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Common Ground Communities, 627 Edgewood Avenue, Kempton, PA (2026)

04/07/2026

It's been too long since we've posted, but not because there hasn't been anything worth posting. After 1.5 years, we are still busy helping hurricane victims get back into their homes. And we continue to work alongside large and small organizations alike, who are still helping rebuild people's homes, including Hendersonville's own, Housing Assistance Corporation.

Housing Assistance Corporation, known locally as HAC, creates affordable housing in our area, both by building new homes and apartments, as well as helping low income homeowners stay in their homes by rehabbing and sometimes completely rebuilding their homes.

We have had the pleasure of working along side HAC in helping a local resident named Willie get back into his home. The house was in need of significant repair (see 'before' pictures) before the hurricane hit, but the storm only made it worse. HAC spent nearly 6 months completely rebuilding Willie's home.

Common Ground volunteers first met Willie while we were serving hot meals (provided by World Central Kitchen) on 7th Ave in Hendersonville. The first few days he came out he was just looking for a good hot meal for himself. But within a few days, he would show up on his bicycle so that he could deliver meals to some of his homebound neighbors. Then, after his bike was stolen, Willie would show up on his lawn tractor and deliver meals to his neighbors. The only thing bigger than Willie's smile is his heart.

Thanks to HAC, and the support of his wonderful daughter, Chesnea, Willie has returned home to a beautifully renovated house. And thanks to the generous support of Common Ground donors and volunteers, that home is furnished with everything from brand new leather furniture in the living room, to beds and dressers, to dining room furniture, to rugs on the floor, curtains on the windows, dishes in the cupboards, and spare linens in the sideboard. With hugs, tears, and his famous smile, Willie expresses his gratitude to all of you for your support and prayers.

10/25/2025

It's been over a year since Hurricane Helene struck and devastated much of western North Carolina. Many individuals and organizations have stayed committed to helping families recover from that life altering event. But even now, many families are still waiting for their homes to be rebuilt.

Common Ground has walked along side of many of these families and organizations in the rebuilding process. On the anniversary of the hurricane we were able to help three families move back into their homes with furniture, appliances, carpets, artwork and more. Mr James, Ms Patrina and Ms June were grateful for the furnishings that will help turn their rebuilt houses into warm and comfortable homes.

As always we are grateful for all the support we have received through monetary and in-kind donations. The need continues, so if you feel compelled to help, your generosity will not go unnoticed or unappreciated. Thanks for continuing to follow our progress here in Hendersonville.

07/13/2025

Thanks to a very generous donor, and a significant discount from Blue Ridge Cabinet Connections, we were able to provide an entire kitchen full of cabinets for a family in Green Meadows. We also provided a washer and dryer. The family did most of renovations themselves. After 10 months, their home is now fully restored.

05/28/2025

September 27, 2024 is the day Hurricane Helene hit western North Carolina. Eight months later families in Hendersonville, Asheville, and surrounding areas are still waiting, hoping, praying to get back into their homes. Common Ground has been delivering furniture, appliances and other furnishings to those lucky enough to have their homes restored.

Shirley, whose public housing complex was completely flooded, had to be rescued from her apartment. Once she was able to find another subsidized housing apartment, Common Ground provided a complete living room set, as well as beds, small appliances and a television. When Miss Shirley arrived at her newly furnished apartment she shed tears of joy and gratitude.

A single mom, Asiana, along with her three boys found a small unfurnished house right across the street from the church where we store much of our inventory. She reached out to Common Ground and we were able to provide a triple bunk bed for her boys, as well as living room furniture, blankets, pillows, and even diapers for her soon to be born daughter.

All of this was only possible because of the generosity of our donors! Thank you for providing not just cash or furniture, but for restoring a sense of security, comfort and 'home' for these families.

03/14/2025

For most people, Hurricane Helene is another event that has slipped from the collective consciousness and landed in the 'past history' category. But for those who were directly impacted, Helene is still very much a present reality.

Dayquan is a man whose life was turned upside down last September, but with the help of some 'peacemakers' named Binh and Tonia, he's moving forward. Dayquan was a commercial truck driver whose truck broke down at the time Helene hit. He was stranded in Hendersonville for a number of months, living in a homeless shelter and working part time at a fast-food restaurant. Each day he would walk by our food distribution location and collect a hot meal and some encouragement, compliments of Common Ground and World Central Kitchen.

Fast forward a few months when we received a call from Dayquan. He was now in Nashville, having moved there with the promise of a full-time job. He spent his last dollars on transportation and a hotel room, only to be "ghosted" by the would-be employer. With no money and nowhere to go, there was despair in his voice. I told him to give me a day, and we would help him figure something out.

