Exodus Homes “Hope Heals” Honor Cards Available Now

October 26, 2023 

HICKORY – United Way agency Exodus Homes has 2023 “Hope Heals” Honor Cards available now.  Each card is $5.00, has information about Exodus Homes, and the recipient learns that a gift was made in their honor to the faith-based organization that provides 73 beds of supportive housing for homeless recovering people returning to the community from treatment centers and prisons. 100% of the proceeds from sales go to support  Exodus Homes, and they make wonderful gifts that keep on giving throughout the year. 

     This year’s Honor Card entitled “Hope Heals” depicts the kindness of one man helping another man who seems to be homeless with his possessions in bags he is carrying.  Random acts of kindness are so important in reaching out to homeless people, giving them hope that a better day is possible. Hope can heal a broken heart and lead a homeless person to reach back and get help to learn a new way to live at Exodus Homes. LA-based artist James Smith who created the “Hope Heals” Exodus Homes Honor Card grew up in the Exodus ministry and saw the development of Exodus Homes from the very beginning in 1998. He says “The ‘Hope Heals’ Honor Card encapsulates the essence of the holiday season – a time when our hearts are more receptive to love, compassion, and giving. It serves as a reminder that we have the power to heal and uplift others through the simplest acts of kindness. The Exodus Homes ‘Hope Heals’ Honor Card represents more than just a piece of beautiful artwork, it signifies an invitation – a call to action for each of us to be a source of healing and hope in our community. It is a reminder that even a small gesture can make a significant impact in the lives of those who need it most.” 

      First Horizon Bank has had a strong partnership with Exodus Homes for many years and provided the funding to produce and manage the Exodus Homes “Hope Heals” Honor Card for 2023. Darrell Johnson, First Horizon Senior Vice President, Community Banking Group, is excited about this year’s partnership saying  “ First Horizon is honored to be a new partner in the long history of the Honor Card program with Exodus Homes. The Honor Card legacy started in 1987 with renowned NC artist William Mangum’s desire to help programs working with homeless people, and over the years he raised over ten million dollars for programs like Exodus Homes. Last year when he retired his original Honor Card program, Exodus Homes reached out to us for help in creating their own version of the holiday card. Now, First Horizon has the opportunity to support this wonderful ministry in Hickory and Catawba County. We see the Honor Card program as a critical piece of the Exodus Homes annual fundraising efforts and we encourage the community to support the program”.

The Exodus Homes “Hope Heals” Honor Card can be purchased online at www.exodushomes.org or at the following locations: 

Exodus Homes Offices and Thrift Store    610 4th St. SW Hickory NC 28602 

First Horizon Bank    25 3rd St NW Hickory NC 28601 

First Horizon Bank   1420 2nd St NE Hickory NC 28601   

First Horizon Bank   2675 Northwest Blvd Newton NC 28658

SALT Block Gift Shop 243 3rd Ave NE Hickory NC 28601 

Taste Full Beans Coffeehouse 29 2nd St NW Hickory NC 28601 

Eco Dental 300 29th Ave NE Hickory NC 28601 

LINC Gift and Thrift  118 1st St. SE Hickory NC 28601 

For more information, please contact Rev. Susan Smith  828-962-8196 or revsusansmith@gmail.com

Four Local Foundations Fund New Moving Trucks for Exodus Works

July 5, 2023 

HICKORY – Exodus Homes, a faith-based United Way agency that provides 73 beds of supportive housing to homeless recovering people in Hickory, has purchased two late-model moving trucks for their revenue-generating vocational training program called Exodus Works with the help of four local foundations. Exodus Works gives the residents of Exodus Homes volunteer work opportunities, and the net profit of Exodus Works is a primary source of funds for Exodus Homes.. While people all over Catawba County have come to rely on Exodus Works for their landscaping and general labor services at affordable prices, they are most well known for their moving services where they use medium-duty box trucks to get the job done. In addition to their moving services, they use their box trucks to pick up donations of furniture and household items in good condition. The daily heavy use of these box trucks was wearing them out. A year and a half ago the Rev. Susan Smith, Exodus Homes assistant executive director, began looking for grants from local foundations to help them replace two box trucks that were too old or too far gone to repair. “We believed our supporters would agree that replacing box trucks that give our people opportunities to work and generate revenue to support the housing program they live in would be a good investment of their grant money.”   

