In the winter of 2021, Cove Church answered a call from the community. Members cleared out years of storage, placed mattresses on the floor, and opened their doors to neighbors who had nowhere safe to sleep. No budget. No staff. No roadmap. Just a conviction to love our neighbors.

From that simple act of care, Cove Shelter was born.

During its first four years, Cove Shelter was sustained by the perseverance and kindness of a dedicated group of volunteers. Together, they built something many organizations spend decades trying to earn: trust.

Trust from guests. Trust from the community. Trust from people like you.

This past season, Cove Shelter welcomed our neighbors more than 2,500 times and served over 3,100 meals. It was also a turning point for the organization. Cove Shelter transitioned from a volunteer-run shelter model to a more sustainable staffing structure by hiring an executive director and eight part-time seasonal staff members.

Today, Cove Shelter operates with a seasonal director of operations and two trained, paid overnight staff members each night for 151 consecutive nights. This model ensures that our neighbors and our community can depend on Cove Shelter as a safe place where people consistently find warmth, respect, and love.

Cove Shelter is Transylvania County’s only low-barrier emergency shelter.

Cove Shelter has also expanded its board to ten members. With the leadership of its board and executive director, Cove Shelter is now focused on building a sustainable strategy for the future and strengthening collaboration with community partners.