Common Ground was able to extend his stay at a local hotel, but more importantly, connected him to our friends Binh and Tonia who live in Nashville. They embraced Dayquan in his struggle and helped with everything from rides to job interviews and hot meals, to much needed moral support and sound advice. Eventually we were able to purchase a plane ticket to reconnect him to family in Pennsylvania. Binh and Tonia's love and support helped Dayquan find a small modicum of peace in his otherwise unsettled life.

Peacemakers are those who step into the brokenness people experience to restore the wholeness they seek - Thank you Binh and Tonia! And we wish Dayquan an ever-growing peace!

02/03/2025

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” - Mt 5:9

In January this year, Americans remembered two of the most influential people in our short history. One died 57 years ago by the bullet of an assassin, when he was just 39 years old. The other died a month ago from natural causes after having lived an entire century. Both committed their lives to being peacemakers.

Martin Luther King Jr. fought for peace his entire adult life. He strove to bring peace between the rich and the poor, between blacks and whites, between people of different religions. His message was not only peace, but his method was peace. A student of Mahatma Gandhi’s peaceful, non-violent resistance, King never resorted to violence or even name-calling to gain a power advantage. And almost 60 years after his death, his influence is still felt today – and celebrated.

Likewise, President Jimmy Carter was a man devoted to peace. From the Governor’s mansion and the White House, to almost four decades of leading the Carter Center, Jimmy Carter embodied what it meant to be a peacemaker. He made human rights a hallmark of his presidency and his continued work in brokering peace around the world.

And so it is right for us to remember and honor these men. And it is good for us to consider their example, now more than ever. We live in a time where the norm seems to be division, distrust and even dislike of “the other”.

At Common Ground we believe we have a lot more in common with each other than we have differences. But if we lead with, look for, and dwell on our differences, peace will be hard to achieve.

Who will stand up during this time of unparalleled division and decide to be a peacemaker? Who will use their voice – whether in a conversation with a family member or friend, or a post on facebook – to encourage connectedness and cohesiveness? Who will step out of their comfort zone to engage with an “other” – be it a person of a different race, political party, belief system, economic status or sports team – in order just to get to know them, and perhaps even find some deep commonality or ‘alikeness’.

We hope to highlight just such peacemakers with what little voice we have here at Common Ground. We will try to feature, on a regular basis, those people who are doing their part to break down barriers and help bring peace in this broken world. If you hear of people in your circle or tribe who are doing that, please feel free to pass along their stories (with their permission of course) so we can encourage others to be peacemakers.

01/01/2025

Happy New Year from all of us at Common Ground Communities. Our theme for 2025 is restoration. Many of our neighbors ended 2024 without a home to live in, a bed to sleep on, a kitchen to cook in, a dining table to gather around with friends, or a couch to relax on after a long day. We hope to restore all of these things, and much more. Our goal is to help restore people's homes, their hope and their dignity.

Come along with us on this journey of restoration. Your tax-deductible contribution will help us continue delivering building materials, furniture, appliances, mattresses, linens, dishes and small appliances to families in our community. Your donation will help "set the table" so people can get back to being part of a thriving community of homeowners and neighbors.

12/19/2024

After over 2 1/2 months, the hurricane debris has finally been cleared from the streets, and people have begun to rebuild. Common Ground has been able to provide over 200 sheets of drywall, along with heaters, dehumidifiers and other building materials to families rebuilding after the hurricane. One family not only saw their home and outbuildings completely flooded, but the bridge they use to get to their home was washed away. But this didn't stop us from getting the sheetrock they needed to their home so they could begin the long, slow process of renovations.

Recovery will take many more months and many more dollars. As the year comes to an end please consider a tax-deductible donation to Common Ground to help us continue serving our neighbors here in Hendersonville. Thanks to all those who have already donated, and to those of you who will do so now. Checks can be mailed to 627 Edgewood Ave, Hendersonville, NC 28792. And the QR code to use Zelle was provided in a previous post.

11/18/2024

It's so encouraging to see people all around the country doing what they can to bring relief and help with the recovery efforts here in Hendersonville. This came from some friends of Common Ground in Illinois. Thank you friends!

To support relief efforts for the folks affected by Hurricane Helene, a group of friends organized an open mic night at their church in Champaign, Illinois on November 9th. Sixteen musicians performed for a crowd of sixty-five friends and neighbors. $300 was raised to donate to Common Ground Communities. To our friends in North Carolina- we wish you safety and peace as you are restored and renewed.

11/02/2024

Donation Details for Common Ground Communities:
CHECK - make payable to Common Ground Communities and mail to 627 Edgewood Ave, Hendersonville, NC 28792
VENMO - send to Michael-Sheridan-25. From there I can divert your donation to Common Ground Communities checking account. Be sure to put Common Ground in the notes section of the Venmo payment
ZELLE - the QR code for Zelle payments directly to Common Ground Communities account at TD bank is below.