Smith is the grant writer for Exodus Homes and was successful in obtaining four grants of $25,000 each to purchase two late model Penske box trucks in good condition – one 26′ box truck and one 16′ box truck, with hydraulic lifts on the back for a total of $100,000. Writing and obtaining the grants necessary for the purchase took over a year, and then it took several more months to find the right trucks in their price range in close proximity to Hickory. The four local foundations were the Truist Foundation,  the Duke Energy Foundation, the George Foundation, and the TSH Foundation. “We are so grateful for these grant awards, and we took our time to make sure we found the best trucks for the best price. We want our funders to know we used their funds wisely” said Smith. 

George Reid, Exodus Works supervisor, is very happy with the new trucks saying, “It feels really good to have these new trucks because we need our other trucks for landscaping and general labor, and sometimes we have two move jobs at the same time. Sometimes we have had to rent trucks to do big move jobs or for jobs outside of town where we didn’t trust our own trucks that far away. Now we won’t have to do that anymore” he said. Exodus Works manager Angie Benge was equally excited saying “We have lost move jobs in the past because our trucks were broken down or it was too late to get a rental. This will help more of our residents work and increase funding for Exodus Homes.”          

Exodus Works Moving won “Finest Moving Company in Catawba Valley” in 2021 and 2022 in the annual Hickory Daily Record business competition, and currently, they are in the top five in the 2023 competition. If you would like to vote for Exodus Works Moving in the Hickory Daily Record “Best of Catawba Valley” business competition, text “357” to 828-944-4071 every day between now and July 26. For more information about the Exodus Works moving service, donation pick-up, landscaping, or general labor please call 828-324-2390. 

Photo: Seen here are the two new late-model box trucks of Exodus Works funded by the Truist Foundation, the Duke Energy Foundation, the George Foundation, and the TSH Foundation. Standing in front of the trucks left to right are: Bobby Foust, Exodus Works; Tyler Little, Exodus Works Crew Leader; the Rev. Susan Smith, Exodus Homes assistant executive director; Rob Owens, Exodus Works; George Reid Exodus Homes graduate and supervisor of Exodus Works; Angie Benge, Exodus Works manager; Raleigh Wright, Exodus Works Crew leader; Chrisean Durante, Exodus Works; Nicholas Robinson, Exodus Works.  

Exodus Ministries Everything FREE Community Outreach – Fun for the Whole Family! 

September 30, 2023, from 11:00 am – 1:00 pm

HICKORY – United Way agency Exodus Homes and Exodus Missionary Outreach United Church of Christ will host a Everything Free Community Outreach on September 30, 2023, from 11:00 am – 1:00 pm at the Ridgeview Recreation Center, 115 7th Ave SW in Hickory 28602. This will be a lively family-friendly event with great music and powerful testimonies of recovery from addiction and incarceration. They will be giving away a large amount of new adult and children’s clothes from Wal Mart, and other free items including furniture, haircuts, manicures, face painting, birthday cakes, NIV Larger Print Bibles, free at-home COVID tests and COVID vaccines from the Health Department, and a free beef hot dog lunch for all who come. Voter registration will be provided by the League of Women Voters and the Hickory Branch NAACP.   

They will also have a resource fair of local help agencies who will have many free SWAG items to give away as well. The free furniture is given away on a first come first serve basis so participants are encouraged to come early to tag the pieces they want. Exodus Works will be on hand to deliver furniture in the Hickory area for $15 paid in advance. For more information, please contact the Rev Susan Smith, at 828-962-8196 or revsusansmith@gmail.com.      

“It’s Your Right to Vote” Workshop for Formerly Incarcerated People 

Sponsored by Exodus Homes and The League of Women Voters of Catawba Valley 

August 5, 2023 11:00am

HICKORY – United Way agency Exodus Homes and The League of Women Voters of Catawba Valley will host a “It’s Your Right to Vote” workshop for formerly incarcerated people at 11:00 am at the Ridgeview Recreation Center, 115 7th Ave SW in Hickory, 28602.  Workshop participants can register to vote and get information about voting;  obtain information on re-entry services in healthcare, employment, education, and personal assistance; learn how to expunge their criminal record, apply for their driver’s license, birth certificate, and social security cards, and learn about certificates of relief. Lunch will be served followed by a chess tournament and door prizes. 

The workshop will include inspiring speakers the Rev. Reggie Longcrier, executive director of Exodus Homes; the Rev. Kyle Delong, Pastor of Hickory Church of the Nazarene; Diane Powell and Sangria Nowell of Community Success Initiative; and Ms. Sabrina Mommers, NC Organizer for VoteRiders. 

