremony as members who always offered their support, and Krause spoke on Kent Tarbutton’s service as a board member and attention to fulfill the “smallest basic needs” Hospitality House required to further its mission. 

Owners of Mast General Store John and Faye Cooper received recognition for their service to the organization and support of the nonprofit’s campaign to build its current 18,500 square footage shelter on Brook Hollow Road, completed in 2011.

Finally, Lynne Mason, former executive director of Hospitality House, was honored for the stability and financial responsibility she brought to the organization. 

“She’s the one that said we can be more than just a shelter,” Carter said. 

After accepting her award, Mason took to the stage to comment on Krause and Carter’s work.

“I’m so proud of what they’re doing,” she said. “There’s no words to convey where they’ve taken Hospitality House.”

In an interview, Krause said she started working with the Hospitality House in 2011, two weeks from the time Carter started his position. She said one of her biggest takeaways from her time with Hospitality House came from working with and seeing the impacts of the Early Child Development Program, which provides care to children. 

“In my time there, I think that may have been one of the most joyful things, just seeing the light come back into the eyes of the children,” she said.

The executive director said the ultimate goal of the Hospitality House is not to provide temporary shelter, but rather to provide permanent housing solutions to residents by expanding housing programs and housing accommodations.

“Our next goal is to build communities for people,” she said.

Carter said in addition to housing programs, the organization provides medical and mental health services, including an opioid recovery center. He said Hospitality House is looking to expand its outreach through programs to help more people in need.

“This is our 40th anniversary, and in so many ways, it feels like we’re just getting started,” Carter said.

He said at the end of the day, he loves the challenge of finding solutions to assist people in the community. 

“It’s been a lot of challenges, a lot of victories,” Carter said.