11/02/2024

Hello Friends and Supporters, Thank you so much to all who have already sent donations to help in our disaster response efforts. We wanted to update you regarding our ongoing recovery work here in western North Carolina.

IMMEDIATE RESPONSE – ADVOCACY AND A HOT MEAL
- Habitat for Humanity contracted CGC to provide an initial assessment of the impact of Hurricane Helene on the Green Meadows community in Hendersonville. Green Meadows is a neighborhood of 77 single-family, minority-owned homes in the historic 7th Avenue district. Many of the families are low-income. Of those 77 homes, 13 were significantly impacted by flooding (up to 6’ of water in some homes), and 2 were severely damaged by downed trees. While the tree-damaged homes may get relief from their insurance companies, none of the flooded homes were covered by flood insurance. For those 13 families, they are completely on their own and will have to rebuild from scratch.
- Working with World Central Kitchen, CGC volunteers provided 350 hot meals every day in the Green Meadows community and surrounding low-income areas for approximately three weeks. We delivered meals to nursing homes, subsidized housing units, and the local homeless shelter. In addition to serving WCK-provided meals, volunteers distributed clothing, non-perishable food, water, sleeping bags, tents, blankets, baby diapers and supplies, hygiene products, shoes, outwear and lots of encouragement!

INTERMEDIATE RESPONSE – NEW BEGINNINGS CAMPAIGN
- Having provided the home repair assessments, as well as strong encouragement to Habitat’s leadership team, they are planning to help with the reconstruction of some of the homes that have been damaged by the hurricane. This is great news for the home owners. Most home owners in this neighborhood will probably only get a fraction of FEMA's $42,500 recovery award. What they receive will only cover the cost of some of the materials needed to rebuild. Common Ground hopes to help with the balance of the some of the material expenses.
- By the time homes are reconstructed (at least 2-3 months), Green Meadows residents will be ready to move back in – except for one thing. THEY LOST EVERYTHING THEY OWNED IN THE FLOOD! – Common Ground Communities will focus on this significant need. We are committed to raising funds, and working with other partners to refurnish the homes of those who lost it all. Initial assessments of the cost of refurnishing these small, three-bedroom homes is approximately $8,000 per home. This is based on very modest price estimates per household item. Furnishings include furniture for the entire home, as well as large and small appliances, dishes, cutlery, linens, towels and more.

LONG-TERM FOCUS - We hope to continue working along side residents and other local partners to play a capacity building role in the area. We will tell you more about that in future posts.

OUR REQUEST – It’s quite simple!
We want to give these neighbors a NEW BEGINNING. Please help us make each of these reconstructed houses a home again! To do this we are asking three things.
1. Please donate cash to help us refurnish the 13 homes that lost everything. If you or someone you know can refurnish an entire home, that would be amazing! Or if you are part of a group, church, community, company, club, etc that would like to band together to refurnish an entire home, that too would be so much appreciated. Or just give what you can to get us towards our goal of $100,000.
2. Please share this information with your entire contact list! Please invite your friends, colleagues, family members and neighbors to join the NEW BEGINNINGS CAMPAIGN
3. If you know of anyone with a storage container, box truck or box trailer that would be willing to donate them to this campaign, please let me know. Or if you know anyone who has contacts with companies that would be willing to donate some of the product (furniture, dishes, appliances, linens, household items) please enlist them or have them reach out to me.

The benefit of sending your disaster recovery donations to Common Ground Communities are four-fold.
1. For many of you, you know us - and our commitment to integrity and to serving our neighbors in need
2. We don't spend any money on overhead - no salaries, rent, etc. So 100% of your donation will go to it's stated purpose
3. By focusing on a single community of low-income, minority-owned families, your contribution to this recovery effort will literally change an entire neighborhood, not just in the near-term, but for years into the future.
4. Your donation is 100% tax-deductible.

Currently, you can send donations directly to Common Ground Communities via...
a. Check written to Common Ground Communities and sent to 627 Edgewood Ave, Hendersonville, NC 28792
b. Zelle from your bank to Common Ground Communities TD Bank bank account using the QR code provided below
c. Venmo - I've attached my current venmo to the Common Ground Communities bank account, so if you choose to send money via venmo, please put Common Ground in the note section (What's this for space).

Thank you for your continued support. You are making a difference!

Common Ground Communities

04/07/2026

10/25/2025

07/13/2025

05/28/2025

03/14/2025

02/03/2025

01/01/2025

12/19/2024

11/18/2024

11/02/2024

11/02/2024

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