This event is free and made possible by the: League of Women Voters Education Fund. For more information, please contact Priya Palmer at info.lwvcv@gmail.com

Exodus Homes Honors William Mangum and Unveils New Honor Card Artist for 2023

May 23, 2023  

HICKORY – Renowned Greensboro artist William Mangum became friends with a homeless man in 1987, and after learning about the complicated issues that cause homelessness, he wanted to do something to help programs that work with homeless people, so he created The William Mangum Honor Card program. For the next 35 years, Mangum donated a beautiful painting inspired by different homeless people he knew, and with the help of Wells Fargo Bank and other donors, he produced holiday cards that would be given free of charge to 15 N.C. organizations serving homeless people so they could sell them to raise needed funds for their programs. The recipients of the William Mangum Honor Card would know that a gift had been made in their honor to one of these organizations, with information about the program in the card. Over the years, The William Mangum Honor Card helped raise over $10 million dollars for organizations serving homeless people, and the program gained national attention for his philanthropy. Last fall, Mangum announced his retirement from The Honor Card program and the 15 N.C. organizations who have come to depend on the revenue it has generated for them needed a plan for what to do.    

Exodus Homes, a faith-based United Way agency in Hickory providing 73 beds of supportive housing for homeless people coming back to the community from treatment and prisons, has been a William Mangum Honor Card program since 2007, and annual sales of the holiday cards have raised over $600,000 for the agency. After learning of Mangum’s retirement, Exodus Homes assistant executive director the Rev. Susan Smith immediately began making plans to carry on the legacy of the William Mangum Honor Card with the creation of an Exodus Homes Honor Card that would be available in the fall of 2023. “We knew we needed an artist and financial support for the production of the card and we believed that God would make a way”       

On May 23, 2023, Exodus hosted a special luncheon at the Episcopal Church of the Ascension in Hickory to thank Mangum for his many years of generous support and to unveil their plan for the new Exodus Homes Honor Card. The affair was well attended and many were deeply moved by Mangum’s presentation about the history of his program and all the good that has come of it. Each luncheon participant received a copy of his new book “Making a Difference” which includes all 35 Honor Card paintings and the stories behind them. At the end of his book, Mangum says, “Don’t forget who you are and don’t forget why you’re in this world. A lot of Christians think they are here to sing Kumbaya until Jesus comes, but we are here to be salt and light to make a difference.”  

In searching for financial backing to produce their own Honor Card,. Exodus turned to Darrell Johnson, Senior Vice President of First Horizon Bank in Hickory. The bank has been a strong supporter of Exodus Homes over the years and was receptive to this new partnership. Johnson spoke at the luncheon about their willingness to fund all aspects of the new Exodus Homes Honor Card saying, “We believe in the great work of Exodus Homes and we’re excited to support them in this new venture.”  

The artist for the new Exodus Homes Honor Card is LA-based mural artist James Smith. Smith is the son of the Rev. Susan Smith and is well known in the Hickory area for his work which includes the iconic “Welcome to Hickory” mural near the post office downtown. Smith grew up in Exodus Church and was part of Exodus Homes from the very beginning in 1998. Many of his paintings can be seen in the Exodus Church fellowship hall, and all of the murals inside and out at the Exodus Homes’ corporate headquarters on 4th St SW in Hickory were done by him. He is passionate about reaching out to homeless people wherever he goes across the country and readily accepted the challenge of creating the first Exodus Homes Honor Card painting. At the end of the luncheon honoring Mangum, Smith unveiled his new work entitled “Hope Heals” which shows one man reaching out to another man who is homeless, with a soft glow of sunlight illuminating the snow-covered ground. In explaining the inspiration behind his painting Smith said, “‘Hope Heals” encapsulates the essence of the upcoming holiday season – a time when our hearts are more receptive to love, compassion, and giving. It serves as a reminder that we have the power to heal and uplift others through even the simplest acts of kindness. This Exodus Homes Honor Card represents more than just a piece of beautiful artwork. It signifies an invitation – a call to action for each of us to be a source of healing and hope in our community. It is a reminder that even a small gesture can make a significant impact in the lives of those who need it most.” 

The new Exodus Homes “Hope Heals” Honor Card will be available in September to individuals, churches, and businesses that would like to participate in the program. For more information please contact the Rev. Susan Smith at 828-962-8196 or revsusansmith@gmail.com.     

Photo #1 

William Mangum and James Smith are seen at the recent Exodus Homes luncheon at the Episcopal Church of the Ascension in Hickory.  The luncheon was to honor Mangum upon his retirement from the William Mangum Honor Card program and introduce Smith as the new Exodus Homes Honor Card artist for 2023. 

