The Embers That Light Our Way in May
- 4 days ago
- 8 min read
Stories of Impact from Abundance
MAY 2026
In this Issue:
A Welcome from Abundance
This has been a luminous spring season for Emberlight.
In 2025, William Spear traveled from Connecticut to attend our Art of Dying workshop, and was so moved by our mission that he waved his philanthropic wand in our direction, bringing with him an extraordinary gift: a concert at Diana Wortham Theatre featuring Paul Winter and the Paul Winter Consort, pianist Arsha Kaviani, cellist Joshua Roman, and local musicians, Roots Grown Deep. What began as one man's generosity became an evening that left audiences literally vibrating…humming a drone together in the dark, held by music and by each other.
Behind the magic of the evening itself were two extraordinary humans: Deiah Haddock, Production Manager, who thought of everything — twice — and created the invisible architecture that let the music land as it did - the magic of the lights, the arch of the night into day of the program and the way she held everyone with care. And Julie Nelson, Assistant Production Manager, whose skill and steadiness held the whole production together across marketing, logistics, and every detail in between.
That evening was also made possible by our remarkable community of sponsors and supporters. Jack Webb, our Concert Angel Sponsor, stepped forward last year when Emberlight faced a budget deficit and infused our vision with both stability and renewed energy. This kind of generosity that doesn't just solve a problem, it restores belief. Laeo McDermott, longtime volunteer and property management team lead, has given countless hours to keeping the place that holds our work beautiful, and we were honored to celebrate his ongoing investment in our work. Rakesh and Dolly Agarwal of Rug and Home have done something that will shape Emberlight's future for years to come: established a $100,000 Endowment for the long-term sustainability of our mission. Givens Estates is an emerging visionary partner in creating meaningful end-of-life experiences for their residents with support from our programming. Mark Tomczak of Fresh Wood Fired Pizza & Pasta has fed our community, literally from our earliest days. Sugar Hollow Solar helps us keep our lights on, recently installed a battery backup system so our residents never have to fear that their oxygen or equipment will fail in a power outage.
And then there is you; our volunteers, members, and supporters. You are the heartbeat of this community. You sit with strangers in their hardest moments. You show up not because it's easy, but because you know it matters. Emberlight exists because people like you believe that the end of life deserves beauty, presence, and love.
We are also pleased to share the financial outcomes of Let The Earth Rise with you — because transparency is part of how we honor your trust. The evening generated $104,099 in total gross revenue, including $81,500 in sponsorships and $22,599 in ticket sales across 333 attendees. After direct expenses of $50,972, the event yielded $53,126 in net proceeds for Emberlight's mission. Equally significant is what those numbers don't fully capture: William Spear's support covering artist travel, honorariums, instrument rentals, and early production costs represented an estimated $34,119 in total value that made an event of this artistic scale genuinely possible. Without him, and without every sponsor, ticket holder, and volunteer who showed up, this evening simply could not have happened. These numbers are not just financial outcomes. They are a measure of what this community is capable of when it gathers around something it believes in. We are humbled, grateful, and more committed than ever to the work ahead.
With gratitude,
Courtney Smith & Chelsea Trinka
The Emberlight Abundance Dynamic Duo
(Because even fundraising needs a little magic.)
At Emberlight, we provide physical, social, emotional and sometimes even spiritual care for our residents but we require that each of them bring a hospice provider with them to help with their medical and comfort needs. Below is a letter that we received recently from one of the hospice social workers that serve our residents. She describes so well the magic that often happens in the most tender moments at Emberlight and we now share it with you with her permission.
Dear Emberlight,
I am a social worker with Medi-Home Hospice and I am writing to thank you for providing your most recent resident end-of-life care.
John* was someone you couldn’t help but fall in love with quickly. He lived an exceedingly full and diverse life with a background that probably isn’t typical of residents who choose to come for a community-held death. I found that your staff and volunteers met any cultural differences they experienced with grace, flexibility, creativity and love.
John loved life and his love and light shone brightly to all who were blessed to work with him. We worked with him for a year, and recently he told his RN, “I do not want to die alone.” Thankfully, you were able to accept John where he spent his last days in your loving care. John was doted on and given such special treatment with offerings of massage, gentle touch, acupuncture, music, and companionship, allowing a beautiful release of worldly worries in his sacred final days. While I am deeply grateful for your mission and the gift to the community you offer free of charge for your services, I wanted to tell you about an experience which will always remain with me. Keep in mind, I have been working almost exclusively in health care for the past 36 years so I have had thousands of powerful experiences with this one standing out.
During his last week in this life, I visited John on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday with him passing in the wee hours of Sunday morning. On those first two visits, John could only answer yes/no with me but not much else due to his decline but on Thursday when I first arrived, it was obvious he was having a good day.
