Joanie's Story of Hope

Earlier in my life, I made some bad choices that led me into some bad habits, and eventually, one of those habits became an addiction. Over time, it cost me just about everything I had, including my relationship with my children and my home. That’s a big part of how I came to Western Carolina Rescue Ministries.

At the time, I was in another program, and my counselors were helping me figure out what my next steps should be. They helped me find the Mission because I needed more than someone to point me toward ser­vices. I needed a safe place to stay, but I also needed a place where I could keep working on my life.

I found out pretty quickly that WCRM isn’t just a shelter. It’s a real working program designed to help people move forward.

I went through the W.O.W, the Women of Worth program, and I’m so grateful to say that I have graduated. W.O.W helped me begin to recognize some of the things I had lost along the way through my addiction and, more importantly, helped me start getting those things back. I needed more than a roof over my head. I needed to become myself again. And I’m still working on that, because I’ve learned that healing and rebuilding your life is a process.

Coats for the Cold

We are giving out Free Coats and Winter Gear to our neighbors in need. Saturday Nov 7 at 11am - 1pm to anyone in need!

Location: 225 Patton Ave, Asheville at Western Carolina Rescue Ministries

Volunteer Opportunity: Serve at our “Coats for the Cold” giveaway to provide essential winter items to those in need. We will be giving out hats, gloves, scarves, and jackets to ensure everyone stays warm this winter.

Sign Up to VolunteerThanksgiving Meals

Each year on Thanksgiving, we have an opportunity to love on our neighbors in need. Holidays are especially hard for our residents so we want to come alongside them by offering some extra love and joy in this season. We serve three days of Thanksgiving meals “restaurant style” to our residents and a special Thanksgiving meal to the homeless.

Monday, Nov. 23 - Wednesday, Nov. 25, 4pm-6pm

Ministry Need of the Month

We are in need of to-go trays to serve meals to our neighbors. These trays allow us to provide hot, nutritious meals to individuals and families who rely on the Mission for daily nourishment.

You can help us meet this urgent need and others by purchasing directly through our Amazon Wishlist. Every donation helps us feed our community with care and dignity.

Thank you for being part of this mission!

Conversations on a Bench

World Homeless Day | We were live October 8-9, 2026

Last week, Western Carolina Rescue Ministries hosted its third annual Conversations on a Bench: Love Is Not Afraid of the Dark, bringing our community together for 24 hours of meaningful conversations about homelessness, addiction, and mental health.

From 3 p.m. on October 8 through 3 p.m. on October 9, Executive Director Micheal Woods sat on a simple bench outside the Mission, welcoming community leaders, healthcare professionals, law enforcement, elected officials, candidates, staff, program participants, and neighbors for honest conversations about the challenges facing our community and the hope of transformation.

Streaming live across North America, the event highlighted the importance of listening, compassion, and collaboration as we work together to support those experiencing homelessness, addiction, and mental health challenges. Each conversation served as a reminder that meaningful change begins when we take the time to listen, understand, and walk alongside those in need.

The 24-hour event concluded with a beautiful time of worship and prayer, lifting up those in need throughout Western North Carolina and reminding us of the hope found in Christ.

Thank you to everyone who joined us in person, tuned in online, shared their stories, or lifted up this event in prayer. Your presence and support helped make these conversations possible. Together, we continue to share hope, build understanding, and demonstrate that love truly is not afraid of the dark.

Completely New, by God’s Design

Have you ever thought about how much we let our past and our failures define us? Or maybe it’s what others say about us? Too often, even our own bad days get a vote in who we believe we are. Stuck in all that noise, it gets easy to lose sight of something simpler. Your identity was never meant to be defined by those things. Instead, your real identity is rooted in who God says you are.

Our problem is that we confuse our identity with everything else, and it’s time we quiet those voices down.

There’s an important moment told in 2 Samuel chapter 11. It happened in the spring of the year, the time when all kings went out to battle. This was tradition. David was king of Isreal, but instead of going out with his army, he stayed home. He was feeling himself. He had begun to believe something about himself that was rooted in fact but not truth. His track record of defeating giants was not the reason he was king. He was king only because God had chosen him. He had truly forgotten who he was.

This can happen to any of us. I believe it happens more than we like to admit. Life throws things at us, we listen to the wrong voices, we read the headlines, and somewhere along the way, we not only forget who we are but whose we are. When we forget who we belong to, we start operating out of our strength instead of the authority God gave us.

Here are three truths I want you to remember.

You are exactly who He says you are. You were created in His image, He has a plan and purpose for you, you are always more than your successes or failures.

Your identity is connected to your destiny. Regardless of what you are going through, you were built for this moment. It’s not over, He is not finished, your destiny is in His hands.

You are an overcomer. You can overcome anything that the enemy throws at you. You and God will always win. 

Physical Location:

225 Patton Avenue, Asheville, NC 28801

Mailing Address:

P.O. Box 909, Asheville, NC 28802

Phone Number:

828-254-0471