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The HEART of Crossnore: The Work We Do

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For more than 100 years, Crossnore has existed as a place to serve and love children. While our name, mission, and locations have grown and expanded over the years, the heart of the work has remained the same. We are committed to caring for North Carolina’s most vulnerable members – its children. The Crossnore School was initially founded on our Avery campus in 1913. Likewise, The Children’s Home was founded on our Winston-Salem campus in 1909. Together, these two campuses and staff merged in 2017, to become Crossnore School & Children’s Home. More recently, in 2021, our mission and heart were reestablished to become Crossnore Communities for Children. This new name better encompasses all of the many services that Crossnore offers. We are much more than just a residential campus for children. We are grateful for the updated language to match our refocused vision.

entrance sign with updated crossnore communities for children logo

A Trauma-Informed Community

Many are involved in Crossnore’s work. As a trauma-informed organization, we recognize that a child needs a positive relationship with at least one adult to begin their healing. Further, we know that this adult does not have to be their direct caregiver. This adult could be their teacher, case manager, boss at the coffee shop, or a maintenance team member. The importance and care of each staff member is vital to the healing of every child in our programs. This is why we train every staff member to understand trauma and resilience. No matter our exact position and day-to-day tasks, we can each contribute to the healing of children and families.

The Services We Provide at Crossnore Communities for Children

Our Programs division, those working directly with clients, is the most visible service that Crossnore provides. Within the Programs division falls Crossnore’s therapy, medical, admissions, day treatment, residential, foster care, family preservation, and Youth Independent Living services. These skilled staff work directly with our clients every day. They work hard to make sure that Crossnore is providing the best care possible. These jobs can be demanding and challenging, but also very rewarding as we walk with clients through both heartbreaks and successes. Programs are the foundation of our work.

The Ones Who Keep Us Running

But these programs could not run without the focused care of our Operations team. This team includes our staff who manage human resources, finances, facilities, and IT. While these staff are in the spotlight less often, all employees at Crossnore who have been hired, paid, submitted a maintenance request, or faced an internet outage agree that we couldn’t do it without them. Each of these members are vital in making sure that all staff have what they need to be able to serve clients and families.

Those Who Engage the Community

Finally, the people who work with the people (YOU!) who make all of this possible! Our External Relations team manages our work with the public and our community partners. These staff members oversee fundraising, major and planned giving, communications and marketing, and our Fostering Communities initiative. This team understands the heart of Crossnore and makes sure that you, the person outside of Crossnore, understands that as well. Truly, none of this could exist without you, our generous donors and friends. And we are so grateful for all the ways that those not employed at Crossnore continue to support the extensive work of this multifaceted organization. While we are many parts, we function wholly under our singular mission: to grow healthy futures for children and families by providing a Christian sanctuary of hope and healing. We are so grateful for every member of our staff, our board of directors, our donors, and our volunteers who make this mission possible. Together, we are all the heart of Crossnore. statue of children walking across creek on bridge