Sudden Urgent Needs grant
A Sudden Urgent Needs grant from the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina (cfwnc) enabled the Fines Creek Community Association (FCCA) to repair the damage incurred in the cafeteria kitchen. In December 2022 a board member discovered a gas leak in the cafeteria. Immediately, the propane heaters were turned off and the space was ventilated. Before the propane leak could be located, the hard freeze of December occurred. The subzero temperatures froze the plumbing pipes beneath the sink, the spray faucet, the toilet, and the water heater.
FCCA requested a grant from cfwnc to help repair these damages. Until heat and water could be restored to the cafeteria kitchen, the space could not be used. FCCA applied for a Sudden Urgent Needs grant which was awarded and repairs began immediately. Under the direction of Gregg Livengood, new heaters and pipes were ordered. The heaters would replace the old, less efficient heaters of 20+ years. 
Dale Ledford and John Haynes moved the sink and tore out the old frozen plumbing. This labor readied the sink for new pipes in addition to a grease trap which the cfwnc funds enabled FCCA to purchase.
A new faucet, toilet and water heater were obtained but work could not begin until heat was restored or the weather warmed. The heaters finally arrived in late March and were mounted in the dinning room and kitchen in April. Once 
the heaters were in place Gregg could determine the length and pipe fittings needed for the new heaters. The former heater pipes were not usable with the new heaters.
Meanwhile the services of a plumber were needed to reach the damaged pipes inside the kitchen wall. Those pipes were removed and new connections made. When the grease trap arrived
,once again a plumber installed the grease trap and connected the sink to the interior wall pipes. Gregg installed the new water heater and faucet. Now dishes can be washed in the kitchen again.
Jerry Morris led the efforts to get the new comfort-height toilet installed. The new toilet is now working. The old toilet partition was removed by Gregg and the space will be repainted by one of the scholarship volunteers.
A number of other volunteers contributed to this work and FCCA thanks all of them. The kitchen is functioning again and is in better condition with more efficient heaters, a comfort height toilet, a grease trap and new plumbing cut-off valves to make future repairs more easily done. The Sudden Urgent Needs grant of cfwnc made these repairs and improvements to happen.