Photo #2

Darrell Johnson, Senior Vice President of First Horizon Bank in Hickory is seen speaking at the recent Exodus Homes luncheon about the bank’s willingness to fund the new Exodus Homes Honor Card program. 

Photo #3 

“Hope Heals”, the new Exodus Homes Honor Card painting for 2023 done by LA-based mural artist James Smith. 

 William Mangum 336-379-9200 or bill@williammangum.com www.thehonorcard.com 

 James Smith 1440art@gmail.com or text 619-753-9166

“It Is Your Right To Vote” Seminar for Formerly Incarcerated People 

Saturday, May 6, 2023, 11:00 am – 1:30 pm

HICKORY – On May 6, 2023, at 11:00 am, Exodus Homes, a faith-based United Way agency, and the League of Women Voters of Catawba Valley will host an educational outreach “It Is Your Right to Vote” seminar for formerly incarcerated people at the Ridgeview Recreation Center, 115 7th Ave SW in Hickory, NC 28602. The voting rights expansion that took effect in July 2022 allows any North Carolina citizen on probation, parole, or post-release supervision to register and vote, although many of the people affected by this change are not aware of it. This event aims to educate formerly incarcerated citizens that they can now legally vote, and engage them in the electoral process.


Presentations in the seminar will address the importance of registering to vote and voting, as well as information on expungement of criminal records, obtaining a certificate of relief, getting a state ID, driver’s license, birth certificate, and social security card. Speakers will include the Rev. Reggie Longcrier, founding executive director of Exodus Homes, Mr. Dennis Gaddy, founding executive director of Community Success Initiative, and Ms. Sabrina Mommers, North Carolina Organizer for VoteRiders 

During the seminar, formerly incarcerated people will be able to register to vote and obtain information on voting; get help with expunging their criminal record, get a certificate of relief, and obtain a state ID, driver’s license, birth certificate or social security card. A light lunch will be provided, followed by a chess tournament, and door prizes for those who attend. 

The League of Women Voters of Catawba Valley is a nonpartisan grassroots organization dedicated to empowering voters and defending democracy.  The League works to inform and engage the community and it encourages citizens to participate in government. This event is made possible by the League of Women Voters Education Fund. 

The Rev. Reggie Longcrier expressed gratitude to the League for spearheading this effort saying, “The recent victories in voter expansion for formerly incarcerated people in NC is long overdue, and we are excited for this opportunity to help reach them to let them know they can vote and that their vote matters.” 

For more information, contact the Rev. Reggie Longcrier at 828-962-8196 or revlongcrier@exodushomes.org or Priya Palmer at priya.palmer@yahoo.com

Exodus Ministries Everything FREE Community Outreach 

March 11, 2023, from 11:00 am – 1:00 pm

HICKORY – Exodus Homes and Exodus Missionary Outreach United Church of Christ will host an Everything Free Community Outreach on March 11, 2023, from 11:00 am – 1:00 pm at the Ridgeview Recreation Center, 115 7th Ave SW in Hickory  28602. The Everything Free Community Outreach events have been a hallmark of the Exodus ministries for the past 25 years and this one promises to be the biggest one yet. 

During the event, Exodus will be giving away new adult and children’s clothes and shoes from Wal-Mart, other clothing, furniture, haircuts, manicures, face painting, Bibles, birthday cakes, and a beef hot dog lunch for all. Music will be provided by DJ “Dr. Jim” from Shelby, the Exodus gospel choir will sing, and participants will hear powerful testimonies of recovery from addiction and incarceration. ALFA will be present to do free and confidential HIV testing, and the Health Department will be giving away free at-home COVID tests. The Hickory Branch NAACP and the League of Women Voters will offer voter registration and voter information. Other organizations that will be there include The Hickory Soup Kitchen, CVCC, Carolina Caring, Veterans Helping Veterans, The Cognitive Connection, Integrated Care of Greater Hickory, Infinite Beginnings, Safe Harbor, CTS Health, BCBS, Foothills Better Homes Realty, and Catawba Faith Health Initiative. 

The free furniture is first come first serve so those who are looking for that should come early to be able to claim what they need.  Exodus Works will be available to deliver furniture that day for $15 paid in advance. They have a very large amount of clothing and SWAG from participating organizations, so people are asked to bring their own bags for all the free items they receive during the outreach.    

