HOPE Bus
Asheville, NC
On July 4, 2024, Linked4Life opened its HOPE Bus, bringing HOPE to all who
live in and visit Asheville.
The HOPE Bus is a reimagined former food truck of Bear's Smokehouse in the South Slope district. It is a place for people to share messages of hope and demonstrate their commitment to breaking the stigma of mental health.
The mural that wraps the HOPE Bus was designed and executed by local artists, Gus Cutty and Kathryn Crawford, and a large illuminated HOPE sign created by metalworker David Earl tied to Linked4Life's commitment to promoting mental health.
Visitors can make a $5 donation and receive a Linked4Life blue carabiner - a metal clip that symbolizes the power of connection. The carabiner comes with a tag so you can write a message of hope to display in the HOPE Bus. All donations support the Hospitality4HOPE project in Asheville in partnership with All Souls Counseling to provide free mental health counseling to local food and beverage workers.
Please visit the HOPE Bus at:
Bear's Smokehouse BBQ, 135 Coxe Ave, Asheville, NC
Open from NOON to 7 p.m. each day
HISTORY
The bus was originally opened as a food truck in November 2020 when the Bear's Smokehouse team was faced with the COVID-19 pandemic, and their plans to build a brick and mortar restaurant came to a screeching halt.
After two long years of persevering through many phases of construction, and less than ideal conditions for operating a food truck, Bear's Smokehouse BBQ restaurant was finally complete, and the truck was "retired".
Looking back, the bus gave the Bear's team HOPE in a time of extreme adversity. It was a vital reminder that despite the challenges and obstacles, they could reach their goal of having a beautiful restaurant and property that people from all over the world would come to love.
Now that their dream has become a reality, the team at Bear's has transformed their food truck to the Linked4Life HOPE Bus, to continue connecting people in HOPE in Asheville.
