ASHEVILLE — As most people stayed inside avoiding the rain last week, volunteers with Be Loved House took to the streets.
The Asheville-based charity held its first Festival of Shelters from Sept. 27 to Oct. 4 to stand in solidarity with the homeless.
The relentless rains made its message even more powerful.
“It’s very humbling,” said the Rev. Amy Cantrell, executive director of Be Loved House, a crisis charity operating downtown that offers outreach and services to “the forgotten.”
“Everywhere people are talking about this colossal storm coming and these are our friends. We know their names. We know their stories. Just knowing they are out here in the elements is profoundly heartbreaking and moving. It calls us to compassion. This is an issue of justice.”
The group set up near the Vance Monument where they constructed a makeshift shelter. They called on city and state leaders to prioritize affordable housing. They also handed out ponchos, waterproof blankets and dry clothes to people in need.
Be Loved House is asking city leaders to support affordable housing with mandatory inclusionary zoning. They also want to see 1 cent of the hotel room tax go towards affordable housing, not tourism.
The group also marched to the construction site of the Marriott hotel and read the names of people who have died on the streets out loud. They posted the list on the fence.
The tourism industry offers some of the lowest paid jobs in the city, and before building another hotel, Cantrell said city and state leadership should first remember the citizens who live here and ensure they have housing.
“Our goal is to connect people,” she added. “This is a life and death issue. When we are in an affordable housing crisis, people die because there is not enough housing.”
Throughout the week, Be Loved House asked people on the streets to donate a penny to its cause. The nonprofit plans to take the funds to the Tourism and Development Authority to show that Asheville cares.
The charity received donations from locals and tourists. The first people to contribute were two homeless men.
Also called Sukkot, the Festival of Shelters is modeled after an ancient Hebrew celebration that calls for gratitude and compassion. With its roots in the book of Exodus, the time is meant to give gratitude for the harvest and also remember those who are struggling as winter approaches.
“It calls us to resist the lies that separate us from each other,” Cantrell said. “It calls us to resist gentrification and advocate for housing, community and hope.”
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