For more information, please contact  Rev. Susan Smith at revsusansmith@gmail.com or 828-962-8196.

Photo: 

Exodus Homes volunteers Tasha and Jessica are seen sorting clothes for the Exodus Ministries Everything Free Community Outreach at the Ridgeview Recreation Center in Hickory on March 11, 2023, from 11:00 a.m. – to 1:00 p.m. 

Exodus Homes’ 2022 William Mangum  Honor Cards Available Now for the Last Time 

HICKORY – For the past 35 years, Greensboro artist William Mangum has created a beautiful painting for The Honor Card Program to help raise funds for organizations that serve homeless men and women in N.C. Exodus Homes, a faith-based United Way agency is one of 15 N.C. organizations participating in The Honor Card program, and the giving of Exodus Homes’ Honor Cards has become a tradition in this area. Each card sells for $5.00 and all proceeds from sales help fund the 73-bed supportive housing program at Exodus Homes. Mangum’s passion for helping homeless people began in 1987 when he met a homeless man who changed his life and his perspective on the suffering of homeless people. “Homelessness is a complex reality. It sounds simple, but there is no single explanation for how people fall into homelessness. I’ve sat with men and women who suffered from mental health disorders, many who were recovering from drug or alcohol abuse, and those who had experienced physical and sexual abuse. Ultimately, each person’s story held different tragic turns that contributed to their situation. We fail to honor the complexities of suffering when we oversimplify these contributing factors, or worse, quietly assign blame to the person next to us” said Mangum.    

This year’s Honor Card is called “Making A Difference” and depicts two men walking together on a snowy day, one helping the other. Sales of Honor Cards are a primary source of funds annually for Exodus Homes and the recipient will know that a gift has been made to Exodus Homes in their honor. “With high gas prices and the steep rise in inflation, sales of this year’s Honor Card are especially important to help us reach our budget goals this year, Giving Honor Cards for the holidays is a great way to give a meaningful gift that keeps on giving throughout the year. ” says the Rev. Susan Smith, assistant executive director of Exodus Homes. 

Since 1988, The William Mangum Honor Card has raised over ten million dollars for organizations like Exodus Homes, and this will be the last year they will be available because Mangum is retiring from the program. Mangum said, “Thirty-five years later I’m proud to say that the Honor Card program helped to provide a voice and authentic story annually about the great resources that outreach agencies provide for homeless and needy people. It has always been my intent that the Honor Card would stir the hearts and emotions of our community to come alongside supporting organizations who serve less fortunate people.”  Smith says  “Exodus Homes will be carrying on William Mangum’s Honor Card legacy by creating our own version of the holiday card next year. We are very grateful for all we have learned from William Mangum in The Honor Card program, and we will be working with our residents to create a new card that shares our mission in helping homeless people learn a new way to live after addiction and incarceration”. 

Exodus Homes’ “Making a Difference” Honor Cards are available now and can be purchased at the following locations:   

Exodus Homes Offices and Exodus New Life Thrift Store 610 4th St. SW Hickory 28602

Exodus Missionary Outreach United Church of Christ   1763 Highland Ave NE Hickory 28601 

Taste Full Beans Coffeehouse  29 2nd St. NW Hickory 28601    

SALT Block Gift Shop   243 3rd Ave NE Hickory 28601

Catawba County Chamber of Commerce  1055 Southgate Corporate Park SW, Hickory, NC 28602

Eco Dental  300 29th Ave NE, Hickory, NC 28601

LINC Gift and Thrift  118 E 1st St, Newton, NC 28658

Honor Cards can also be purchased online at www.exodushomes.org by clicking on the “Donate” button and putting the words “Honor Cards” in the line for “Special Instructions for the Seller”. You can mail your cards yourself or bring a list of recipients and Exodus Homes will mail your cards for you. For churches or businesses that would like to participate in The Honor Card program, please contact the Rev. Susan Smith at revsusansmith@gmail.com or 828-962-8196. 

Exodus Homes Distribute Angel Tree Gifts to Children of Incarcerated Parents  

December 20, 2022

HICKORY – For many years United Way agency Exodus Homes has received applications for Christmas gifts for children of incarcerated parents in prison through Prison Fellowship, a national organization that provides special programs to incarcerated people. Parents in prison fill out the applications and Prison Fellowship sends those applications to programs like Exodus Homes for children who live in their area. This year Exodus Homes received close to 300 applications for children who live in Catawba, Caldwell, Lincoln, and Burke counties. 