Emberlight offers care free of charge through the service of volunteers, so when I arrived, the volunteer on-turn reported he was having a better morning. His nurse, Nichole, arrived shortly after I did. With this dream team crew and John’s good mood, there was a ton of care, love, joking, and near continuous laughter. John felt good enough that he asked to go outside. It was a team effort to get him in the hoyer lift and gently lowered into a wheeled chair and the four of us headed outside, something he hadn’t been able to do in a long time.
John was an old Harley biker dude. My late husband was an old biker dude, and I can tell you – they love the outdoors and the wind in their face. John was raised in Asheville so these mountains have always held a special place in his heart. It had been a very long time since he felt the sun on his face, heard the birds, felt the breeze…prior to coming to Emberlight.
So here is the crescendo of this sacred gathering of souls that day - John was sitting out on the patio, enjoying the sun with the light heartedness continuing – to the point the cheeks on my face were hurting from laughing so much. Nichole suggested that we roll him up the sidewalk so he could get a better view of his beloved mountains.
John looked out over the mountains with the volunteer and nurse on either side and I was at his feet. I turned to see if he was able to see the vista and what I witnessed was one of the most intimate, sacred, and beautiful moments I have experienced in my career. John was clearly taking in the mountains and his face embodied the beauty, the awe, the deep heartfelt gratitude surrounded with understandable sadness. I watched him light up at the view and then blink as he realized this would likely be his last look at his beloved mountains again. I immediately teared up. We all turned toward the blue ridge, with the grand oak above us rustling leaves, and took it all in with him. Words are insufficient, but it was a gift I will always treasure and be grateful for.
Never underestimate how powerful your work is and the resulting ripple effect. From the deepest part of me, thank you.
Wind in your face, John.
Warmly,
Catharine
M. Catharine Long, LCSW
Social Worker, Medi-Home Hospice
*The resident’s name has been changed to protect the family’s privacy.
As we continue growing Emberlight’s work across Western North Carolina, we want to share an important milestone in our 2025 development journey.
This year, we applied for 17 foundation grants to support our mission of compassionate, community-supported end-of-life care and grief support.
We are honored to share that five of those proposals were awarded, bringing vital funding to both our direct care services and our long-term infrastructure.
💛 2025 Grant Awards
HCCBG – Buncombe County Outreach Grant
$14,000 to expand outreach and increase access to our services for vulnerable community members. We gave talks at CCRC’s, low-income elder housing and public events this year, and are applying again for this grant.
Rising Foundation
$20,500 to support critical website updates, strengthening our digital presence and educational ecosystem and creating a way to bring The Last Ecstatic Days to a broader audience.
WNC Community Foundation – Human Services Grant
$25,000 to support our residential end-of-life care and grief services.
Trevor TCR
$2,000 to further our community-based programs.
Pat Moran Family Foundation
$20,000 to advance our mission of accessible, dignity-centered care.
In total, these awards represent $82,000 in foundation support in 2025.
While not every application results in funding, each proposal sharpens our clarity, strengthens relationships, and tells the story of what is possible when community surrounds the dying and grieving with love.
Grant funding is one part of a much larger ecosystem of generosity — and we are deeply grateful to the foundations who see and believe in this work. If you have a family foundation, or know of one that aligns with our work, please get in touch with courtney@emberlightway.org
The Team Behind the Proposals
Grant writing is rarely a solo act — and we are deeply grateful for the dedicated team who makes this work possible.
Michelle Chromey, Emberlight Volunteer, leads grant research with diligence and persistence, helping us identify opportunities aligned with our mission.
Courtney Smith, Director of Development, crafts and shepherds each proposal from vision to submission.
Chelsea Trinka and Aditi Sethi offer invaluable brainstorming, refinement, and editing support, strengthening each application through collaboration.
And a special thank you to Emily Dobberstein, our UNC–Charlotte intern, who joined the team this fall and has been instrumental in creating project management systems that improved our growing grants process so it is more organized and sustainable.
Behind every award is a small circle of people committed to clarity, integrity, and the long arc of this work. If you are interested in volunteering to support grant research, writing or organization, please reach out to courtney@emberlightway.org.
Thank you for cheering us on as we seek support from grants and foundations who align with our mission, vision and values.
With gratitude,
The Emberlight Grants Team
Blowing the Bellows on Your Embers...
As you read the social worker’s story of John’s last view, what comes to mind for you about places or people you would like to see before you die? If it’s something you have been putting off, now might be the time. Or maybe it’s something you’d want someone to know for your end-of-life plan. Share with someone you love how this story impacted you. . . .
Comments