Hyaets

As I mentioned before, the first organization I interned with was called Hyaets. Hyaets is made up of three couples who met in seminary and decided to take a different route with their ministry by creating a community that "inspired, enriched, and embodied community". For various reasons they decided to start this community in Charlotte, NC. After doing some research, and asking people where they would NOT want to live, they settled on Enderly Park, a high-risk, low-income neighborhood that most people would steer clear of when moving to the city.

Initially when moving to the city, two of the couples moved into one house that would provide a place for them to live and eat while providing a place for the community to

gather. Since moving in, the two resident couples have made some additions to their families and have moved from one house into two. Their first addition was Jamar, a young man who had grown up in the neighborhood, and after his family stayed in the Hyaets house for a while he and the Hyaets couples decided to invite him to be a part of the Hyaets family. Jamar currently lives with Jason and Joanie and their two daughters Joy Kate and Nora. In the other house Helms and Greg live with their two boys John Tyson and Zeb. Moving from one house to two not only allowed for the growth of their families but also allows them to host community meals twice a month, provide daily children's activities, and host other short term visitors that need a place to stay.

A normal day living in a Hyaets house starts early with morning prayers,

and is usually interrupted or quickly followed up by a neighbor knocking on the door. The knock could mean anything from simply a quick morning visit to news of happenings from the night before, or even a request for a bus pass to get to work. While I said a "normal" day, there is really no "normal" day at Hyaets. Activities could range from a field trip with kids to a mothers day in. Or, on a "quiet" day could mean the opportunity to finally get around to the things that the rest of us do, like clean the house. However, these houses usually have had about 20 or more people in and out the day before so everyday cleaning isn't really what you and I think of. With all of the visitors and community members constantly stopping by I think the most interesting time of day at the Hyaets houses is meal time. Meals are always open for visitors and could end up being just the two couples and their families (now each with two kids) or could have 10 or more kids and adults alike stopping in to share a meal. The amazing part is that no matter how many people stop by, there always seems to be enough to go around. It really is a miracle.

With both couples spend a majority of their time working on Hyaets related events or activities they are all either unpaid or paid very little for the work. Most members have part time jobs on top of their work at Hyaets to pay the bills. Right now Helms and Greg are pastoring a church in South Charlotte and Joanie is the music director at Christ United Methodist Church. Jason is currently a paid member of Hyaets and is working on fundraising and development efforts.

With so much going on around the houses Hyaets not only provides services for their neighbors, but also provides the opportunity for local churches and other groups to participate in the community and create mutually

beneficial relationships. It also allows visitors to learn alongside neighbors and connect with the ministries of Hyaets. Each summer, interns join the Hyaets team to help manage the increase in work with children (then out of school) and groups coming to volunteer. Interns are welcomed into the Hyaets houses and live and work in the neighborhood for the summer, planning activities, helping out around the house, and working on all of the other things that the Hyaets members do year round.

Not only does the summer bring interns but it also provides the opportunity for retreats and mission trips. Each year Hyaets' youth have the chance to earn their way on a family spring beach trip, a summer mission trip, or to a summer camp. By participating in activities and helping out around the houses, these trips are provided free of cost to the participants and funded by completely by donations.

By becoming part of the community the Hyaets members have created a unique opportunity to impact the area while at the same time learning and experiencing things for themselves. While this is just a quick summary of exactly what Hyaets does, this article goes into a little more detail and Hyaets has a website and Facebook page that provide even more information. However, you can't beat the experience. If you're ever in the Charlotte area call the house and stop by!