Volunteers from Exodus Homes and Exodus Missionary Outreach Church have been busy working with local churches, businesses, and individuals who have taken applications, and this week hundreds of gifts have flooded the Exodus Homes offices for distribution to the caregivers of the children. Some have donated money to the Exodus Angel Tree program so that volunteers can shop for gifts for the children. Each application has the child’s name, gender, age, and a gift preference if the incarcerated parent  knows what their child would like. Many have special notes for their child such as “I’ll be home soon and I miss you so much” or “Daddy loves you and I hope you have a Merry Christmas”. Gifts should not be more than $25 each and people can sponsor multiple children.  

The effort to sort, wrap, and shop for gifts is coordinated by Marty Propst, a member of Exodus Missionary Outreach United Church of Christ, along with residents of Exodus Homes and other members of the church. Caregivers can come pick up the gifts and or they will be delivered by volunteers in the Exodus ministry. “The Angel Tree program really brings the joy and spirit of Christmas. I am blessed to be a part of it ” said Propst   

The Rev Reggie Longcrier, Exodus Homes executive director, is excited about this year’s Angel Tree program saying “Seeing the joy on children’s faces when they get a gift from their parent in prison is Christmas for me.” 

For more information about the Angel Tree program please contact the Rev. Susan Smith at 828-962-8196 or revsusansmith@gmail.com.  

Photo #1

Exodus Homes executive director, the Rev. Reggie Longcrier, is seen with the Exodus Angel Tree coordinator Marty Propst going over applications from incarcerated parents requesting gifts for their children. 

Photo #2 

Exodus Angel Tree coordinator Marty Propst and Exodus Homes resident Kennedy Mitchell are seen wrapping gifts that will be given to children on behalf of their incarcerated parents.    

Exodus Homes Unveils New Mural Celebrating “Strength in Diversity”  

HICKORY – Exodus Homes, a faith-based United Way agency that provides supportive housing for homeless recovering people returning to the community from treatment centers and prison has impacted our community significantly beyond the lives of their residents since their founding in 1998. Over the years they have reduced neighborhood crime, reduced prison recidivism, increased the effectiveness of substance use disorder treatment, increased the property value of their neighbors, and increased workforce development in this area. Their work has been celebrated all the way to the White House and one of the keys to their success is their diverse leadership team headed by the Rev. Reggie Longcrier and the Rev. Susan Smith. The unlikely pair are in their 24th year of partnership. He is the visionary, and she is the administrator. He is wise, and she is organized. He is a black man, and she is a white woman. He has criminal justice wisdom and she has a social work background. Although they are very different, their skills complement one another in leading the agency. Their partnership has created a unique model for leadership development at Exodus Homes where men and women of all races from all walks of life live together in order to learn a new way to live after addiction or incarceration. Diverse leadership at the top has created an atmosphere where all residents feel valued as potential leaders and opportunities abound for them to use their gifts in the organization which is primarily operated by the residents themselves in volunteer roles. Our community benefits from these new leaders while they are residents, and after they graduate from the program.  

To celebrate Exodus Homes’ commitment to empowering differences in leadership, a new mural called “Strength in Diversity” has been unveiled on the 800 sq. ft. north-facing wall of their corporate headquarters at 610 4th St. SW in Hickory. The new work of a black and white hand in partnership was proposed and created by well-known mural artist James Smith from Los Angeles who has done other murals around town over the past few years. He is the son of the Rev. Susan Smith and grew up watching the evolution of Exodus Homes from its first house in 1998 to where they are today. He describes his inspiration for the work this way, “I felt there was a message of unity that needed to be shared at this moment in history and this mural communicates hope that we can come together as one people to do great things.” 

The hands in the mural are actually those of Longcrier and Smith. They are superimposed over a mandala which are often used as meditation tools and are seen as symbols of peace or unity. “I am honored that our work will encourage all who see it to believe that people can be very different and lead effectively together at the same time”, said Smith. Longcrier is proud of the new work saying “This mural is the quintessential expression of the Exodus movement where all people are valued and needed in leading the work of this ministry,”

In the days to come the mural will be available as an original painting and also in a limited number of signed prints. For more information, contact the Rev. Susan Smith at 828-962-8196 or revsusansmith@gmail.com.      

Photos

Exodus Homes Executive Director Rev. Reggie Longcrier and Assistant Executive Director Rev. Susan Smith are seen clasping hands in partnership in front of their new mural which was created by LA mural artist James Smith to celebrate how the United Way agency empowers diverse people to become leaders and work together effectively. The mural is titled “Strength in Diversity”.