Irene Fletcher:
A Hospitality House Success Story

By Cara Kelly

This is the second of a six-article series detailing the role of the Hospitality House in the community, its clients and the newly initiated capital campaign that will enable the construction of a new facility.

As the Hospitality House of Boone prepares for a dramatic move to a new facility, leaving the three houses that served as homes for 23 years, the staff, current and former residents have taken a look back at the accomplishments of the irreplaceable non-profit.

Many former tenants of the Hospitality House have never truly left the place, although most are now living on their own.

One of these inspiring stories is that of Irene Fletcher, a current Boone resident who utilized the opportunities presented by the Hospitality House to turn her life around.

“I know I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for the Hospitality House,” Fletcher said. “I’d be on the street somewhere.”

Fletcher is originally from Tampa, Fla., but after traveling to Boone with some friends who were thinking about renting a place in the High Country, she found herself stranded in a motel room.

Alone and unfamiliar with her surroundings, Fletcher had nowhere to turn and no way home.

“The staff at the motel told me about the Hospitality House, and I was able to get in because they had a bed available,” Fletcher said.

It has since been two years, and Fletcher has used the help she received to secure a job in retail and a place to live on her own.

It was only through the help of the non-profit organization that Fletcher claims she was able to get her life on a steady track.

Fletcher first ventured to Able Body off N.C. 105, a temporary, odd-jobs opportunity that pays daily for daily work. Nevertheless, after a week of being unable to work due to rain, Fletcher realized she needed to look into other options. She sent out several resumes during the rainy days and finally landed an interview with her current company. At that point, Fletcher was given vouchers for Ram’s Rack thrift shop and referred to the Professional Clothing Closet for appropriate clothing for the interview and first few weeks of work.

“Because of my size, clothes just weren’t going to work with me,” Fletcher said, who has a very tall and thin frame. “I came in and talked to Lynne Mason and they gave me $50 to buy professional looking clothes until I got a paycheck.”

Fletcher earned the job, and said, “Since then, it has been great.”

After only a short period, Fletcher has already moved up in the company, serving as the assistant manager of the store; yet, she has never been able to stay away from the Hospitality House completely.

“I will come up and say hi to the staff and say hey I’m still around and not be just gone. I built a rapport, I feel like, with the staff and I like to say hi, make sure everyone is still doing OK.”

Fletcher accredits the Hospitality House with doing much more than just giving her shelter and helping her find a job.

“Since I came to Boone, the Hospitality House has been that rock if you need something, even if they couldn’t help you out, they can guide you in the right direction,” Fletcher said. “They gave me hope, when I felt like I was alone in the world; I didn’t know anyone when I came to Boone, didn’t know where to turn. Their counseling, knowing that I could come up here twice a day and eat, just knowing you have a place to go, a safe haven if you will, to talk to someone and they care is the most beneficial part.”

The program has made a strong impact on Fletcher, which she now passes along to anyone in need of help or going through a rough time.

“Even now I have some people who will come into where I work and they will just start talking to me and they look like they’re lost, and they say they’re hungry and don’t know what to do. Being that I’ve gone through some of the things I’ve gone through, I tell them lunch is at 11:30 and 5:30 is dinner; if you need clothes, come to the Hospitality House and see what they can do to help you.”

Fletcher claims that the most difficult part is to swallow a little pride and overcome the fear, but if someone truly wants help getting on their feet, the Hospitality House is the way to do it.

“If you are willing to help yourself and follow through with things, the Hospitality House is going to back you up,” she said.

For everything they have done for her, Fletcher said she hopes to help shovel at least one load of dirt on the new facility’s construction site, and is truly excited about the new location and its increased ability to help people in need.

To make contributions to the capital campaign, call the campaign office at (828) 262-3461.

The Hospitality House central office is located at 302 West King St.