Apr
01
Shepherd of the Hills Retreat Center, located on the west side of the BMH campus and formerly used serving as the Swannanoa 4-H camp, serves as a donation-based venue for retreats, campus, family reunions, weddings, and more. The jobs created through our retreat center provide training opportunities for youth in our Apprenticeship Program. Our Apprenticeship Program includes four tracks, including:
- Culinary Arts
- Hospitality/Housekeeping
- Maintenance/Automotive
- Outdoor Leadership/Recreation
Students receive hands on training and in their chosen track and when ready complete internships in their field with a partnering local business. After completeing their internship, these businesses aim to offer full-time employment at a living wage to youth who have completed the program.
For more information contact our SOTH Retreat Center Coordinator at 828-581-0701 or by email at: [email protected]
FACILITIES
- Dining Hall with commercial kitchen surrounded by 100+ acres of trails to hike, bike, and explore
- Recreation area: large field, campfire ring, sand volleyball, outdoor basketball, disc golf course
- West Campus Catering/Food Services are available to individuals and groups using our West Campus facilities.
Click here for food services information and payments.
LODGING
- Mountain View Lodge: recommended for adult groups, ADA compliant, sleeps 30.
- Two Winterized Cabins: recommended for large groups, ADA compliant, available year-round, sleep 24 each
- Six Rustic Cabins: rustic cabins are great for warmer months and sleep 16 each
- We also have beautiful fields for tent camping and lots of trees for hammocks
Shepherd of the Hills Retreat and Event Donation Guidelines
Use of our retreat center and event space is 100% donation-based. To help you preplan your donation, a minimum donation amount for each of our buildings and facilities is suggested below. We are grateful to those who are able and wish to give more than the suggested amount because they help us provide services to those who cannot donate as much. Regardless of the amount, your donation helps our ministry provide care to more than 160 children each year who have experienced abuse, abandonment, and neglect. Your gift is also essential to maintaining our facilities and continuing to open our beautiful campus for use by the community.
For your convenience and our tracking purposes, we request that deposits, donations, and payments for each event be made by one person or organization. You will receive a receipt for the full amount of your donation by mail after your event and/or stay. Please note, that while we appreciate and count your full donation as a blessing to our ministry, the IRS only allows you to take a “charitable deduction” for the amount over and above the fair market value of the services received.
Suggested Donation (Fair Market Value) per Facility
Meeting Space (half-day reservation available by request)
$2,500/24 hours Entire Property
$600/day Dining Hall
$165/day Hospitality Cabin (year-round meeting space, kitchenette)
$150/day Conference Room
$100/day Recreation Field
$500/day Heritage Hall – coming soon! (meeting space, kitchen, stage)
Lodging
$2,500/24 hours Entire Property (sleeps 142)
$400/night Mountain View Lodge (sleeps 30)
$280/night Cabin Options 4 & 5 (ADA Compliant, sleep 24 each, heated)
$185/night Cabin Options 1, 3, 6, 8 (sleep 16 each, heated, cooled)
Add-ons to overnight reservations
$200/day Dining Hall (2 day minimum)
$55/day Hopsitality Cabin (2 day minimum)
$165/day Heritage Hall – coming soon (2 day minimum)
$50/day Conference Room
$7/tent/night Camping (with field reservation)
“Let each man give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord your God which he has given you.” Deuteronomy 16:17