The mission of The Hearth is to cultivate space where people of purpose can rest, restore, and reconnect.
We do this by creating virtual rest and communal support spaces, inviting individual Restorers to accessible, affordable retreat space on our Silver City campus, and offering low-cost space rentals to mission-aligned partners.
The Hearth is currently in a start-up building phase. We hope to begin welcoming Restorers to the physical space in early 2025.
The Vision
The Hearth is an emergent space housed in the First Presbyterian Church (FPC), Silver City, building: a space that responds to the needs and desires that exist within the region and celebrates its rich history, present, and possibilities. For people who are experiencing burnout, grief, or exhaustion—for all those in need of a pause, particularly those working for the betterment of humanity—the Hearth offers space and time for rest. It is a place for nurture, restoration, and Sabbath. It is a place for connection: with oneself, with community, with creation, and with the sacred. It is a place of reconnection—to one’s wholeness and sacredness, inherent and not connected to productivity or accomplishment. These pieces are essential to the restoration of health, energy, and imagination, and creativity, to the well-being of people and communities.
The Community Connection
The Hearth works looking inward and outward: creating sacred community space for people in need of rest and space that is responsive and accessible to local community requests.
Physical space is available for local community use. Currently, The Hearth hosts office space for a psychologist, a singer-songwriter musician, and for a local singing group. We are honored to partner with these groups and are actively seeking additional community partnerships that will put the physical space in service of the local community.
While the building hosts Restorers and retreat-goers, the Digital Hearth will offer virtual space for sacred community connection to include those not in the Silver City area.
The Wider Context
The Hearth is located in the community of Silver City, a dynamic town at the edge of the remote and vast Gila National Wilderness. Silver City is also within four hours of three major Southwestern cities—El Paso, Albuquerque, and Tucson—all of which are home to many people who witness and work with some of the most pressing issues of this time and place. This includes border solidarity, anti-gentrification, climate and environmental justice, and immigration accompaniment work. This is world-changing work—necessary, powerful, and often challenging.
While The Hearth is supported by the Presbytery of the Southwest as part of the New Worshiping Community program, grounded in Christian faith, there is no requirement for a particular belief system to participate in Hearth activities.
All in need of rest are welcome.
The gathering hall, which has its own sound system and a stage with a green room, can accommodate up to 230 people. Additional tables and chairs are on hand. We envision community organizations and families using this space. It’s perfect for fundraising dinners, large potluck gatherings, and plays. The room opens onto an outdoor patio.
Rental of the gathering hall comes with use of the kitchen. It has two sinks, a stove, a dishwasher, and enough plates, silverware and drinking vessels for 100 people.
SPACES FOR COMMUNITY and FAMILY RENTAL
The performance hall seats 200 and has a sound system as well as wonderful acoustics. It’s the perfect venue for a concert or a wedding. A room off to the side can be used to keep your band’s instrument cases and to enter and exit the stage area.
Call 575-519-4017 to discuss renting for your group or event.
The Team
Board Members:
Alison Wood (they/she) is an administrator and organizer with more than a decade of experience in multicultural non-profit leadership. She holds a Master of Social Work and is currently employed as the Director of Older Adult Services at Jewish Family & Children's Services of Southern Arizona. Alison previously served as the Site Coordinator of the Tucson Borderlands Young Adult Volunteer program for 7 years, including guiding the program through the first three intense years of the Covid-19 pandemic. They bring particular skills in communication, strategic planning, and coalition building to this project; they have a longing for worship that is deeply authentic and holds space for the complex emotions that spring up in a broken world.
Luke Rembold (he/him) is a ministry professional who is currently working as the Youth and Young Adult Ministry Coordinator for the Presbytery of Santa Fe. Luke comes to the desert southwest from Oregon, and has shown success in building relationships across geographic and social boundaries. Luke brings particular skill in partnership building, fundraising, and community organizing to this project. His longing is for worship that is inclusive, connective, and full of music.
Katie Sharar (she/her) is a professional grant writer with more than two decades of educational and organizing experience in the Southwestern borderlands. Katie has a proven history of successful funding campaigns, including bringing in more than $5 million in grants for a single non-profit. Katie previously worked as the Director of Children and Youth Faith Formation at St Mark’s Presbyterian Church in Tucson; she has deep connections in Silver City and El Paso, and brings her knowledge of the region, funds development skills, and strategic communication to this project. Katie’s longing is for worship that finds sacredness in silence and honors each person’s individuality within the fellowship.
Staff:
Emily Aversa (she/her) is our Community Engagement Administrator, responsible for connecting people with the spaces at The Hearth and its administrative aspects. She brings her communication, listening, facilitation, and organizational skills to the Hearth, as well as a wealth of community connections. Emily is an educator who has taught children ages 5 to 15 in Silver City and Gallup, NM and in a holistic international school. Currently, she owns and operates an independent book and record store downtown. Originally from New York City and the Hudson Valley, Emily has happily called Silver City, NM home since 2005.